Anyone opened up a standard L61R bolt face to a magnum face. How easy/hard was it and what surprises were discovered when it was done? Is the feeding/extraction OK? any other info worth mentioning would be great.

Years and years ago I had a 30-06 rechambered to 30-338. Only had to open up the face to correct diameter but then the extractor fit too close to centerline of bolt and would not allow the case to snap over it. Simple fix; a dollop of weld on the underside of the extractor fixed that problem.

I have a nice mag action if you want to swap.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Years and years ago I had a 30-06 rechambered to 30-338. Only had to open up the face to correct diameter but then the extractor fit too close to centerline of bolt and would not allow the case to snap over it. Simple fix; a dollop of weld on the underside of the extractor fixed that problem.

Is there a Magnum & Standard extractor for a Sako? Or is it just the depth the extractor is affixed to the bolt?

I know with the improved cartridge I have one Sako chambered in I have not had any feeding issues.

The extractors are the same for either magnum or standard bolt faces. As Jim notes, the underlying extractor recess may be a little deeper on the standard, perhaps requiring a minor fix similar to the one he used. I'm certain that hundreds if not thousands of L61R standard actions have been successfully enlarged for magnum case heads. The magazine boxes are the same (Praise Be! A .30-06 box that allows you to actually seat a 200 grain Nosler out where it belongs!) You won't find many magazine boxes for standard cartridges that are a full 3.6 inches.

There are more than three different sized extractors. Small, 223 size, Medium, 308 size, and magnum being the biggest. Now with that said, some of the different Sako models may have the same for the 308 as the magnums. I have the jtwo smaller ones in stock.

Jim,

I was speaking of the extractors in the L61R. In my comparisons of the several standard and magnum L61R's I own, all of the extractors appear to be identical. I've even interchanged some of them between magnum and standard bolts in an attempt to address a problem that you and I corresponded on a few weeks ago.

Of course the older L461's had a very long extractor that works the same as later L461/A-I but is much longer and narrower.