Gents,

Can a 6.5x55 be fit into a "standard" action (like a M700 or a M700 clone), or are modifications necessary??

Feeding: will a magazine and feed rails intended for a .270 Win or .30-06 let a 6.5x55 feed with no problems??

Bolt face - the 6.5x55 is slightly different from a standard (.270 Win/.30-06) bolt head. Enough to worry about?? I believe 6.5x55 Lapua brass is different in the case head to US manufactured brass?? I'd like to be able to use the Lapua brass.

In a M700, I'd need a long action (around 3.7" mag length). Will that lead to problems with feeding??

Is it easy (cheap) to have the bolt handle changed on a M700?? If yes, are there better ways of attaching an aftermarket handle (compared to the factory handle)??

Anybody care to suggest a M700 clone (the better mouse trap) action, that would do the trick?? I'd prefer CM steel. Are Ed Brown actions for sale, and what do they cost?? Anybody else build long M700 clones at present??

- mike

Sir,

I believe if you look around enough, you may find precisely what you are looking for - factory made. If I recall correctly, Remington has made a few 6.5x55 in the past, as has Winchester. Though you may have to import it from the US, there may be a 6.5x55 Remington rifle available for you.

I am curious however, why it is you seek a Remington M700 when there are so many fine European actions available to you? If I may ask, whatcha up to with this project?


Tex

You are correct on the Lapua brass head being slightly different. Ruger & Winchester have made a 6.5x55 in the past but not sure if they still do. Like Tex21, why Remington?

I built mine on a '98 mauser action and it feeds fine and shoots both the winchester and S&B brass without complaint.
I suggest a magazine block if you build on a 700 long action and I suggest not using a short action.

my win70 short action in 6.5x55AI WILL NOT eject a loaded round. Go with a long action.

Most 6.5x55's are built on a standard long action. I just built one on a Sako AV action with a Shilen barrel. No problems at all.

Geronimo

CZ 550, available in 6.5x55 and under $500.

Hell of a base for a project.

Ah, I should have been a bit more specific, I guess. This is intended for a custom project I'll have done in the US. Export will be done on the finished rifle. I want an action that will accept an aftermarket trigger, preferably the Jewell. That rules out most of the actions available - largely leaving a M70 or a M700 (plus clones). The rifle is intended for a dual purpose role of range/hunting use, so I'm looking for the best possible accuracy. That pretty much leaves me with a M700 or one of its clones. (Sorry, no Rugers or Savages - nice guns, but not what I'm looking for). So I was trying to find out whether a 6.5x55 could sensibly be fit into a M700 (or clone) action?? And since what I can expect to find (used or at Walmart) will likely be a .270 or a .30-06, will these actions present problems with the 6.5x55??

Alternatively, if anyone (like Ed Brown?) made a M700 clone, that was semi-payable... I have honed in on the Brown action for now, because it seems to be one of the few (only?) M700 clones made in CM. Most others are SS. Thus my interest in that action, if anybody has experience with those (availability, price, quality), I'd be more than interested.

With regards to the European comments: if I was to get a Euro gun for the 6.5x55, I'd probably just get a 6.5x55 barrel for my R93.

Thanks for the comments on use of short vs. long actions, and thanks for the information about use of the Sako AV action. Those are nice actions. I'd use one of those if they were available and they'd accept a Jewell. Comment about magazine block in the M700 is also well taken.

- mike

Mike,

I'm seriously considering asking if I can piggy back a twin onto your project!

That sounds SUCH a good project. Your love for the 30-06 is about to receive a dent when you get your hands on the finished article.

Even with 100gr BTs seated securely the 6.5x55 is very close to a COL of 3.0" With a 125gr partition seated a calibre it's 3.170"

The great pity of the modern action world is that the perfectly matched (to mauser cartridges) intermediate action with a mag length of approx 3.3" is not made. A long action will no doubt work very well but the gun nut in me is irritated by the redundant space and material.

The bolt head will require slight easing for the lapua brass but not remington or winchester.

You may remember that Saeed built a match style 6.5x55 which was more accurate than a 308

mho

I have an Ed Brown 702, they come with Jewell or Shilen trigger from the shop - Feel free to pm me

McMillan Mcrt is aviliable in cm on request.

Lapua, Norma and RWS are slightly larger than Win, Rem brass, difference is small, almost academic.

Cheers
/JOHAN

Built mine on a Rem 700 action that was orginally a .270. Pac-Nor barrel, Jewel trigger. 1-9 twist. Easy sub moa even with the loads is doesn't like.

