25-20 why so high?

Still hoping Remingtion will finally start producing it again. I have about 150 rds of it and probably paid $200 to get it. I wanna shoot my 1894 Marlin more or maybe get a few more guns in it. But I don't reload, so it will sit unless I happen to come across a few extra rounds to shoot

My .25-20s



Also have a 25-20 Rolling Block #2 with a Fecker 8 power scope mounted I can't find a picture of

I've got this old m92 Winchester, it's been re-barreled and re-blued . Though. And the side of the reciever seems to be drilled and tapped for any conceivable rear sight or scope mount. The gunsmith put his name on the barrel , anyone heard of him?

codytrucker said:

View attachment 1117114 View attachment 1117115 I've got this old m92 Winchester, it's been re-barreled and re-blued . Though. And the side of the reciever seems to be drilled and tapped for any conceivable rear sight or scope mount. The gunsmith put his name on the barrel , anyone heard of him?

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Well yeah. Is there anybody that hasn't?

codytrucker said:

The gunsmith put his name on the barrel , anyone heard of him?

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I hope that was a rhetorical question.

ATCDoktor said:

Most people don’t know (CraigC alluded to it in his post) but the 25/20 “kills” all out of proportion to its size.....


A subsonic cast 90 grain .258 bullet kills better than just about any subsonic 22 lr (with the exception of CCI’s segmented subsonics)

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That's what I love about the round. I run 85 gr. cast at about 950-1,000 FPS, they're every bit as quiet as suppressed .22 LR subsonic though the 1.25x6.5 purpose built cans I've made (or any decent 9mm can), and hit with double the thump.

I like my Remington model 25s a lot, and the 27s, but the Marlin 1894s are my favorites, especially this 1903 mfr one I found a vintage MArlin scope for and made a custom mount so that the receiver didn't have to be altered. Barrel is internally threaded with a male-male adapter.






.32-20 is great for suppressed subsonic as well, have a couple of those that I enjoy just as much as the .25-20s. 115 gr. cast @ ~1,000 is my go-to for those, which are a Marlin 1889 and another Marlin 27s.

This is one of the Remington model 25, just a thread protector in these photos. They're really sleek little rifles, in between the model 12 and model 14 as far as receiver size.

Probably the biggest reason for the expense is lack of availability of rifles (or handguns) so chambered. I suggest that is caused by lack of demand for the caliber in general. That problem seems to stem from many shooters buying 'new' and 'better' calibers. Not to mention the rather flimsy cases for the cartridge tending to collapse in reloading.

However, the .45-70 made a great comeback. The .22 Hornet is chambered (was, maybe) by Ruger in a version of the M77-22.

I think the handy rifle with a custom barrel might be the least expensive and easiest answer in the short term. I do really think the cartridge performance level fills a certain niche in the sporting or varmint spectrum. Something that will handle a coyote sized varmint without landing in a city a couple miles downrange.

I've never had a problem with 25/20 cases, it's Hornet cases that are flimsy for sure!

I can't even remember losing a 25/20 case...

DM

DM~ said:

I've never had a problem with 25/20 cases, it's Hornet cases that are flimsy for sure!

I can't even remember losing a 25/20 case...

DM

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It happens in forming from .32-20, necks buckling inward. I usually lose about 1 per 150. But that's going straight to the .25-20 sizing die with new brass, no annealing or other prep. If one did intermediate steps, could probably avoid it entirely.

And yes, .22 Hornet brass is a PITA with its ridiculously thin neck! I've crushed many, try to use boat tail bullets, or at least thode with a decent chamfer/radius on the base.

This is a caliber that Ruger should consider down the laundry lists of customer lever gun wishes for a svelte 39A (sized) reintroduction. I know it was never offered in that rifle but Ruger does know how to design new guns. A reloadable round that with modern powders and bullets the performance could be stepped up a notch. And clearly .25-20 is perfect for a a little pump rifle. In stainless with a laminate or composite stock it could be the most perfect truck gun ever. I am all about stainless and laminate. It is my upbringing in Louisiana, my parents lived in the woods up north but my grandparents down south in the swamps and paddling about between dry spots in a pirogue blued guns got salt on them and salt is not kind to a blued and walnut gun. My grandfather painted them with spar varnish including the metal parts but still they rusted and pitted.

3Crows said:

This is a caliber that Ruger should consider down the laundry lists of customer lever gun wishes for a svelte 39A (sized) reintroduction.

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The round is too long for the 39A action, or even the long discontinued Marlin 1892, which can barely take .32 S&W long. They'd have to be redesigned to the point that it would be a different gun.

.25-20 requires an 1894 receiver in Marlin patterns.

That said, it would be awesome if Ruger slimmed down the furniture on the 1894 to be more like it was in the late 19th and early 20th. Modern 1894s feel really chunky by comparison, despite the metal parts being virtually unchanged over the last 128 years.

MachIVshooter said:

The round is too long for the 39A action, or even the long discontinued Marlin 1892, which can barely take .32 S&W long. They'd have to be redesigned to the point that it would be a different gun.

.25-20 requires an 1894 receiver in Marlin patterns.

That said, it would be awesome if Ruger slimmed down the furniture on the 1894 to be more like it was in the late 19th and early 20th. Modern 1894s feel really chunky by comparison, despite the metal parts being virtually unchanged over the last 128 years.

