.25 caliber rim fire

[LJP]

I was in a gun shop yesterday, and saw a .25 caliber Stevens Favorite rifle. The gun is in very nice original condition. The .25 caliber round is obsolete, hasn't been made in this country since about WWII. A Canadian company last made them in the 70's. Whatever is out there is likely to cost in the neighbir hood of $100 to $150 a box of 50.
I contacted 2 makers of custom bullets, they both said they could not make rim fire bullets.
Does anyone know of a source that could make custom rim fire bullets, or does anyone know how to go about making a rim fire bullet.
Is it realistic to think I could make my own rim fires?
I have loaded thousands of shotgun shells, but those supplies are easily obtained.
I would think the hardest part would be obtaining, or making, or resizing brass. .???
Any thoughts or opinions will be appreciated!
Thanks, Larry

 

[shovel80]

I've seen them for sale at gun shows, but like you said they're expensive. If it was me,I'd Probably have the barrel relined to a .22 LR and shoot it!

Terry

 

[Tom Griffin]

Larry,

I ran across something about reloading rimfires a while back. I'll rack my brain and see if I can figure out where. You may want to check over at the American Single Shot Rifle Association, if anyone knows how to reload rimfires, those guys would.

Another place to try would be the Cast Boolits forum. They seem to like the odd reloading challenge.

Tom

 

[railfancwb]

Might consider a sex change for the gun, although I don't know of any .25 center fire cartridges of the rim fire cartridge size/shape. Once you got it to center fire, cases could be made using a lathe.

Relining to .22, as suggested earlier, might be the best approach to have a shooter if the firing pin will hit the rim of the smaller case.

 

[Rbeckett]

Handling the primer material is very hazardous and could result in a serious injury. The reason that rim fire round are not reloadable is because the ring at the bottom is crimped and no longer able to be filled completely with the primer material. This would result in a lot of miss fires and could be very dangerous. I would look to reline the bore and chamber and use a 22 Long or 22 magnum round and call it done. I just cant see any good coming from having mecury fulminate laying around in a reloaders shop... Whatever you decide, be extremely careful because the level of danger is way up there to do what your talking about.

Bob

 

[moorepower]

If it can be converted to center fire, I would go with the .25 Hornet and load it with Trailboss, for some low psi fun shooting.

 

[Tom Griffin]

The falling block design of the Favorite is weak at best and not capable of withstanding the forces of anything more powerful than the rimfire cartridge it was designed for.

Tom

 

[LJP]

I have been convinced, by the comments and warnings about trying to make the .25 Stevens Favorite into something it isn't, not to buy this gun. Thanks for all the input!
Larry

 

[Cavallino]

Dixie Gunworks make a rimfire adapter that uses .22 rimfire blanks and cast projectiles to make a cartridge, could be worth contacting them.

 

[RGR]

The falling block design of the Favorite is weak at best and not capable of withstanding the forces of anything more powerful than the rimfire cartridge it was designed for.

Tom

Yep, the good Lord looks for us perhaps more than we are due, but he still expects us to use some sense. It's a difficult task for a gunsmith to convince a person that a gun should be retired, but the far majority of those old Stevens rimfires, and Hop Allen, and a bucket full or other turn of the century guns, are due a rest. Even in their original chambers. There are some potent mini mag type loads now that would test the firing pin design of a lot of them.

Way back before the Feds began regulation of everything that made a bang, I recall articles about reloading RF cases. If someone did it once, we know it's possible, but practical is often a different
deal.

Sounds like he has decided to stay way from the gun in question. But it is hard to retire one.


Ron