Michael, do you know who "invented" the .25 Krag Short, and more-or-less when? And was the .25 "High-Power" originally conceived as a big game or a varmint round when it got past the experimental stage? Or was it to be a combination round like the original .25 Roberts?
I'm not sure I even know what the "Short" version is.
Many of the these jacketed bullet high-speed cartridges were developed for use in the Schuetzen matches. They were allowed and very soon after barred.
The next place was in the chuck fields on the East coast, a few made it out West but most were back East.
The chuck hunters, Niedner & Mann included wanted fixed ammo for that. The next step was a case that would hold a base-band bullet in the last 1/16" of the case.
Many of these rifles had what we now call a "tight chamber". What I mean by this is the first case only needed to be de and re-capped, a powder charge thrown and a bullet seated.
I was very luck when a friend sold me his Niedner-Borchardt that has a perfect bore and tight chamber. Because I have Mr. Niedner's case making tools and base-band bullet tools for this it was a snap to get it to shoot.
