I recently picked up a Savage 110 in .223 for a pretty decent price. Not being one to leave well enough alone, I'd like to swap the barrel to make it a 358 Win.

Midway has barrels and the other stuff, but there's a bewildering array of small stuff to get. Like another bolt head; they come in right and left hand, which even I can figure out, but also in "large hole" and "small hole," "223, standard, and magnum" sizes. And, I can't find anything about what's needed to make the top-load magazine work with the 308 size brass.

Has anybody done one of these that can provide some advice?

Grumble,

Midway is a good source for barrels, but all the other stuff you should get from Sharp Shooter Supply. I have already spent the money to buy everything both sources have, and the accessories from Sharp Shooter Supply are much better. And Fred Moreo at Sharp Shooter knows his stuff, Midway does not. Fred can tell you which hole size to get. And it does matter. Wrong hole size and you can't assemble the bolt. I already tried it.

And depending on the year of production, some 223 Remington rifles can be converted to 358 Win, and some cannot. I have one of each.

I have two 358 Win barrels for my Savage -- one in 24 inch and one cut to 19 inch. Also have two 35 Whelen barrels cut likewise.

Hammer

[ 12-03-2003, 02:28: Message edited by: Hammer ]

Good info Hammer, thanks!

You sure got it right about the folks at Midway not knowing anything about Savage barrel swaps. I thought it was a bit surprising since they got such a nice write-up on the subject in "American Rifleman" about six months ago. This isn't rocket science, it's a pretty simple exchange of parts, and only the different sizes confuse things. A one-page cheat sheet could make them sound like experts.

In any event, I'll be calling Sharp Shooter Supply today and seeing about getting the parts I need. Thanks again for the help!