Yep, also Grosvenor by accounts submitted 250 Savage necked down to 22 caliber for Winchesters new 220 Swift. There are 2 theories as to why the Lee Navy was modified.
Theory 1 is that Winchester thought that the Savage brass couldn’t handle the pressure at the base. So by modifying the Lee Navy to semi rimmed strengthened the base enough for the pressure.
Theory 2 Winchester knew that the necked down Savage brass would work but they didn’t want to use Savage brass nor pay for the rights on their brand new super cartridge. Winchester was the sole supplier/maker of Lee Navy so they owned it.
Sad, as the 22 Varminter was born a year or so later and in 63 was dubbed 22.250 Remington.
Theory 2 is almost certainly correct. See "Origins of the 220 Swift", p. 27-34,
Gun Digest 2009.
When Wotkyns obtained close to 4000 fps with his 22-250, Western Cartridge Co. asked him to send his rifle and ammo to them for evaluation. The 22-250 bullets poked holes in Western's steel backstop at their test facility, which no previous cartridge had been able to accomplish. Western then forwarded the rifle and ammo to Winchester (then a Western subsidiary) for further testing.
After their tests Winchester notified Wotkyns that they planned to produce the cartridge commercially. Neither series of tests displayed any weakness in the 250 case.
The American Rifleman (May 1935) published photos of Wotkytns' 22-250 cartridge, implying that it was to be introduced soon. However, some Winchester executive(s?) decided that their company could not and would not introduce a cartridge based on a Savage case design.
Winchester asked Wotkyns to recommend a suitable Winchester case. He suggested the Lee Navy case, which Winchester then modified and strengthened significantly to become the 220 Swift case.
According to Phil Sharpe, the whole experience with Winchester left Wotkyns pretty bitter.
--Bob
