Model 15-2 in .22 Hornet

[Tom K]

This is a gun that I picked up at a Tulsa gun show back in 2011, and I finally got around to shooting it the other day. The kid selling it didn't know much about it, probably was his grandfather's prized handiwork or something like that. It did include about 30 rounds of loaded ammo so I have something to start with.

The notations on the box read:
1.585 COL (I measured the cartridges and added that)
Cal - .22 Hornet
Case - WW
Primer - CCI SMR
Powder - Unique
Wt - 4.3
Bullet - 222 Hornady Jet 40 gr

As you can see the Jet bullet is seated to keep the overall length short enough to fit the rechambered S&W .22 cylinder. The factory 46gr HP Winchester round measures about 1.705. I am pretty sure there is no factory Hornet ammo that could be used in this gun.

The load chronographed at about 1350fps out of this gun. I still have some rounds left so on my next range trip I'll shoot some of this ammo and some factory ammo from my Ruger M77/Hornet and compare velocities. That should give me some info to work with for further load development (if any).

Since the barrel has no underlug to lock the ejector rod, a ball detent was installed in the crane.

 

[StrawHat]

Interesting piece. Was the cylinder originally from a Model 17 and rebored?

I imagine that Hornet has quite the report. Hopefully the accuracy is also good.

Kevin

 

[slickracer]

That's cool, like a reloadable .22 magnum.

 

[bigmoose]

That Hornet revolver is very cool. Thanks for sharing. I bet it's a hoot to shoot.

 

[wheelgun28]

Jim Harvey made this conversion many years ago. His were called K-Chuk made in Hornet with a shortened case and the 22 K-hornet with a shortened case.

Yours has a custom barrel so I wouldn't know if its a true K- Chuck but the idea is similar. Yours is very interesting!

We've had quite a few threads about them over the years.

22 Harvey K-Chuck

 

[jcelect]

K-Chuk

Your gun is close to the Harvey K - Chucker. The K-Chuk uses a Hornet case but shortened .050". You will PROBABLY need to shorten your Hornet cases and seat bullets deeper for OAL!

Also Harvey used a standard mod 17 and change the frame to center fire and rechambered the gun to K-Chuk. My K-Chuk doesn't like any bullet over 40grs. Not knowing the twist of your barrel you might be able to shoot heavier bullets. Do not shoot rifle loads in your revolver, the pressures will be to high! I'm still experimenting with loads for my revolvers. The new and the old, K -Chuks!

jcelect

 

[sigp220.45]

I love it. That looks like some first rate gunsmithing.

 

[Tom K]

....
The notations on the box read:
1.585 COL (I measured the cartridges and added that)
Cal - .22 Hornet
Case - WW
Primer - CCI SMR
Powder - Unique
Wt - 4.3
Bullet - 222 Hornady Jet 40 gr

As you can see the Jet bullet is seated to keep the overall length short enough to fit the rechambered S&W .22 cylinder. The factory 46gr HP Winchester round measures about 1.705. I am pretty sure there is no factory Hornet ammo that could be used in this gun.

The load chronographed at about 1350fps out of this gun. I still have some rounds left so on my next range trip I'll shoot some of this ammo and some factory ammo from my Ruger M77/Hornet and compare velocities. That should give me some info to work with for further load development (if any).
....

After looking at the picture above it seemed to me that the handloaded case looked a little shorter than the factory round. I measured some fired cases and the handload cases are about 1.36, the factory cases are 1.40. But I had no problem inserting the fired factory load cases into my revolver, so the chambers appear to be full depth. Perhaps the gunsmith shortened the cases a bit so that the Jet bullet wouldn't be so far into the neck that accidental rough handling might dent the neck over the bullet ogive, creating an asymmetrical "crimp".

Factory ammo will chamber, but the bullets stick out the front of the cylinder. I doubt that there is any factory ammo that would be short enough to use, not that I would. The handloads were quite mild to shoot, nothing like a Jet. No extraction problems.

With the thick chamber walls, I feel there is a lot more room for load development with this gun. There have been plenty of .22 cylinders rechambered to .327 Magnum and SAAMI pressure limits for it is 45,000psi. The Hornet case is about .045 smaller than the .327 case, which provides added margin. (SAAMI max pressure for the Hornet is 49,000psi but I wouldn't try to load it that hot!) Of course K-Chuk guns use rechambered .22 cylinders as well. No telling what pressure K-Chuk rounds are loaded to but load data for that round would be another point of comparison.

