I have an interesting old rifle.
A George Gibbs, 256 Gibbs magnum ( ha ha )
Mannlicher action, Modell 1903 on the crest, 1909 steyr on the side?
Take down model, a few blemishes, but a neat old rifle.
But...... I can drop a 264 bullet several inches down the barrel before it stops. Rifling is worn, maybe poor cleaning rod use... It still measure .265 below the worn area.
Rebore it? Wall hanger? It is neat just to handle, but I like these old classics to still be shot, a piece of history.

Parent case = 6.5×57mm Mauser

can a 7mm rebore clean it up

Rich, it is actually so close to a 6.5x55 it almost closes on the case, the bolt goes half way down.
I think it would clean up, I need to do some careful measuring.
My old friend Al Straitiff, lined a worn out sav 99 .303 sav. It was half, octagon to round 26" barrel I liked the looks of. It turned out great, so I know it can be done. Al has been dead for some years now though.

When you say a 265 bullet...do you mean a projectile or a complete cartridge ?

Roger

I understood as he can drop a .265 bullet down the muzzle and it drop down the barrel a ways and he said he thought it was from poor clean from the muzzle end, but the rest of the good part of the barrel can use a .265 bullet. He also said a 6.5x57 almost chambers with the bolt lugging down halfway.

Yes a 264 projectile, will drop right through for several inches.
A 6.5 x55 Swedish is close to a match of the original cartridge.

Roger,
I dont think I have your regular e-mail.
If you send it to me, I'll e-mail a picture.

Email sent...
I'd do a chamber cast and see if a Swede reamer would clean it up if you think the original chamber is no good but the bore is OK.

https://imgur.com/a/256-gibbs-BPuUBdO

Roger

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Yes a 264 projectile, will drop right through for several inches.
A 6.5 x55 Swedish is close to a match of the original cartridge.

Im guessing it doesnt shoot worth a damn. ?

Re-bore it, rebarrel it or keep it as is. I tend to gravitate towards option 2 with rifles like that.

Bullets tumble.
It's strange, it's claimed it was based off the 6.5x57, but base diameter is .473-474.

Just a thought...If the rifling is still reasonable, slug the bore for size, and see if the .268 projectiles from the 6.5x52 Carcano will work...possibly a cheap way to keep shooting the old girl...

Roger

...check your Email.

quote:

Originally posted by yumastepside:
Just a thought...If the rifling is still reasonable, slug the bore for size, and see if the .268 projectiles from the 6.5x52 Carcano will work...possibly a cheap way to keep shooting the old girl...

Roger

...check your Email.

Those are near impossible to find. Hornayd no longer makes them.

I thought of that, but even an as cast lead bullet isnt large enough. The bore is just trash.

Well, its up yo you now as to whether its worth the expense of a re-bore and chamber or just something nice to hang on the wall....

...at least you have the choice, here in Oz no barrel company does re-boring any more...

Roger

I have one of these as well, and have had others. Richj is correct in that it's a 6.5x57 Mauser NOT a 6.5x55 Swede. For reasons that escape me Gibbs shortened the neck by 2mm making the 256 Gibbs Magnum 55mm long which many wrongly assume makes it the same or similar to the Swede. All the ones I've seen have the chamber reamed the same as a 6.5x57 with the full length neck. Chamber dimensions are identical to the 6.5x57 (excepting metric to standard rounding errors and 100 year old tolerances). Every original factory round I have has the shorter neck though. Maybe Gibbs hoped people would buy only his ammo if they thought it was actually different???

I don't think you'll have much luck finding someone to line it for a 56,560 PSI cartridge.

A rebore to 7x57 may be an option but you will likely have to do some work on the magazine and ramp to get it to feed right. I think a rebarrel would be far better and not much more cost. The sights are soft soldered on and you can use a 6.5x57 reamer for the rechamber. It would look, function and regulate like it should.

PM me if you'd like any more info or if you decide you don't want the hassle. I'm likely a buyer.

Very interesting Joshua!
It sounds like the measurement of .473 base dia may have been wrong.
I looked closer and it does appear the sights and barrel sling stud are soldiered on. A big plus to rebarreling.
I'll send you a pm when I get a few min.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I have an interesting old rifle.
A George Gibbs, 256 Gibbs magnum ( ha ha )
Mannlicher action, Modell 1903 on the crest, 1909 steyr on the side?
Take down model, a few blemishes, but a neat old rifle.
But...... I can drop a 264 bullet several inches down the barrel before it stops. Rifling is worn, maybe poor cleaning rod use... It still measure .265 below the worn area.
Rebore it? Wall hanger? It is neat just to handle, but I like these old classics to still be shot, a piece of history.

That George Gibbs rifle sounds like a wonderful piece of history - those Mannlicher-style takedown models have such elegant craftsmanship. The bore wear you're describing does present some interesting challenges though. I've seen similar vintage rifles given new life by a skilled gunsmith who specialized in barrel relining, where they preserve the original exterior while installing a new liner. It's not cheap, but for a rifle with this character it might be worth considering if you want to keep it shootable.

Another route could be loading very mild cartridges with slightly oversized bullets - I knew a collector who successfully shot a worn .303 British by using .312" cast lead bullets with reduced loads. That said, the takedown mechanism would need careful inspection first to ensure it's still locking up tight.

Of course, there's no shame in retiring it to display status either. Sometimes these old treasures have earned their rest, and a well-made shadow box with some period-correct accessories can honor its history just as well as shooting it. The 1903-1909 date range makes it particularly interesting - have you found any proof marks or maker's stamps under the woodline?

Mike, It says George Gibbs. Bristol & 35 Saville Row London W on the barrel. I have not looked for other markings, but should.
I tried a well oversized cast bullet, drops right down the first few inches.
Send me a PM with your e-mail and I can send you a pic of the old girl.

You need a chamber cast and slug the bore to start with, your getting ahead of yourself, send it to a rebore rerifling outfit, they will advise you.It can be done I isuspect,IF IT FEEDS PROPERLY AS IS !! iF ITS THE ROTERY FEED MANLICHER AND NEEDS ACTION WORK, YOU HAVE A WALL HANGER...

I have repeatedly said I have slugged the bore.