I have a 660 action collecting dust. Can WSM brass be made in 450 Alaskan brass? Sans rim. I'm thinking it'll be a neat brush gun. 18" barrel. It'll whomp anything up to a hundred.

So it'll be a bolt action 450 Alaskan.

Functionally identical to the B&M Line -
B&M Thread

You would need a professional to comment on the action suitability, though. CIP shows the 350Rem Mag max of 4300BAR (62366 psi), so looks promising.

A 450Marlin might be another cool way to go, with (nominal) factory support.

Either way, sounds pretty cool.

Already been done...one is called the 450 YUKON...WSM necked up to 45 cal with no other changes and used in a rechambered 450 Marlin VEE threaded action. Several WSM action rifles have been rechambered to a 45 cal WSM...just do an online search...quite a bit of information on the WSM conversions.

The 458 B&M is about the same and I would go with that iteration as it's been well worked out and all the other pieces and parts are available through B&M....just send them your receiver and specifications.

There is also the 458 Jamison version.

Alternatively the 450 Marlin or 458 American both are excellent choices and might be easier to deal with and will produce about the same ballistics loaded to the 660's receiver pressure limits. I've built two Americans and have a BLR 450 Marlin. All work with 350 to 600 gr slugs.

If you're really interested then make up some dummy's and see how they function.

I keep looking around for a cheap WSM donor action so I can do a 50 cal WSM sump'n'-sump'n'. That would be a REAL close range stomper.

Luck

I have a Rem 660 in 458 American and like it a lot.

VERY NICE...I've always liked the 600 AND 660's...can't understand why I never bought one and now...whewwwww, they're hens teeth and priced accordingly.

I built a 458 A on an Enfield 2A 308 action, rebarreled/rechambered a MARLIN 336, 45-70 to 458 A AND bought a 450 BLR...yeah I LIKE that cartridge.


What did you need to do to it to convert it and how long is the magazine? What bullets do you use and what COAL?

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by David Craig:
I have a Rem 660 in 458 American and like it a lot.

Nice!

quote:

What did you need to do to it to convert it and how long is the magazine? What bullets do you use and what COAL?

Thanks

x2

So my dies should be here early December. I'm building on a 450 Marlin in a SS BLR. I'll be getting WSM magazines and smack down bear and moose!

Not really "building" just reaming and adjusting.

quote:

Originally posted by NONAGONAGIN:
VERY NICE...I've always liked the 600 AND 660's...can't understand why I never bought one and now...whewwwww, they're hens teeth and priced accordingly.

Dude if you were in Canada I'd make you a sweet deal on 600 action, with a 3 position Winchester type safety and a Sako bolt release.

Only thing missing is the aluminum floorplate and the .535 bolt face.

So on to plan E. The BLR is a bust. Non takedown versions, will make a grown man want to take up knitting, if they try to take apart and reassemble.
On the look out for a takedown. As well as a Katahdin and a Pedersoli 71.
I procured 200 JBA 348 cases.

el jeffe, how is Jamison's brass for necking up?
Can I be lazy and bypass the annealing?
I want to play with different versions. I also have two 458 throating reamers.

I have a BLR in 450 Marlin...NON TAKEDOWN...sure wish I could find a takedown version...cheap...it would turn into a 450 Yukon in a New York second. I already checked out the WSM case in the mag and it will work. It would definitely be a stomper at BOTH ends. A 450 takedown model is available in 450 Marlin which could be rechambered to 450 Yukon but I'm not in the big money rifle market...it would be better, strength wise, than the Marlin Levergun conversions and could be loaded to higher pressures. Probably available only on special order from Browning tho'.

I ALMOST did the 450 Yukon conversion to my square threaded 45-70 Marlin switch barrel levergun, but even with loading to ~35KPSI the thinness of the thread numbers just didn't sit well so I did a 458 American instead...that's bad enough close up. The way the chamber set up I can shoot both 45-70 and 458 Amer although the 45-70 case tends to jam up and the difference in dimensions make it hard on the 45-70 cases.

There are better cases and actions available in todays world and that hard-to-find 348 case has lost it's luster for me. A Win 1886 in 45-90 would by my choice over the 45 Alaskan...the 50-110 even better.

Wish I did live close enough to you to do a deal for that 600 Action. I keep looking.

Luck