doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com .256 low wall

Gents,

I just purchased a low wall from Whitey Hansen, barreled by J.D. Steele in .256 win mag. I should be receiving the rifle shortly, but I have had a hard time finding brass. The only formed brass I can find is Jamison and it is dear.

The thought has crossed my mind to form it from .357 brass. I thought I could use a cut off .30/06 die as an intermediate step and not have to buy a forming die. I figure I can buy 500 Winchester .357 cases for $100 or so and even with a high attrition rate I should save some money.

What say you? Any experiences? Concern? Derision?

Brad Hurt

I have formed 256 brass from 357 in one pass, but a pass with an intermediate die works a little better. I think I may have a bench-made intermediate die, let me check and if I still have it then I'll lend it to you.

I used Starline brass and it's too hard to neck down smoothly without annealing first. Actually that's also true of any other brand as well but the Starline brass seems even harder than most. In any case(sorry about that!) you'll need to anneal to avoid premature brass loss and I also suggest a preliminary trim and/or chamfer if the neck ends are at all rough or uneven in the slightest degree.

Annealing is simple and easy but requires speed and a certain amount of manual dexterity on a case this small. I use a propane torch turned on full and I hold the case rim in my BARE FINGERS, turning the neck in the flame until the color change (1-2 seconds) and then INSTANTLY dropping the case onto a COTTON towel. Like I said, it requires speed but you will soon develop your own rhythm and technique. This is only one of many annealing methods, certainly not the best but perhaps the cheapest and fastest.

I have successfully necked down and used brass without annealing but neck splits soon become a problem from the work-hardening.

Let me check my 256 inventory, if I still have dies and/or brass then you're welcome to use them.
Regards, Joe

Jamison International makes .256 Win brass. It is available either directly from them or at Graf's:

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/vendor/vendorId/123

No extra brass, but have found the 30 Luger die that I use for preliminary neck-down of this size case body. Brad, I'll be happy to lend it to you if wanted, just PM me your snail addy.

The Jamison brass sounds like a good deal to me depending on the quality. It's CERTAINLY a lot less trouble!

Please DO NOT load this cartridge to max in the low wall, stick to the published handgun loads @ around 40K psi. The low wall's breechblock support appears to become inadequate above that level with that size case head, I've seen at least one flat-side low wall receiver that's been cracked by firing 223s(same size case head as the 256).
Regards, Joe

When I first realized that such things as singls shot rifles existed, gotta be around sizty years ago, low walls were beneath contempt. After all those decades I am afraid I still retain a strong residue of that attitude - have never owned one, don't notice them at gun shows. I suspect that one reason they get more respect these days is the comparative difficulty of finding good high wall actions. Can't see putting time and money into building a low wall when the same effort put into a high wall will produce a stronger and indeed more valuahle rifle. As for making up a .22 rimfire, start with a Ballard.

Maybe we can elevate the lowly Low Wall just a bit? Anyone notice the August Cover of Precision Shooting?

mkb, if you don't need the strength of a highwall all you have is extra weight. And for small cartridges like the .25-20SS the Hwall is a PITA.

The Lwall also looks better in my opinion.

Ballards are fine. But a .22 low wall is much nicer than any Ballard in my opinion - though the Ballard would be my second choice for a .22.

Brent

As Brent said. I think that is why the man upstairs gave us blonds and redheads so we had a choice. Personally I like mine sleek. Rather than the extra weight And look. BUT fellows there is room in this hobby for all of us and our likes. JMO. Whitey
PS even at 74 I still like sleek.Smile

Not in Steve's class but IS in my safe! IMO a high wall is a PITA with the 22LR and a Ballard is entirely too heavy and clunky for a RF sporter, JMO.



I'm currently in-process building another low wall similar to this one but in K-Hornet. And, whenever funds and tuits become available, I'm planning another 256 Win Mag low wall. The 256 is quite a bit more powerful and more versatile than most other small-game cartridges of similar capacity and the low wall action makes up into a splendid little rook-type rifle. This one is just hangin' around the project wall in my shop, awaiting tuits and funds.

I like low walls, in fact I like many of the older single shot actions but each for slightly different reasons and purposes.
Regards, Joe

Wow! I did not know I would ignite such a firestorm.

I like ballard low walls, high walls etc. I think they can all turn into fine rifles for different purposes.

I have corresponded privately with Joe and am taking him up on his generous offer.

Jamison brass is fast but it is way spendy. I think will be better off forming WW cases. Anyone have experience/advice forming.

Thanks Brad