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I understand, it was a wish that Ruger would upsize the 39A action. The 1894 is a wonderful rifle but is much larger and heavier than needed for the diminutive little .25-20 or .22 Hornet size centerfire cartridges. Why a larger 39A type action, because it is a take down design. Ruger has a lot on their plate, I doubt that such a thing would ever happen, a new action, but I can wish.

The forestock on my Ruger-Marlin SBL and GBL are much slimmer than the forestocks on my JM 1895 and Rem-Marlin SBL, I think they understand.

The .256 Winchester Magnum is what deserves a new host comeback. Made from common .357 Magnum brass, which is only a few tenths larger rim diameter.I think all the old .25-20 rifles would clean up for it without more than a few file swiped of feed part modifications.I have a T/C contender in that caliber and on the high end it is a much better round than .25-20.On the low end it is just a out the same. A Ruger mini 77 style rifle or mini CZ would be great.Any 357 lever gun would convert easy enough.

Gordon said:

The .256 Winchester Magnum is what deserves a new host comeback. Made from common .357 Magnum brass, which is only a few tenths larger rim diameter.I think all the old .25-20 rifles would clean up for it without more than a few file swiped of feed part modifications.I have a T/C contender in that caliber and on the high end it is a much better round than .25-20.On the low end it is just a out the same. A Ruger mini 77 style rifle or mini CZ would be great.Any 357 lever gun would convert easy enough.

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And a little , petite slide action in .257 , .327 and .357 would be awesome . hopefully some one from Ruger is watching ! I'd say Henry , too , but I would imagine they would make a 9 lb. bull barrel one .

Actually an IMI Timberwolf with a barrel tapered so it fit the receiver better , and a pistol grip stock that actually mated to the receiver , with a 1/2 or 3/4 magazine tube and without the built on scope base would be really , really nice

codytrucker said:

And a little , petite slide action in .257 , .327 and .357 would be awesome . hopefully some one from Ruger is watching ! I'd say Henry , too , but I would imagine they would make a 9 lb. bull barrel one .

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And with a Zamak receiver with fake brass plating. Forgive me if I am not smitten with 1996 iteration of Henry having nothing to do with the historical Henry rifle.

But a .25-20 or several of the other similar cartridges would be outstanding in a little pump action. I am sure Ruger-Marlin owns the drawings for the Marlin Model 27 and Model 62. They would need to update the drawings to modern material specifications and convert them to 3D/CAD machine code for CNC machining.

I would not bother asking why .25-20 is "high" in cost but instead why would anyone who wants to shoot a .25-20 rifle not home load?

Yes sir. And if any of these lever/pump rifles are ever produced again in a working quality rifle here in the USA, we will be seeing them at an MSRP of $700 minimum. So to add the antique and nostalgia factor to some of the much older guns here and one in good condition and ready to go shooting with attractive patina, well, $900 easy. The former a somewhat educated guess and the later from myself looking for a Marlin 27 in attractive and working condition. Of course, now that I have spent my budget for this year and next according to she who watches over me, I am sure they will fall from the sky like mana! Or probably not

Larry in wyoming said:

It's not the cost of ammo I was referring to. It's the generally outrageous price of rifles so chambered. But read that reasonable prices can be found so I'll just keep looking and hope to get lucky.
Kinda reminds me of dating....Lol

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A few years back cabelas had a bunch of Husqvarna single shot bolt actions that were pretty reasonably priced .I haven't seen one for a while , but that might be something to look for .

Good thread! I got one of the Marlin 1894 Classics back when they were out in .218 Bee, 25-20 and 32-20. Already had a Hornet and a Marlin .357 so I picked the 25-20. I fooled around with it a couple years with cast and jacketed. Fun little gun. Then it disapeared in the back corner of a safe. Not sure which one. I'll have to find it now. If you stand a 25-20, 30-30 and .348 Win in a row it looks like baby, mama and papa.

A few days ago a friend sends me this picture....he was somewhere in Ohio visiting family and stopped at a gun leather shop looking for a potential holster for his single action....Tag on the rifle says its a 25-20 Rem for $550. Made in 1934...last production year was 1937. He actually pulled it from the scabbard and said it was in decent shape.

I would have loaded the pic sooner, but IMGUR was down.

I made my own .25-20 from scratch because I wanted a bolt gun scaled for the cartridge. Love it.

If the metric folks had made 6.5mm the groove diameter instead of the bore diameter, there would be lots more .25 caliber bullets available --- 6.5/25.4=.2559.

jdsingleshot said:

I made my own .25-20 from scratch because I wanted a bolt gun scaled for the cartridge. Love it.

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Long ago my friend and me made one too, in my shop from scratch.

It's a "copy" of a Browning T-bolt, scaled up and "centerfired", it's a single shot using a Remington 541 trigger and Shaw bbl.. It was at the end of my 25/20 lovefest, so I never ended up putting a stock on it, but I have fired it.

I looked for a pict., but I can't seem to find one right now...

DM

I got an alert from Ammoseek, Maryland Munitions a few days ago had some for sale on their site. $150 for a box of 50 Remington brand. Almost bought a box...