Yur best, fastest, and probably one of the cheapest methods is the rem700 ADL. Sell the stock and barrel and trigger. Attach the jewell, add a large recoil lug, true the action, install a barrel, pillar bed it in your choice of sticks, and off you go. Maybe a $2200+/- project sans the glass. The long action 700 will let the 6.5x55 go with no problems at all.

Thanks a ton guys. The M700 (ADL as a donor) action is certainly one option I'm considering. It was positive to hear that you think it will work with little (or no) modification.

1894, it is indeed a pity, that mid-size actions are so comparatively scarce these days. Orginally, my 6.5x55 was scheduled to go into an MRC M1999 short action, which is JUST long enough for it. But since that action has been sold, I'm now free to consider whatever toy I'd like next . The long actions are indeed a tad large for the mid-size cartridges such as .257 Bob, 7x57 and 6.5x55. Pity, but there it is.

Johan, thanks for the info on the Ed Brown and McBros actions. I was aware that you have an Ed Brown, so I was hoping you'd chime in. I have a mail off to Ed Brown at the moment requesting some information (prices, Jewell trigger etc), we'll see what they come back with. I just found the price list on the McBros website, those actions are NOT cheap! I'm kind of "used" to seeing custom BR actions listed at 900-100$, but these guys are thinking more in terms of 1400$. Gulp... Figures like that make a donor M700 seem quite attractive...

- mike

mho,

If you have access to Gun List you can normally find an add from Chester’s in NY. They sell 700 actions (SA and LA) for $395.00 each, brand new. Numrich Arms also had some LA 700 actions for $400.00.

You can also pick up complete 700 rifles from places like Jerry’s for around $350.00 and you can strip off the action and sell the barrel and stock.

Remington actions are every bit as good as any of the “clones†you spoke of...and are normally allot cheaper. You can buy the action, have it blue printed and still have less than $600 or so into the action itself.

Rick 0311

Not quite, install new extractor, Winchester safety, steel floorplate, trigger etc. all add up the price quite quick.

Cheers
/JOHAN

Mike,
Why don't you just pick up an original pre-64 action? Nice action, proper length and sort of available. I've done a few on pre-64s, including one of my own, and I think they work out pretty well. Two of us shoot pre-64 M70 base 6.5x55s in "F" class and we do OK. Just as good as those Remington guys! Regards, Bill.

I've built the gun you're looking for. A Rem. 700 long action in 6.5x55. It has a Douglas barrel, jewell trigger and mcmillan stock. No mods we made to the feed rails and it feeds great. We did have to open the bolt face just a smidge to get it to extract properly. Oh, the gun was originally a 280 Rem.

This gun has put some serious hurt on some Southern whitetails and hogs.

quote:

Originally posted by JOHAN:
Rick 0311

Not quite, install new extractor, Winchester safety, steel floorplate, trigger etc. all add up the price quite quick.

Cheers
/JOHAN

Obviously, you are of the crowd that feels that Remington triggers, safeties and extractors are not on par with others. I have personally never found that to be the case...but to each his own.

Wyatt, thanks a lot for sharing your experience, it is nice to hear the standard M700 is a readily used basis for a project like this. In particular, it is nice to hear that feeding is not a problem. I could easily live with having to open the bolt face just a tad, that sounds like a minor mod...

Bill, glad to hear your "voice". I'm not really much of a pre-64 M70 man myself. Surely, with all the oohs and ahhs these actions get, I'm positive they must be great actions. And I know you are a bit of a magician with M70 actions in general, so I'm not surprised you got good results out of that basis. But pre-64 M70 donor actions are not exactly super easy to come by (much less so when you do your shopping via the Internet), and I tend to think of these as a being in a different price category than M700s. To me, a M70 (much less a pre-64) is an action for a hunting rifle, preferably in a custom stock with classic lines - much like the guns Chick Worthing makes. A M700 (or its clones) are "accuracy" machines to me - i.e. what you would use if you were looking for the best accuracy possible. Nobody oohs or ahhs over a M700 (or at least not in the same way as a pre-64 M70), but they sure are good platforms for the best possible accuracy. That is about my reasons for think M700, but naturally in real life issues are not as black or white as I tend to see them, and I'm sure a M70 can be made to shoot incredibly accurate.

