Avatar
Search
Forum Scope




Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
Lost password?
sp_Feed sp_PrintTopic sp_TopicIcon
Winchester Lee Navy
Avatar
Chuck
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 5810
Member Since:
March 31, 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
1
December 27, 2022 - 10:24 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Has anyone loaded ammo for this rifle?  I have an urge to do so.  I have some 220 Swift brass and have a general idea what to do.  Dies are really hard to find and I can’t even find what shell holder the Lee or Swift uses.  Help needed.

Avatar
clarence
NY
Member
Restricted
Forum Posts: 7119
Member Since:
November 1, 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
2
December 27, 2022 - 11:37 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Chuck said
  Dies are really hard to find and I can’t even find what shell holder the Lee or Swift uses. 

  

If you had a Bonanza press, you wouldn’t need a shell holder. 

Here is the book you need: 

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30000234440&cm_sp=SEARCHREC-_-WIDGET-R-_-BDP-F&searchurl=xpod%3Doff%26bi%3D0%26ds%3D30%26bx%3Doff%26sortby%3D20%26an%3Dgeorge%2Bnonte%26recentlyadded%3Dall

Avatar
steve004
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 5173
Member Since:
November 19, 2006
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
3
December 28, 2022 - 12:23 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print

Chuck said
Has anyone loaded ammo for this rifle?  I have an urge to do so.  I have some 220 Swift brass and have a general idea what to do.  Dies are really hard to find and I can’t even find what shell holder the Lee or Swift uses.  Help needed.

  

Long ago, I had the urge to do this.  Then Glenn deRuiter had his incident – that left him dead on the range.  I realize isolated incidents happen.  And as proof of not being excessively hysterical, I do a fair bit of shooting with .280 Ross rifles built on the MkIII action.  Here’s an account of what happened to Glenn – along with some photos of the destroyed action.  Glenn was a friend of one of my friends, so we had a fair bit of discussion of this.  One conclusion – the article mentioned this – is the brass failed.

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/winchester-lee-navy-safety/

Avatar
clarence
NY
Member
Restricted
Forum Posts: 7119
Member Since:
November 1, 2013
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
4
December 28, 2022 - 12:41 am
sp_Permalink sp_Print

steve004 said
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/winchester-lee-navy-safety/
  

Clearly use of the .30-40 case is inadvisable, but the Swift case is stronger, as mentioned in this report.  Even .30-40 cases have apparently been used without previous disasters. 

Avatar
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 24
Member Since:
March 17, 2021
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
5
December 28, 2022 - 7:01 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print

A guy in Wisconsin who advertised that he loaded obsolete ammo made me 250 rounds using .220 Swift cases and pointed partially jacketed bullets 10 or 15 years ago.  Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter.   I still have a few left and they seem to work fine in the two Lee Navy sporting rifles I have.

Avatar
Chuck
Member
WACA Member
Forum Posts: 5810
Member Since:
March 31, 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
6
December 28, 2022 - 8:42 pm
sp_Permalink sp_Print sp_EditHistory

clarence said

Chuck said

  Dies are really hard to find and I can’t even find what shell holder the Lee or Swift uses. 

  

If you had a Bonanza press, you wouldn’t need a shell holder. 

  

I have a Forester co-ax that doesn’t use shell holders.  I need a loading die set.  My machinist friend will reduce the rim diameter and re-cut the extractor groove.  The problem, as I see it is how to hold the cases in the lathe?  My friend is going to take some of my original 236 ammo and the Swift cases home to play with.  I have Donnelley’s Cartridge Conversion book and it has all the instructions.

I have read all the reports of these guns malfunctioning.  Usually the culprit was the loader not the gun.  Remember the 6mm/.236 was the parent cartridge for the 220 Swift.   So going backwards makes the most sense.  I wish I had some die that could get the brass small enough to fire form.

Forum Timezone: UTC 0
Most Users Ever Online: 4623
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 161
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
clarence: 7119
TXGunNut: 6408
Chuck: 5810
steve004: 5173
1873man: 4698
deerhunter: 2694
Big Larry: 2549
twobit: 2493
mrcvs: 2194
Maverick: 2030
Newest Members:
Sans Peur
Crucian66
Winchester 1892
Temomar83
ross
Model94-2025
R.E. Moore
sjGUESTEST
WindsurfAruba
cedar swamp savage
Forum Stats:
Groups: 1
Forums: 18
Topics: 14718
Posts: 131667

 

Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 2057
Members: 9986
Moderators: 3
Admins: 4
Administrators: Mike Hager, Bert H., JWA, SethJ
Moderators: Rob Kassab, Brad Dunbar, Heather
Navigation