Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 219 Zipper Imp 40* ?

This could probably be in the reloading section as well but I'm sure someone in here probably loads 219 Zip IMp so I will start here. I have a custom rifle that I picked up through an estate. The gun is chambered in 219 Zipper IMp 40. I picked up a set of forming dies and reloading dies. I thought the dies were for the imp but turns out they are standard. Which is fine for loading up some plinking range ammo. But of course, once the rounds are fired formed to the gun. now I would have to reform them back to standard to load them, which I would rather be able to check for length and load them but since I don't have dies for the IMP 40 and they cost a fortune. Is there a way of using a common die, like say a 22-250 seating die to seat the bullets and neck size? Please use layman's terms. not new to loading but not a professional either.

You may have done this already and perhaps that is why you mentioned a .22-250 die for neck sizing, but I would study and compare specs first. What you have in mind might work, but only if neck specs are the same or extremely close. I've loaded for all the popular .22s and years ago had several standard Zippers and one .22/.30-30 (Ackley?) Improved that I loaded for using RCBS .219 Zipper Improved dies. It seems there have been many versions of the Zipper and some weren't so different. I think maximum neck diameter for the standard Zipper (and perhaps various Improved versions) is very close to that of the standard .22-250, but look this up to verify. Bullet seating will be an easier fix. Good luck-

348- I thought by now a smarter person than I would provide you with a better answer. Here's hoping that eventually happens.

Lee collet dies can be easily adapted to another case. They are not case diameter specific. Use a shim (washer) between the shell holder and the die for a case that is longer than the case the die was designed for. I make person bushings. Lay your Imp Zipper case along side a 22-250 case and compare shoulder neck junctions. If the Zipper case is longer figure how much of a shim you need and use the collet die. Betting the 22-250 seater would work also. Dale

Supposed to read press in shims or bushings in the above post. Dale

Yep...the guy i know that owns a 219 imp did exactly that to get it up and running. He later had a custom die set made up by Redding. BTW, this is the same guy who let a 16 year old kid light of a magazine full from his 71 deluxe carbine years back.

Sir,

I have reformed a bucket load of 30-30 case to 219 Zipper Imp and the 219 Donaldson Wasp cartridges. Forming the Zipper Improved is much easier.

The 219 Zipper Improved as designed by P.O. Ackley has a 28 degree shoulder. It seems like every gunsmith in the country that could grind a reamer made their own version of it.

I made my cartridges by running a 30-30 case into a 25-35 FL sizing die until the shoulder was pushed back; until the measurement from the base of the case to the shoulder was 1.50. I then ran the case through a 22-250 sizing the neck down to accept a .224 diameter bullet. I them trimmed the case to 1.940 in length. The finished case looked bad, but since it headspaces on the rim it would iron in the end. I loaded 26 grs of IMR 3031 with a 55 gr bullet and fire formed them. I seated the bullet using a 22-250 seating die. It time I found a set of dies and I started using them.

I used my 219 Zipper Improved to make the longest shot ever on a Prairie Dog, 615 Yards. I have fired five shot groups as small as .209 center to center.

I would use the same process to form a 219 Zipper Improved that has a 40 degree.

Once you get the cases formed I would use a Hornady neck sizer to re-size the neck only. To seat the bullet you still might be able to use a 22-250 ie, but I don't think that would work so you might have to get a Hornady 22 caliber seating die.

Good luck with you project.

CA Dude

Ed

Can't you have the dies you currently have recut? All they have to do is run a reamer inside.

You can do this by hand but I would send in three cases to whoever made the dies and have them ream them out. Usually this is very reasonable. Lee used to do it for $25 but have gone up now.

The die has to be annealed, reamed, then re-hardened. GD

Yep, dies are harder than an Ivory Woodpeckers bill . . .