Has anyone rebarrelled a rifle in 6.5X54Mannlicher Schoenauer. My Greek carbine's bore is stuffed. I tried lapping it and that was a big mistake. now the 3" accuracy is gone & some bullets are hitting the target sideways.

I am not sure if a reamer is available in NZ. Do Lothar Walther do barrels in 6.5X54MS???

Are there restrictions on reamers entering NZ? roger

No problem getting reamers into the country. Do you know where I could borrow or hire one?

You must alway purchase. I would split the cost, and send it over to you for a year. We will have to talk via PMs for the exact usage. If you wish to re barrel a 1903 or other pre-war carbine with the 17 1/2" barrel, the chamber must be perfect for the RWS 159 grain/10.3 grain bullet at very close to 3.00".Many other magazine rifles have much more flexibility in regard to length and free bore. There are excellent 120 grain, 125 grain and especially 140 grain bullets that get the job done with even more authority.

I any case I will be happy to a joint project, and give you the biggest vote on the chamber dimensions. If you are replacing the barrel on an early 1,900s full stock, then we must go traditional. For something much later, we can look at a chamber optimized for the 125 or 140 Partition, or the 120 or 140 Accubond.

Never borrow a reamer. It is ok to share so long as you know what you are getting as far as specifications. I like to get a rougher and a finisher both.

Maybe we can both shoot Taur the hard way,eh?

I can also send you a lot of Norma brass, unless you have RWS brass. Then it flows my way.

Shoot me a PM an we will talk it out. I will see who make the best reamers for this caliber.

PS Naki, Naki, Naki,

Have your bore professionally cleaned, and then have it properly slugged. Hornady make a .2675 bullet for the Italian Carcano. That may solve your problems right then and there. I can mail you some of the copper sample.

Having said that, a new, accurate, lovely, rust blued barrel with just the correct amount of cross hatching (50 LPI) on the front bridge for restoration, and a laser engraved "Nakiis' 65.54 MS (plus your best load data) on the barrel would certainly take you back in time where all the puddles in the dry season cam from inadequately armed hunters with smaller 6.5 mm rifles.

Im in.

Yes, Lothar Walther will make them as a custom.

http://www.lothar-walther.com/114.php

I'm shooting a Lothar Walther barrel on a 6.5x54MS which I built on a Savage 110 action. Fantastic shooting barrel.

Very Interesting thread. I would love to know, exactly how you guys work this out. While I do not own a 6.5X54 MS, threads like this are very educational, and you never know when you will be able to apply the info learned here.

Thanx

Jerry

Jerry,

Go the Lothar Walter website and call the number there and the fellow that answers will fix you up. Tell him Joe sent you. Now mine you they will provide a barrel and contoured but you or your gunsmith will have to thread it and as you know the 6.5MS barrel breech have a wide slot cut across the breech face horizontally. The bolt lug faces fit into this so for this reason Lothar won't thread or chamber the barrel. Now with the Savage 110 I built the barrels for them are standard cut and the breech face is flat with not extractor cuts or slots of any kind, plus you headspace it with the barrel nut and your go and no go gauges. My Lothar barrel shoots way under an inch with cast, but I haven't really wrung it out with jacketed except to break the barrel in. At that it was under an inch. I got the fast twist in my barrel, but you can tell them whatever you want for a twist. My barrel is also stainless. I have quite a few AR15 with their barrels and currently have a 6x45 coming from them.

You'll love the caliber, I know I do.

I have re-barrelled a couple-- yes it is a tad more complex than a Savage-- but no more-so than any gun that requires an extractor cut.

Several good makers have 6.5 barrels in a selection of twists.

If you wish to shoot only 145 and lighter you may wish to choose a twist slower than the original.

Also, as indicated above, slug your bore.
I have owned numerous 6.5 M/S riles/carbines--
several of the earlier produced ones slugged 267-269, with later ones showing 262-265.

(Though I did not have keyholes as you describe.)

The Hornady .268 160gr--"fixed" one poorly shooting early gun.

Thanks guys. Great help. lawndart I'll PM you. I am sure we have corresponded before on other stuff.

I tried to polish my bore by fire lapping with led bullets and 100 grit compound. Then I tried doing it by using a jag & that was the mistake.

Yes I have been using Hornady .268" bullets for a while as they performed better but the grooves were really dark & rough. The first two patches while cleaning get stuck and do not easily move. It takes a fair bit of wire brushing & cleaning before the cotton patches move easily in the bore. Now that the barrel is stuffed, I have the option of reboring to 7mm and making a custom sizing die and use it as a wildcat or go back to traditional original cal. I prefer the original option.

If you rebore,

you will need to also modify (enlarge)

the neck/bullet contact area of the spool

as it is a very tightly machined tolerance.



I have done this---tedious.

Yes I am aware of that thanks. COW book & Ken Waters were my first source of info on this great action. Yes it can be a PIA too. Making a new stock for a take down model is a bigger pain!

But what sexy smooth rifles they are....!

Thanks to all for your great input.

I'll tell you another very nice Mannlicher action and that is on the Hungarian G98/40 JHV Nazis when the Germans occupied Hungry during the war. They are Mannlicher actions except the Germans made them with a box magazine instead of the rotary spool and they are in 8x57 Mauser. I have one that has been sporterized and it is a very fine rifle. They are exceptionally hard to find also.

Lawndart thanks for all the info & PMs. Lothar Walther looks like the right option. I was surprised at the personal email response to a web enquiry within 6 hours!

I would like some opinions on my idea of taking the old barrel off and chamber casting the rifle as well as the threaded shank and taking other dimensions and sending the lot to Germany for a new barrel that should just screw on.

Naki

I'm in the same boat, the barrel is shot out on my 03. I was thinking of Walthers also.

rich

Be aware hat the Mannlicher case has a rim size of .454. This won't pose any problems with the Mauser claw type extractors, but the more modern extractors such as on the Savage, Sako, Remington, etc. won't handle as well as with the proper size rim they were designed for.

If, I were you and had friends here in BC, I would contact Ralf Martini here and I will bet that he can help you to get a new barrel that you can install there in "Kiwiland". Ralf is a master gunmaker and a very nice guy who can and does do some remarkable things with older sporting firearms.

He is now stocking LW barrels and this is probably the most time/cost efficient method of resolving your problem. You "may" be able to ship your rifle here to a friend, have it registered to him and then de-registered and shipped to you upon completion....a lot of total BS, but, that is one of the many loathsome results of the "Old Commonwealth's" post-WW2 infatuation with left-lib givernment......damn them all.

Google "Martini Gunmakers" and you will find his site.

quote:

Originally posted by Nakihunter:
Has anyone rebarrelled a rifle in 6.5X54Mannlicher Schoenauer. My Greek carbine's bore is stuffed. I tried lapping it and that was a big mistake. now the 3" accuracy is gone & some bullets are hitting the target sideways.

I am not sure if a reamer is available in NZ. Do Lothar Walther do barrels in 6.5X54MS???

i have new factory ms 6,5x54 barerels for sale £150 plus post

Trevor,

Are they threaded and chambered (or short-chambered) for the M/S action?

Edit-- ? which contour (s), twist(s),
length(s) ?

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Does anyone have anything more to contribute.

Please????