 

[Art Doc]

As I see it, the lock up system is inferior to the original. The barrel is less pleasing aesthetically than the original. It requires custom ammunition with limitations. Somebody spent a bunch of money to achieve these features.

What are the advantages to this revolver aside from being an interesting conversation piece? How is it superior to a Model 53? Or even a Model 48 for that matter?

 

[steelslaver]

I have a 22 Harvey K Chuck. I used a model 10, milled and added adjustable sights. I used a model 17 barrel and one big adv adage over say a model 48 is you can't reload a 22 mag. Theses are easy to reload. I have a 22 bullet mold and I am going to mill it down to make the bullets shorter and hopeful get right at 40 gr. I built mine during the big 22 rim fire shortage. With cast bullet you can reload these for about a nickel a round. Way cheaper than any 22mag ammo

The ops ball detent lock up works. Lots of custom PRC guns from big name smiths had no front lock up. I also Have a 22 jet.

Custom guns are great. Some people like em, some don't

 

[Tom K]

As I see it, the lock up system is inferior to the original.

Better contact Smith & Wesson and let them know that they screwed up on the .44 Magnum Model 69, and other guns.

The barrel is less pleasing aesthetically than the original.

The original barrel would have been a tapered 4" (and .38 caliber). This is a nice heavy chunk of iron that shoots well from a rest. Aesthetics aren't everything.

It requires custom ammunition with limitations.

No hill for a stepper. Handloading for this is a straightforward proposition. About the only limitation is the .222 Jet bullet but I have a supply of those.

Somebody spent a bunch of money to achieve these features.

I honestly doubt that this cost much to put together. It has the appearance of something that a hobbyist or gunsmith would create for his own pleasure and curiosity, a fun project made out of odds and ends. (Pure speculation, of course.)

What are the advantages to this revolver aside from being an interesting conversation piece?

One advantage is that it cost me $275, which was pretty cheap even in 2011. Nothing wrong with being an interesting conversation piece, and handload development project.

How is it superior to a Model 53?

Who said it was superior to a Model 53 (of which I have two)? Why does it need to be superior to anything? It's just its own thang.

Or even a Model 48 for that matter?

As pointed out above, it's like a reloadable .22 Magnum. Consequently it can be loaded hotter if one desires.

 

[jcelect]

My 2 cents worth!

It requires custom ammunition with limitations.

What are the advantages to this revolver aside from being an interesting conversation piece?

Some of us enjoy the ART of reloading! Reloading for a "wildcat cartridge" is many hours spent at the reloading bench producing a safe round very few people will ever use. But we can say "I made that"!
Money? Most of us start with something acquired very cheap, in a trade, or in a box of parts! In my case, in regards to the 17-6 pictured above, I acquire it in a lot of 4 guns from an auction house! It was rode hard and put away wet, but functioned properly! The scope & mount was in a box of parts I bought for a couple specific items! At a very reasonable price, Andy Horvath converted the gun too center fire and chambred it for the K-Chuk. So, this summers objective is to find a load,powder and bullet weight, that prints well. So far I have a good pattern but not a good group!
jcelect

 

[steelslaver]

Without wildcat rounds a lot of the great rounds we can now buy off the shelf would not exist. At one time these were all custom, had to load your own rounds.

22 Hornet
243 Winchester
22-250
257 Roberts
25-06
7mm-08
the latest is the 6.5 Creedmoore

 

[mtgianni]

Lyman bullet 225438 designed for the hornet might function. If not, I believe NOE has a 38 gr mold. 225-35-RF-BY5 3 Cavity PB | NOE Bullet Moulds
OAL is .365".

I would have bought that in a heartbeat.

 

[S.B.]

Your gun is close to the Harvey K - Chucker. The K-Chuk uses a Hornet case but shortened .050". You will PROBABLY need to shorten your Hornet cases and seat bullets deeper for OAL!

Also Harvey used a standard mod 17 and change the frame to center fire and rechambered the gun to K-Chuk. My K-Chuk doesn't like any bullet over 40grs. Not knowing the twist of your barrel you might be able to shoot heavier bullets. Do not shoot rifle loads in your revolver, the pressures will be to high! I'm still experimenting with loads for my revolvers. The new and the old, K -Chuks!

jcelect

I can remember reading (maybe in Al Georg's book)somewhere in my .224 Harvey Kay Chuck research that the ,22 magnum barrels like the heavier bullets more and the .22LR barrels like the lighter bullets more but, have no experience with either barrel? I currently have a model 15, K22 barrel and cylinder out at Andy Horvath's getting this Kaychuck conversion done. I've played with this for some time and decided to get serious about doing it, recently.
Steve