Gots me a new/old rockchuck rifle coming

[JDHasty]

Info from the C.C. Johnson job card

Sir,
Your rifle is interesting.
Job Card 57099

commissioned by Wayne Sickafoose
E Sparta, Ohio

Stevens 44 1/2  number 10355
fit Douglas barrel furnished
1 1/16X13/16 chamber .222
blue barrel and lever only
Fit barrel and chamber       $20.00
Blue barrel and lever          $ 4.50
fit extractor                       $ 3.50
bush block                         $ 5.00
Total                                 $33.00
Parcel Post                        $    .97

Received 5-28-57
Sent       2-6-58



Looking at the photos on rimfire central,
the .222 REM is X'd out and .219 DON
is added below C C JOHNSON
this is typical of what CCJ did if a customer wanted a barrel rechambered if it could be done.

[JDHasty]

Picked up a set of Redding 6mm x 30-30 AI dies, that was a good hit.  I’m going to have Lilja send a 29 inch 1:10 barrel blank to CPA, who now has my action.  12 - 14 weeks. 

I’ve been really enamored with this CPA bench rest rifle in 22LR and am giving serious consideration to having Lilja send a second 22 LR barrel blank along at the same time. 

That’s a substantial commitment.  A second breach block and lever is a chunk of change and they don’t give the stock blank sets away either.  I’m really fond of that bench rest stock, I would probably not want that #4 barrel though. 

[JDHasty]

My 6mm & 22LR barrel blanks should be headed from Lilja to CPA soon. 

On the 6mm I had an epiphany the other day.  Although I have the 6mm 30-30 Ackley form set, dies and 375 Winchester brass sitting here, Starlinebrass just released a run of 444 Marlin brass.  I can use the #1 Form die from my old 30-06 to 22-250 Varminter form die set, then run it through a 358, 308 and 243 FL die with the expander rod removed and make rimmed 243 brass from the 444 Marlin and gain a couple hundred fps. It wouldn’t be a big deal to chamber the barrel using a 243 Winchester reamer and then cut the rim groove on a lathe. 

I was waiting until I had successfully made up a hundred or so cases before letting CPA know that I changed my mind.  They need to be trimmed to length and have the necks turned, but everything is looking good. 

[JDHasty]

600 444 Marlin cases annealed, and made into rimmed 243.  Need to be annealed once more, necks cut to length, and turned. 

My barrel blanks shipped from Lilja to CPA yesterday, so I need to get a few dummy rounds made up and in the mail. 

On another note, I cut a deal on a real nice looking 44 1/2 barrel that is marked 17 A&M and fore end.  My inclination is that it is something Paul Marquardt made up using 222 Rimmed brass and their 17 Javalina reamer.  Then cut the rim recess on a lathe. 

The guy I got it from was not able to make a cerrosafe cast though.  If that is the case it shouldn’t be a big deal to make up cases on 357 Maximum brass.  The only 222 Rimmed currently available is Bertram and it is expensive and not that great either. 

44 1/2 barrels usually spin right on and headspace up. 

Worst case is we will cut a bit off and rechamber it to something else if it is some real oddball. 

[JDHasty]

OK, we got some brass that looks pretty much like a 243 Winchester w/a rim on it but it has a neck like a giraffe. 

CPA left a message late last night and wants to know what to put for a caliber stamp on the barrel.  Gee, I hadn’t thought of that.  Sounds like they are ready for those barrel blanks soon as they hit their door.

But I diverge.  What to do about the necks?  I built a jig out of a piece of aluminum 90 degree angle to position them perpendicular to the blade in my little Harbor Freakshow Mini Chop Saw.  The rim makes that easy, on a rimless case a cat down out of Chehalis makes 3D printed jigs.  Buy one.  That mini chop saw is a PITA, but it’s the best option.  I can cut about three/minute in it. 

