Just dreaming...but

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TRanger

Blackhawk
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I was in a local shop the other day and came across a couple of Stevens single shot rifles in .25 Stevens rimfire along with a supply of ammunition. It's just dreaming, but I'd love to see Ruger and Hornady team up and supply a Single-Six revolver and ammunition for this cartridge. Most folks probably see the .22 WMR as a satisfactory replacement for the old Stevens round; but my experience indicates it is too destructive on small game. The .25 Stevens would be more effective by virtue of its larger, heavier flat point bullet without the destruction of the higher velocity.22 Magnum. I've long agreed with Elmer Keith that the .25 Stevens is an excellent rimfire cartridge for the handgunner. Probably never happen. But I can dream.
 

57springer

Buckeye
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TRanger said:
I was in a local shop the other day and came across a couple of Stevens single shot rifles in .25 Stevens rimfire along with a supply of ammunition. It's just dreaming, but I'd love to see Ruger and Hornady team up and supply a Single-Six revolver and ammunition for this cartridge. Most folks probably see the .22 WMR as a satisfactory replacement for the old Stevens round; but my experience indicates it is too destructive on small game. The .25 Stevens would be more effective by virtue of its larger, heavier flat point bullet without the destruction of the higher velocity.22 Magnum. I've long agreed with Elmer Keith that the .25 Stevens is an excellent rimfire cartridge for the handgunner. Probably never happen. But I can dream.
I never heard of the cartridge , but I am going to research it !
 
Joined
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Not for me. The larger caliber rimfires died a natural death for a reason.
The play on those came from a desire to put more power into a small package within the limits of black powder and lead bullets. Rimfire ignition was cheaper than centerfire for both ammo and rifles making it more economical. IMHO, such a round would not give significantly better results "on small game" than currently available 22lr.
 

eveled

Hawkeye
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Apr 3, 2012
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If your going to have a gun that shoots an oddball cartridge it is wise to have it be reloadable. Rimfire cartridges are not friendly in that respect. The .25 Stevens does seem like it would be fun.

I've often wondered if the .22 mag would even still be here if the single six wasn't offered as a convertible. The single six sold an awful lot of companion rifles in .22mag. Keeping the cartridge viable.
 

SGW Gunsmith

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Quote: "The .25 Stevens would be more effective by virtue of its larger, heavier flat point bullet without the destruction of the higher velocity.22 Magnum."

There was at least one half-serious introduction involving a rimfire cartridge between the .22 Long Rifle round and the offerings in .32 caliber. This one by Remington:

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Remington also made several style rifles to accommodate the .267 rimfire cartridge, but a couple of those rifles never made it to production. A very limited few did and are now in collectors hands.
Unfortunately, the magazine writers of the day apparently didn't get their palms "greased" well enough to write good things about how accurate these cartridges were and how you didn't even need to aim and a .267 rimfire bullet will find its way right between a squirrel or rabbit's eyeballs. Therefore the .267 Remington cartridge was a "magnanimus" flop.
So, unless some ammunition company will pick up the torch and spend a small fortune on tooling up for a "tween" rimfire round, hope and dreams are all that will exist.
 

Hondo44

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TRanger,

Rimfires are a difficult case to make/load according to ammo manufacturers. So that's one strike against a new rimfire round.

However, the old Winch rifle WRF round is being produced again in enough volume to have a retail price below the WRM. CCI in particular makes a few varieties including a self defense round IIRC.

Of course they shoot perfectly from a Ruger standard magnum cyl and accurately in my experience from my Super (adj sighted) Single Sixes. And do not tear up small game like the magnums. You might want to give these a try.

Shooting 32 Longs for small game in a Super Single Six 32 H&R mag is another good small game cartridge.

If you want a 'special' gun, my converted Ruger to shoot a shortened 218 BEE is a fun one, a simple conversion by reaming a LR or magnum cyl, and also reloadable.
 
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If you want a 'special' gun, my converted Ruger to shoot a shortened 218 BEE is a fun one, a simple conversion by reaming a LR or magnum cyl, and also reloadable.

more info on this please
 

SGW Gunsmith

Blackhawk
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Messages
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Northwestern Wisconsin
Hondo44 said:
TRanger,

Rimfires are a difficult case to make/load according to ammo manufacturers. So that's one strike against a new rimfire round.

However, the old Winch rifle WRF round is being produced again in enough volume to have a retail price below the WRM. CCI in particular makes a few varieties including a self defense round IIRC.

