First time posting, long time lurker.
I picked up a Winchester low-wall a few weeks ago in 25-20 winchester and have had a blast shooting it. It is a non-matching numbers gun that has a nice aftermarket barrel on it and I have to say I think have been bitten by the single shot bug. So I ran across a J. Stevens model 44 in 25-20ss on GB and end up buying it and while it was shipping I ordered some 25-20ss ammo thinking I would test it out when it arrived. Well it arrived and the ammo will not chamber fully. So I guess a chamber cast is up next to figure out the caliber. I'll post some pic's soon.

Investing in Barn's Cartridges of the World, Water's Pet Loads, or some similar cartridge reference book, is an easy means of avoiding such surprises.

Newly made brass (by Jamison & Bertram) can be found on-line, although I think it's currently out of production from both companies.

a few more.
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You might loosen the set screw at the bottom of the frame, open the action, unscrew the barrel and look at the shank.  I have a Stevens 44 that was rechambered from .25-20 SS to .25-20WCF, and I can see where the shank was lengthened, the threads picked up, and the excess cut off at the breech so the new shorter chamber could be cut correctly.  There is also a second detent on the bottom of the barrel shank where the frame set screw now engages.

I could see the change on the outside because my half-octagon barrel now has the end of the half-octagon slightly short of the schnabel on the original forend.  (The forend screw hole also was relocated.)  Your specimen has been extensively modified and restocked so such outside inspection isn't possible.

It may be a stretch, looking at a photo, but it looks like your chamber is unmodified to me.  If that long bullet round is what you are trying to chamber, I doubt it would go into an original chamber anyway.  Does an empty, full-length resized .25-20 SS case fit in?

Bent_Ramrod wrote on Apr 10^th, 2018 at 10:22am:


I do not have any empty 25-20ss brass to try unless I pull a bullet.

coondawg wrote on Apr 10^th, 2018 at 11:09am:


Pulling it vs. continuing to be mystified?  Easy decision, I think.

Yer gonna be busy it seems. But, if you get an extra minute, can you explain what you meant in the first post when you said the low wall was non-matching numbers. All I ever owned just had one number at most. Some, with replaced tang had none at all. Curious

Thank you. Tha's a good lookin' little rifle. 

You’re probably going to have to pull all those bullets anyway.  Bullets for all the original small .25 centerfires had stubby noses, like the one you show on the WCF Version.

I like the retention of the “tulip” end on the rebarrel job on the Low Wall.  Gives it a nice, expensive touch.

Thanks for the replies. I will pull a bullet and see if the brass fits. If it does I will pull the rest. I have considered shooting black powder loads. 

I had a gut feeling that the serial number on the Winchester was ep'ed but was hoping it was the right serial number. It is a good shooter even with my old eyes. 

Thanks,
Robert

I ordered a CPA breech seating case this morning. Seems like the the way to go with 25-20ss.

Stevens barrels were rather soft and were intended for lead alloy bullets.  Jacketed bullets will cause unnecessary wear & will not help accuracy.

When did Jamison offer assembled ammo for the .25-20?   Did I miss something?

Quote:


I remember that too; Mad Magazine, wasn't it?

I finally got to shoot some rounds loaded with 4227. I loaded up 6 rounds each of 6.5, 6.8 and 7gr. 6.8 shot the best with a .258 85gr SPG lubed breech seated cast bullet and a Federal small pistol primer and a tuff of cotton in the neck to keep the powder in place. It put 6 shot in the tape at 50 yards off the hood of my truck with tired old eyes. I do need to find a better rest next time. This Gold gun is pretty nice shooter.
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50target wrote on Apr 28^th, 2018 at 2:50pm:


I bought a few boxes of the loaded Jamiso mm ammo and pulled the bullet & replaced with 87 grain commercial bullet & it shot really good at 50 yds. Found some Jamison brass at Huntington's & ordered 2 boxes.

As to IMR 4227 I have found with 25-20WCF, that 6.6 to 6.7 gr is a sweet spot.
My Stevens has a great bore & from the first outing I knew we were going to get along great. I read somewhere that their neck dimensions were large. My mikes out at .280, a little large. Just ahead of the rim is dead on at .315.
Enjoy it
Bob

My 44/45 is very happy with the 68 grain Lyman 257420s sized .257 over 6.8 grains of H108. The factory twist is 1:13 and I think I've seen reference to the early bullet weights being lighter than the 85 grain ones for the WCF. I have a Schoyen/Peterson mould that drops a 25-20 SS bullet at 77.5 grains with a fairly long nose and those guys probably knew what they were doing.