Bill, on a more presonal note, I'm glad to see you posting. I had been a bit worried you had disappeared off the face of the earth. Hope all is well with you. Think about looking at my work specifications one of these days, will you? It has been a pity that my projects with you got a bit delayed, and I won't be picking them up this year as originally planned, for obvious reasons. But it would be great if we could get the projects on track again and communication reestablished. All the best to you and your family!
- mike

JOHAN,..I have yet to determine the need of steel bottom metal in anything but a tactical rig,..as certainly many benchrest rifles were built on used stocks inletted for bottom metal, and the aluminum factory metal is used to keep weight down. Also, I find little fault with the remington extractor as I have seen/heard of many folks beating the bolt open and the factory extractor held the rim just fine. As to the trigger, some can be adjusted better than others in a given rem700, but a jewell is only $200.

action $200
trigger $200
Trueing/lapping $150
Lug $40
Total $590

What about the short action model 70 push feeds. Aren't they just about the right length for the 6.5x55. I saw a 1980's model 70 featherweght in 6.5x55 that was a very pretty gun and I think it was on the winchester short action.

Just a thought,
Weagle

quote:

Originally posted by JustC:
JOHAN,..I have yet to determine the need of steel bottom metal in anything but a tactical rig,..as certainly many benchrest rifles were built on used stocks inletted for bottom metal, and the aluminum factory metal is used to keep weight down. Also, I find little fault with the remington extractor as I have seen/heard of many folks beating the bolt open and the factory extractor held the rim just fine. As to the trigger, some can be adjusted better than others in a given rem700, but a jewell is only $200.

action $200
trigger $200
Trueing/lapping $150
Lug $40
Total $590

JustC,

As I’m sure you already know...Old legends, no matter how unsubstantiated or absurd, die a very hard death!

Ed Brown does not sell actions, they only sell complete rifles . At least that is what they said in their reply mail.

You must have been lucky Johan, or simply done business with them at a better point in time. Ah well, so much for that option.
- mike

It would seem to me that a mauser action would be available to you over there and be an easy conversion. Maybe you just don't like mausers. I ended up with a semi custom 6.5x55 on a 1917 obendorf action and a shillen match grade barrel that shoots a much tighter group than I. This conversion may be worthy of your consideration also. D

See http://www.auctionarms.com item #6846329, Remington Classic 700, 6.5x55, $375.

quote:

Originally posted by weagle:
What about the short action model 70 push feeds. Aren't they just about the right length for the 6.5x55. I saw a 1980's model 70 featherweght in 6.5x55 that was a very pretty gun and I think it was on the winchester short action.

Just a thought,
Weagle

I agree. David Tubb won eight national championships with that action in various calibers.

I'd like to find out what makes a M700 action better than a M70 for pure accuracy work. So far I haven't found a reason, but I'm willing to learn.

quote:

Originally posted by HP Shooter:

I agree. David Tubb won eight national championships with that action in various calibers.

I'd like to find out what makes a M700 action better than a M70 for pure accuracy work. So far I haven't found a reason, but I'm willing to learn.

Carlos Hathcock used a model 70 to win the 1965 Wimbledon Cup 1,000 yard match...and also used one as his primary sniper rifle in Vietnam.

As far as commercial, factory actions go, model 70’s will shoot right along side any other brand.

Round bottomed receivers (like 700’s) will always have a slight edge when it comes to ease and accuracy of bedding to the stock...but that doesn’t mean that a model 70 is inherently any less capable of more accuracy than most shooters could ever hope to capitalize on.

People who compete (seriously) in competition seldom, if ever, use “stock†factory actions so I’m not sure what all of the hoopla is all about anyway.

I love 700’s...but not because I think they are necessarily “better†than any other brand. I like their looks, they are easy to find at relatively good prices, they are easy to work on, the list of aftermarket parts and accessories is HUGE, and they have a very long track record of reliability and ruggedness.

Almost all of the above can also be said of model 70’s.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
Ed Brown does not sell actions, they only sell complete rifles . At least that is what they said in their reply mail.

You must have been lucky Johan, or simply done business with them at a better point in time. Ah well, so much for that option.
- mike

Mike,
Ed Brown sold actions to gunsmiths. Price according to Ed Brown's old catalouge were 1000$ for an action with all parts. Sad to hear they no longer offer actions

How about a Jalonen action? http://www.jalonen.fi/FI/index.html

Cheers
/JOHAN

I have a 1903 in 6.5x55, works fine.

quote:

Originally posted by vigillinus:
I have a 1903 in 6.5x55, works fine.

You mean your targets don’t laugh and dance around because you don’t use a “super-duper-whiz-bang†action with all of the newest and greatest gadgets and modifications????? (you heard me ask with tongue in cheek!)

the model70 takes more labor to true up,..that is one main reason the rem700 is so popular. Also, the rem700 when introduced had one of the best triggers available at the time, and still so today (MHO). These alone made it very popular. Also, the ability to install a surface ground heavy recoil lug as well as the 3 "rings of steel" made the rem700 what it is.