Of course they shoot perfectly from a Ruger standard magnum cyl and accurately in my experience from my Super (adj sighted) Single Sixes. And do not tear up small game like the magnums. You might want to give these a try.

Shooting 32 Longs for small game in a Super Single Six 32 H&R mag is another good small game cartridge.

If you want a 'special' gun, my converted Ruger to shoot a shortened 218 BEE is a fun one, a simple conversion by reaming a LR or magnum cyl, and also reloadable.

Does firing pin location then need to be moved?
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
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Hawk-in-Wi said:
If you want a 'special' gun, my converted Ruger to shoot a shortened 218 BEE is a fun one, a simple conversion by reaming a LR or magnum cyl, and also reloadable.

more info on this please

MAKING A 218 BEE SUPER SINGLE SIX

I start with a .32 H&R Ruger Super single six because of the center fire firing pin (although a 22 single six can be converted, just additional work). Obtain a single six .22 barrel and cyl easily found on ebay and gunbroker, usually in a parts kit with everything but the frame. Pick one with the barrel length you prefer.

A caution about different vintage 32 vs. 22 barrels:
OM and pre 1986 NM Single Six .22 barrels, and 1st year (1984 and part of 1985) early.32 barrels are 20 tpi.
Post 1985 .22 and .32 barrels are both 24 tpi. So pick your gun and parts vintages carefully.

The 25-20 case is the parent case for the 218 BEE (the shoulder was just extended) and they are the same overall length. The 218 BEE and 25/20 will easily fit six in a single six cyl., just a bit too long. So that I wouldn't have to relocate the shoulder lower on the 218 BEE cases, I started with 25-20 cases because of the longer neck. Resize the neck first to .22 with a standard .218 Bee resizer die. Then shorten the neck .040" less than the factory 218 Bee/25-20 case. And use the .218 seating die shortened at the mouth to seat bullets.

Ream the .22 cyl with the .218 Bee rifle chamber finishing reamer, but not to full depth, just the length of the shortened cases. Because the reamer is not going all the way into the chambers you can not cut rim recesses in the chambers unless the reamer is modified (shortened) on the front end of the body cutters. That's OK, just turn off the rear face off the cyl for proper headspace of the new cartridge rim thickness. I like to be able to see the rims from the side to know if the gun is loaded or not.

If you want recessed cartridge rims, after reaming the chambers to the shorter depth, grind the case body cutters shorter in front so the back end of the reamer will cut the recesses in the chamber mouths w/o extending the chambers too deep. No need to face off the rear face of the cyl.

Best results is to start with a 22 LR chambered cyl. Since the chambers are 'charge holes' (no shoulder) the chambers make better pilot holes for the reamer to follow accurately than 22 mag chambers, and the throats are already the correct size for 218 BEE.

I don't try to hot rod the cartridge and have had no issues at all with it. The new round, "218 BEE Short" cycles fine in my '92 Winchester. So if I ever find a 25 cal Ruger barrel, I'd make a Ruger in 25-20 'Short' and have a revolver and carbine combo that would fire the same cartridge.

A "32-20 Short" is similar but much easier by just reaming the cyl. And reaming the 32 to 327 Fed Mag, is the easiest of all.


Top: reamed to 327 Fed Mag and shoots both mags from same cyl., 4 5/8" barrel, original size, XR3-Red size grip frame but in stainless steel.

Next: has 32 Mag cyl., and an extra one reamed to 32-20 Short, 4 3/8" barrel, New Vaq XR3 size steel grip frame.

3rd: 218 BEE Short, 4 1/8" barrel, short Vaquerito size steel grip frame.

xlarge.jpg
 
Joined
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WOW Very helpfull info, thank you so much for posting it,
I've got several 32's laying around and I know I have some mag cylinders that never get used , so about all I would need is a barrel
so can a guy get you to do this or do you only work on your own stuff ?
and if you do, could you give me a rough idea what some thing like this would cost?

again thanks for taking the time to post this info
 

Hondo44

Hawkeye
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You're welcome, my pleasure.

Sorry to say I don't have any of the needed 'credentials' to receive or send guns. Also I care for my wife and barely have enough time to work on my own guns.

But I'm happy to answer questions and provide my procedures for doing things. Everything I've done is written out. I work mostly just on my own Ruger and Colt SAs, and Smith DAs.
 
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