So I have been wanting to do this for a while now. I finally got everything I need except the reamer and tomorrow I will get that ordered.
It is a wildcat based on the 256 Winchester Magnum which was popular in the 50's and 60's. There were factory loads as well as revolvers chambered in it. It is a 357 Magnumnecked down to shoot a ~6.5mm bullet.
Because I wanted it to feed from an AR magazine it had to be rimless and 223 Remington is close, cheap and plentiful. But because the 223 is slightly smaller than 256 Win Mag I need a custom reamer.
To make the cases I cut a 223 case at 1.280”. I use 300 Blackout does to partially form the neck followed by the 256 Win Mag dies to finish making the brass. After firing the body can be sized using standard 223 dies. I will use the 256 Win Mag dies to bump the shoulder back into spec. In the pictures that is a 140g 6.5mm bullet and it doesn’t go past the neck at 2.19” overall length.
I am using a Model 7 to build the pistol, Thanks Todd Delle. It was sold as just a receiver so it is legal as a pistol. It has been squared up and trued. I am building it into an XP100 clone that is rear grip that feeds from an AR magazine. I will use a 7 twist barrel somewhere between 8" and 12" in length. I also have barrels in 223 Remington as well as 300 Blackout. The barrels will be threaded and I will have the barrel machined so I can use a wrench to easily swap barrels.
I am having a pistol stock made that will have an inlet for PTG AR bottom metal. Rather than use off the shelf wood I am using spalted elm from a tree cut off my property. The tree was here on the family property that I grew up on and has been here since I was a child. Makes a connection to me and where I grew up and now live.
It isn't a long range caliber but should make for a fun shooter with heavy, high BC bullets. I do not plan on shooting subsonic but it will definitely have a silencer. I am doing it for the same reason I got into 300 Blackout, low recoil. Because of a helicopter accident I am a bit recoil sensitive so I swapped from 308 Winchester to 300 Blackout. And because I want to shoot 6.5mm this seemed like a great way to do it.
The reamer has been ordered from JGS, it will take 3-4 months to get it in.
I've been struggling with a name. First it was 6.5 Kurtz, then 6.5 D-S but then I thought 6.5 Creedless would not only be fitting but funny as well.
I will post updates as process is made.
It is a wildcat based on the 256 Winchester Magnum which was popular in the 50's and 60's. There were factory loads as well as revolvers chambered in it. It is a 357 Magnumnecked down to shoot a ~6.5mm bullet.
Because I wanted it to feed from an AR magazine it had to be rimless and 223 Remington is close, cheap and plentiful. But because the 223 is slightly smaller than 256 Win Mag I need a custom reamer.
To make the cases I cut a 223 case at 1.280”. I use 300 Blackout does to partially form the neck followed by the 256 Win Mag dies to finish making the brass. After firing the body can be sized using standard 223 dies. I will use the 256 Win Mag dies to bump the shoulder back into spec. In the pictures that is a 140g 6.5mm bullet and it doesn’t go past the neck at 2.19” overall length.
I am using a Model 7 to build the pistol, Thanks Todd Delle. It was sold as just a receiver so it is legal as a pistol. It has been squared up and trued. I am building it into an XP100 clone that is rear grip that feeds from an AR magazine. I will use a 7 twist barrel somewhere between 8" and 12" in length. I also have barrels in 223 Remington as well as 300 Blackout. The barrels will be threaded and I will have the barrel machined so I can use a wrench to easily swap barrels.
I am having a pistol stock made that will have an inlet for PTG AR bottom metal. Rather than use off the shelf wood I am using spalted elm from a tree cut off my property. The tree was here on the family property that I grew up on and has been here since I was a child. Makes a connection to me and where I grew up and now live.
It isn't a long range caliber but should make for a fun shooter with heavy, high BC bullets. I do not plan on shooting subsonic but it will definitely have a silencer. I am doing it for the same reason I got into 300 Blackout, low recoil. Because of a helicopter accident I am a bit recoil sensitive so I swapped from 308 Winchester to 300 Blackout. And because I want to shoot 6.5mm this seemed like a great way to do it.
The reamer has been ordered from JGS, it will take 3-4 months to get it in.
I've been struggling with a name. First it was 6.5 Kurtz, then 6.5 D-S but then I thought 6.5 Creedless would not only be fitting but funny as well.
I will post updates as process is made.