Carlos used a model70 because that was what he was issued. Then he got a rem700 issued. It was the transition period from the wood stocked mod70's to the fiberglass stocked rem 700's. He used both.

quote:

Originally posted by JustC:
the model70 takes more labor to true up,..that is one main reason the rem700 is so popular. Also, the rem700 when introduced had one of the best triggers available at the time, and still so today (MHO). These alone made it very popular. Also, the ability to install a surface ground heavy recoil lug as well as the 3 "rings of steel" made the rem700 what it is.

Carlos used a model70 because that was what he was issued. Then he got a rem700 issued. It was the transition period from the wood stocked mod70's to the fiberglass stocked rem 700's. He used both.

I don’t know where your info on Hathcock comes from, but I served with him in the 7th Marines in 1969 in Vietnam and personally saw him carrying his model 70 with the 8x Unertl long after the original M700’s had been brought into use.

The “transition†from wood to fiberglass stocks happened WAY [!!!!!!] after the Vietnam war had ended.

I got that info 3rd hand from a pard of mine who was a good friend of Carlos. That is what you get with not being there yourself,..but I can tell you that all the pictues on the wall in his house of the two of them arm-in-arm is enough to substantiate what he says. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure. I only know what I was told by his friend.

I was also told that he stated he liked the rem better,..but then again, I wasn't there.

quote:

Originally posted by JustC:
I got that info 3rd hand from a pard of mine who was a good friend of Carlos. That is what you get with not being there yourself,..but I can tell you that all the pictues on the wall in his house of the two of them arm-in-arm is enough to substantiate what he says. I wasn't there so I can't say for sure. I only know what I was told by his friend. SGT Land has incidently come hunting on My father-in-law's farm a few times as well.

Well... first off, Jim Land is a retired MAJOR...not a Sgt! That aside...

You made two statements:

1. Hathcock only carried a model 70 because that was what he was issued.

2. That he used both 70’s and 700’s during a “transition†from wooden stocked 70’s to fiberglass stocked 700’s.

Both of those statements are totally false, and your friends pictures on his wall don’t change that fact.

All I can go by is my own two eyes that were there at the time in question, and saw the man and the rifle on numerous occasions...I don’t have any pictures on my walls!

quote:

Originally posted by JustC:
the rem700 when introduced had one of the best triggers available at the time, and still so today (MHO).

I disagree, Remington's enclosed design using a secondary (or floating) sear is definitely inferior to the Model 70 trigger.

Not to mention the Remington "safety" if you can call it that.

HP Shooter,

What actual evidence are you basing those statements on?

I’m not claiming that those 700 features are “superior†to anything else, but I would love to hear a detailed explanation of why you consider them to be “inferior“. First hand experience would be most welcome.

Why might a Remington be considered to be better?
The trigger has already been mentioned. Although the sear connector was an unnecessary and undesirable feature, Remington did offer the first FULLY adjustable trigger to the American shooter. The Winchester is not, of course fully adjustable. It lacks any sear engagement adjustment.
Beacuse the Remington receiver is concentric in design, there may be less problems with warpage the with the relatively complex shaped M70.
As mentioned before, the remington is indeed easier to bed than is the M70.
I like the M70s but my use of them is more an indication of my contrary nature than it is an indication of perceived superiority.
Although I may try to disguise the fact, I plan to build my next "F" class rifle on a Remington receiver (Shhhh!). I'll make the bolt so it won't really be a Remington anyway! Regards, Bill.

As I stated, I made reference to 3rd hand info. That being said,..you telling me you served with him and my pard pics of the two of them arm in arm equate to possibilities either way. You may wish to build your reputation as someone who has been immersed in the company of an icon,..but that and 37 cents gets you a stamp. I stated that I had been told something,..and put the appropriate disclaimer on that statement. Now,..you are telling me something,..so am I supposed to drop all suspicion of your statements? Congratulations,..you are another "I was there" person. Have Carlos send me a letter,....OHHHH that's right,..he can't. I'll file your info right next to the other info I presented.

Oh yeah,..and if you had waited more than 1min after I posted,.you would have noticed that I edited my post due to the fact that I was unsure of Land's "appropriate" rank designation and therefore eliminated that from the post all together.

Sooo,..how many confirmed did you get with your model 70?

Save yourself a lot of grief and put that 6.5X55 in a Mauser action. All this stuff about Mausers not being accurate is a lot of nonsense.

I can't figure out why a Remington is supposed to be easier to glassbed than anything else. Doesn't the stuff form itself into what ever shape you shove down into it whether it be round, square, or rectangle. Somebody enlighten me here.

Rojelio