Saturday, I fitted a new "Ammomaster 2" handle assembly to my "RC" press, lengthening the handle length about 4" and moving the force application point from a long cylinder area to a Ball end.

This reduced the total force needed on the handle end to resize .327 Federal Magnum cases down to .32 Extra Long/.32 Long Colt diameters.

As a result I was able to bring 25 cases to finished size in that evening's time after changing out the handle assembly.

This is compared to about 10 that I could downsize at one time before.
Removing the need to stand for each press operation reduced the discomfort I experienced as the forming process continued.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

Wednesday evening and Thursday morning and evening were spent making up some brass tubing 'blank Adapters' to use .25 Caliber PTL blanks in my .25 Stevens barrels.  These blanks have rims both smaller and thinner than the .25 Stevens RF cartridges so naturally will seat further forward from the Breech Face plane.
With a freshly re-cut rebate and head spaced for the original cartridge, the back face of the Blank will be about .010" forward of where the original rear face was.
Admittedly this is near the maximum normal head space limit allowed in modern guns but I believe this will function acceptably in my old Stevens Favorites.

I have written up the 'new design' cartridge manufacturing process in a Thread on "Ammoguide Interactive" if any readers wish to duplicate the process.  After I get the Action and barrels back from the Gunsmith again I will try them out again with the new design cartridges.

I have loaded the twenty I have made so far with Grade 3 .25 Caliber "Ramset" PTL blanks removed from ten shot plastic strips intended for use in "Hilti DX35" stud guns, with both 50 grain and 63 grain Lead bullets suitable for the Bore/groove dimensions similar to .25ACP specifications.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

I temporarily received one of my strengthened 1894 Stevens Favorite actions back from my gunsmith (after paying $150.00 for the labor so far) to try out with some of my 'replacement' .25 Stevens cartridges.  I found that the firing pin  had too much tip extension and too much travel in the Breech Block; also that the Stevens Favorite was designed without a retraction spring.  The pin tip 'Snaged' on the cartridge rims if the BB was closed when the barrel is pointed down and fouled the hammer if the barrel is pointed up.  I also found that the original Stevens Chambers in my barrels are all worn conical in the rim rebate, so different diameter rim set at different depths, case rear face to Breech face.  I also found the extractor was cut with too thick a section, front to rear, so it 'camed' the cartridge body up and the rim disengaged from the extractor part way out.

Firing found the .25 RF positioned pin striking the rim from the bottom side so it took two strikes to fire a .22 RF blank in any carrier design I tried;but .27 RF Blanks did fire with a single trigger pull.

I returned the Action to my Gunsmith along with two .25Stevens barrels, two more Breech blocks, and an additional lever to have him:
1. Correct the .25 Stevens firing pin problems.
2. Make up a .22RF Breech block-Link-Lever set to work with the revised .25 extractor in my action.
3. Make up a CF Breech Block so I can try some of my CF Cartridge Designs later.
4. adjust the Rim rebates and head spaces to work with both the original .25 Stevens RF cartridges and the smaller .25 RF Blank Rims.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

Noticed today that ONE of my Stevens made .25 Stevens RF barrels, one with a Very Pitted Bore but visible remaining rifling, will accept a piece of 9/32" (about .283" outside diameter) Brass Tubing full length of the Chamber.  This is bigger than most of the barrels I own, which seem to run .278"-.279" maximum chamber diameters for a cartridge that is nominally .276" to .277" body diameter.

Now I will have to decide to either save my money and have this one relined or try to use it as is.

Decisions, decisions, decisions, to be made sometime in the future.

Best Regards,
Chev. William

I'm watching also. Looking to either 25 hornet or leave the chamber be and convert cases.

Tried the new push 'punch' with 30 cut pieces of brass tubing.  it worked for 29 as desired, but he 30th piece ended up 'extruding' the last part when the 'punch' was driven through the die and it came out with a 'skirt' that measured .004" wall thickness.
Eventually I will machine the second one to a closer fit, but this one is usable as is for my case making work.
Best Regards,
Chev. William

By Wednesday morning I had 60 pieces Trimmed to 1.060" length, charged with a PTL blank pressed into one end and a few with bullets seated in the other end.

I took a pair of ones made up with Grade 4 blanks and 63 grain Lead bullets to my Gunsmith's shop and we used one of my 1894 Actions and a over length head spaced .25 Stevens Barrel ( the 'lash-up' had about .080" between Breech face and back of Cartridge) to see how my "Second Generation" version would react.

It did fire.
The bullet exited the barrel into my Gunsmith's shop bullet trap.
The blank rim 'vented' upward.
Post firing inspection found the Blank and tube case had moved to the rear, with the Blank moving in the tube also, resulting in the Blank 'unsupported body section bulging out to form an additional 'rim' ahead of the original, which 'ballooned' somewhat before tearing a "T" shaped spot in the top where gases vented.
The tubing expanded from its sized OD of .274" to an OD of .282" and the end near the Blank had a slight 'bell' to it.
The 'bullet' end still had most of the roll crimp still present so the bullet exited with out 'ironing the crimp out'.
There was no evidence of gas leakage around the Tube case nor the front and body of the Blank at he Blank to Tube joint.
The Blank's original Star Crimp had been blown out to full 'cylinder, the diameter of the tube ID.

All in all our experiment proved that the .014 wall tube is viable as a case for this purpose.
Either I should not crimp the bullet after seating or I should 'neck ream' the bullet end to reduce the wall thickness if I wish to crimp.

The Tube should be 'Sized full length' before reuse.  But isn't this usual for reloading cartridges?

We also think that we will not need to repeat the excess Head Space firing experiment again, unless I change basic Tubing wall thicknesses in the future.  

No detectable damage was done to the Action used. This is a upgraded Pivots 1894 Stevens Action.

Best Regards,
Chev. William