They are all cut, all ~600, about 2-3 thousandths too long.  They were rough and raggedy inside and out and although I could take the burrs off w/a Wilson deburring tool, that’s a LOT of work.  So, into the Thumbler Vibratory Tumbler with walnut shell media and they will come out looking great in that regard.  See photo. 

Next step will be to trim them to exact length on a LE Wilson case trimmer and deburr/chamfer them.  About one/minute, so that is five hours work.  And we are done, right?  Nope, the necks not only grew in length going from 44 caliber down to 243, they got a LOT thicker. 

So, in forming the cases I removed the expander assemblies from the 243 FL die I last ran them through.  Actually I took it out of all of the intermediate dies as well.  What that implies is that the brass is smaller in diameter in the neck than it will end up being.  The extra is on the inside of the neck now and that means that if I am going to outside turn the necks around a 243/6mm pilot that the necks have to be brought up to fit the pilot.  They are dead soft, having just been annealed after being formed.  I can ream them using a Forster .239 inside neck reamer and then expand them using a K&M Neck Expand Mandrel… soon as it gets here.  I have the expand die body, but no 243 mandrel.  Oops, must have loaned it.  Then take a couple thousandths off the outside.

What I’m going to do is inside ream them and then run them over the expander mandrel and then outside turn ~.002 off of them.  Here’s why.  The reamer is going to go all the way through the shoulder.  If I don’t do it that way I will not be able to seat bullets all the way to or past the base of the neck.  This barrel is going to be throated for 90gr tipped bullets, but let’s say I want to shoot a deer with a 105 Partition?  Can’t do it because when you seat the bullet that deep it will expand the neck just in front of the shoulder so much that the round will not chamber.  Can’t seat the bullet long, the throat is not long enough. 

Last step I will turn the necks to .00145-.0015, I can do about one/minute (ten hours) and we’re done.  Right?  Not so fast Kemosabe, the inside neck reamer and mandrel are .243 and the bullets are also .243.  That ain’t gonna work.  So, it’s back through the FL size die (this time with the expander assembly back in it) or through a Lee Collett die and now we have our brass. 

[Kingofthemountain83]

Wow!!! Hope she's accurate!!!

[JDHasty]

Should be.  I have a BalVAR 24 to mount on it. 

W/regard to the 17 A&M barrel mentioned above.  It got here and is actually chambered in 17 A&M Bee.  That makes things considerably easier.

A&M in the 1950s-1970s was Atkinson and Marquardt in Prescott AZ.  Paul Marquardt and Bill Atkinson.  Smallbore rifles with cut rifled barrels signed William Atkinson were the hot ticket back then.  They were up there with a couple others like Hart barrels that most top shooters were using. 

A&M, and Paul Marquardt in particular was heavily involved in the 17 caliber scene back then and were tight with Vern O'Brien in Las Vegas.  Vern O'Brien developed the 17 Mach IV that the 17 Fireball was ultimately based on.  I remember reading about what they were up to in magazines in the school library when I was a kid. 

So, this 17 A&M Bee is a 218 Bee case necked down, blown out and the shoulder moved forward to result in ~.018 inch neck.  Almost a dead ringer for the 17 HeBee.  Pretty much a chip shot to make from 218 Bee brass.  The problem with that is there isn't any 218 Bee brass being sold as a component.  I have a few bags of Winchester, but not near enough for a Bee or Hornet based varmint slayer.  Starlinebrass however just cranked out a run of 32-20 Winchester brass. 

That is going to involve making up some short necked 218 Bee brass by taking the 32-20 through a 25-20 die on the way there.  I have a Redding 17 Ackley Bee form/trim  die and a Bullberry Double End Die if I need it that should get that done.  The cases will need to be annealed first thing, then again at the 218 Bee stage,  The necks will need to be reamed and/or turned as well. The 17 Ackley Bee has a 20 degree shoulder and the 17 A&M Bee has a 23 degree shoulder and the A&M Bee has less taper.  Should be close enough to work just fine.   

Pretty boring stuff, but if anyone is interested let me know and I'll try and take photos and yak about what I'm doing and why along the way.