Anyone know anything about 22-3000 Levell R-2

[Walker]

Local shop has an old custom SST 1885 HiWall relined to 22-3000 R2 by CC Johnson of Thackery, Ohio. Original barrel was 32-40. Initially thought cool, 22-3000 would be nice but since have learned this is an old wildcat based on the 25-20 single shot case and even if it was very popular prior to WWII brass looks like a problem. Does anyone have any experience with the cartridge? Barrel has a strange scope mount and a patent pending Lyman scope.

Terry

[Ray]

Grafs appears to have the base brass for sale.....wish they had the regular winchester in stock.

https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/pr ... uctId/1118

[GunnyMack]

If the price is right how about running the chamber out to say 225 Winchester- at least it would be easier to feed it?

[Walker]

Thanks Guys, I think I'm going to pass on this one. It's priced too high ($2000) to put more into and the brass availability and cost is giving me pause.

Thanks!

[6pt-sika]

There "was" an old gentleman not to far from me that was a big single shot shooter and his two favourite cartridges were the 22 Hornet and the R-2 Lovell . He had several rifles that had been built in the 40's 50's that were chambered for the cartridges . One was a 1903 Springfield in R-2 thet was built by R F Sedgley of Philadelphia . Several of the others he had were built on 1878 Sharps actions .

To me the cool thing about some of these rifles were the loading tools that came with them . He had two or three set ups that appeared to be handmade back when the rifles were built .

[6pt-sika]

Incidently my now deceased friend had about 1000 pieces of brand new unused 22-3000 G&H brass all in neat little sealed paper boxes . He was using it to load until he found out the brass had become really brittle over the years even though it was still new .

From what he told me the 22-3000 and the R-2 Lovell were two separate cartridges although both were based on the same case .

He had another 1878 Sharpes that was another 22 centerfire called the "Blue Streak" this one was supposedly previousely owned by Townsend Whelen .

[Walker]

The stock is nothing special and the barrel was drilled for the old scope mounts. How much are hi-wall actions bringing these days?

[65bee]

Have been reading a collection of American Rifleman mags from the 1930s. Both the 22-3000 and R2-Lovell cartridges were topics of intense discussion and experimentation. The 22-3000 was based on the 25-35 case shortened and necked down, what later(1937) became the .219 Zipper for all intents and purposes. The R2-Lovell was based on the .25-20 Single Shot case necked down. It went thru myriad designs, until it was decided the R2 (for Risley, the designer) was probably the best of them. Many of the previous designs were later sent in to be rechambered to the R2. As good a cartridge as it was, it never became a factory standardized number. After the .222 Remington made its debut around 1950, it pretty much pushed all the wildcats out of the picture for a mid-range varmint round. The R2 lovell was pretty much doomed when the supply of .25-20 SS brass dried up after WW2.

[KWK]

The 22-3000 was based on the 25-35 case shortened and necked down, what later(1937) became the .219 Zipper for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps there was another .22-3000, but the one I've read about in the past is based on the .25-20 SS. It has a longer shoulder than the R2. One cartridge seller has a description of both.

[6pt-sika]

The 22-3000 was based on the 25-35 case shortened and necked down, what later(1937) became the .219 Zipper for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps there was another .22-3000, but the one I've read about in the past is based on the .25-20 SS. It has a longer shoulder than the R2. One cartridge seller has a description of both.

Any 22-3000 or R2 I ever saw was based on the 25-20 SS .