I have read about some astonishing accuracy dealt out by as issued 6.5X55 Swedish Mausers.

I have a lead on a resonably priced take-off Swede barrel in very good condition & thought it might be a viable candidate for making a 6.5X55 on my recently bought 1910 Mexican mauser.

I was going to do the 6.5X55 W/an by using an E R Shaw barrel I have by screwing it onto my VZ500 action But, if a take-off Swede barrel would have good potential for decent (1" or less 3 shot groups @ 100yds)I might opt for the option of the Swede barrel on the SR Mexican action.

I have one of the Kimber conversions from about 20 years ago. The ones they sold in 6.5 utilized original barrels, mine shoots to just about an inch.

A friend put a new in the wrapper 6.5x55 Swede military barrel onto a 96 Swede action, and put it in a heavy, wide maple stock for the modified scope class of a military BR match. That rifle would produce 10shot groups at 100yd that averaged 3/4" c-c or better with ease. The trigger, action, and barrel were all as issued. I'd say that the barrels as well as the cartridge has a lot of potential.

You know the old adages...Caveat Emptor - "Let the buyer beware" and Carpe Diem - "Seize the day". You pays your money and takes your chances...no way to tell until the deed is done and you test some loads.

Every Swede that I ever had, I have 2 right now, helped work up loads or saw targets from, were usually well within 2" with factory and military ammo.

But unless you have insider information on the barrel, there ain't no way in heaven or on earth you can know WHAT the barrel will do until YOU do it. You just have to play the odds..."reasonably priced" is relative to a whole bunch of factors. I have to wonder WHY the barrel was taken off in the first place, rhetorically speaking.

It you can pick it up for 1/3rd the price of a $90 Midway barrel you won't be out very much and nothing as far as the learning experience is concerned.

Luck

The m96 in kaliber 6,5x55 generally shoots werry well, and can easily match most modern rifles, if in good condition, and properly bedded. My expierience on m96 accuracy is limited to testfiering over 1000 out of 14.000 rebuild. Generally if the barrel was with sharp land corners, and with no rust, they were capable of producing sub 1" with swedish militaryammo or decent huntingammo.
Out rebuilds were bedded from the magwell to 1.5 " out under the chamber, to prevent bending when tightening the main screws.
Most of the rebuilds were Carl Gustaf, produced from 1896 to 1923. Generally they were in good condition before rebuilding, as they were from mobilisation stocks. Therefor they mostly were checked before put into the stock

quote:

Originally posted by FOOBAR:
You know the old adages...Caveat Emptor - "Let the buyer beware" and Carpe Diem - "Seize the day". You pays your money and takes your chances...no way to tell until the deed is done and you test some loads.

Every Swede that I ever had, I have 2 right now, helped work up loads or saw targets from, were usually well within 2" with factory and military ammo.

But unless you have insider information on the barrel, there ain't no way in heaven or on earth you can know WHAT the barrel will do until YOU do it. You just have to play the odds..."reasonably priced" is relative to a whole bunch of factors. I have to wonder WHY the barrel was taken off in the first place, rhetorically speaking.

It you can pick it up for 1/3rd the price of a $90 Midway barrel you won't be out very much and nothing as far as the learning experience is concerned.

Luck

Well, actually I let the take-off barrel pass.

Probably just as well as I opened an e-mail a few minutes ago regarding a lead I found for an as new, (70 years old, never installed) Husqvarna M38 6.5X55 barrel in the white. Described as "perfect bore & chamber".

It ain't as cheap as an A&B from Midway, but I suspect it would be a better barrel over all. I particularly like the fast twist rate of the military swede barrel. From what I have been able to gather it's 1 in 7.9"?

Anyone have any input on how long the throat typically is on these M38 barrels? I'm hoping to get lucky W/the headspace & not have to set back the barrel very much if @ all.

I want to be able to use 120-130gr polymer tipped bullets & have the ogive just off the lands while maintaining a COAL that will fit into an intermediate length M98 magazine. I suspect I can lengthen the 1910 Mexican magazine box a bit if need be.

I built one from scratch with a new in wrapper 24" swede mil barrel, shoots damn good. Think it was $69 or so. Only thing is its kinda heavy for a sporter rifle



.

Ya done good, Wildcat.
I think that if one is going to build a "new" rifle, then use a new barrel.

While I've got several military Swedes, some original and some scoped, that will shoot around or below a MOA, I just don't understand cheaping out on a barrel for a new rifle. To me, this looks like one of the last spots to save money on but it is fine cartridge choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:
While I've got several military Swedes, some original and some scoped, that will shoot around or below a MOA, I just don't understand cheaping out on a barrel for a new rifle. To me, this looks like one of the last spots to save money on but it is fine cartridge choice.

Aparently most of the folks on this forum have no idea what (near) poverty is.

When it's either "cheaping out" or not doing any gun building @ all, one looks to cut costs whenever & wherever possible.

Frankly I can't buy the argument that one needs to spend every last $$ on a barrel to get the utmost in accuracy when 90% of the shooters responding can't possibly shoot well enough to group much under 1" @ 100yds anyway, what's the point?

I want a rifle W/good hunting accuracy. If it will hold 3 cosecutive shots W/O a cooldown @ or near 1" @ 100yds, that's plenty good enough for me.

As far as military barrels not being accurate?

You can't prove that by my last "cheaped out" project where I used a good M98K barrel & got excellent accuracy just as I suspected I would.

The gun shoots consistant 3 shot groups @ or near 1/2" @ 100yds. A fluke? I think not. The barrel looked to be in "unfired" condition & I was very careful to have my gunsmith turn down the steps to my exact specifications to avoid removing too much material.

BTW: This was the very 1st range session W/some loads I just threw together after firing a few rounds off the back deck to check for pressure signs. Maybe I could get even better accuracy W/some fiddling around, but why bother?

When the choice is between investing $200 in purcasing, crowning & tapering a good, near pristine military barrel, or $250 in getting one of the so called "bargain" barrel purchased, chambered, etc, or not being able to come up W/the additional $200 or more to use one of the so called "quality" barrels & postponing the project, which would you choose?

And please, don't give me the drill about being money ahead by spending the extra $$ as there is no extra money. I'm barely making my mortgage payments as it is & it's hard for me to scrape up ANY $$$$ for gun building.

I buy custom semi inletted stocks W/decent wood that are on clearance. I try to pick up actions for a bargain when I can. I try to find barrels "on the cheap" as long as they will give me good "hunting accuracy".

My M700 CDL in 280 Rem that is pillar bedded & free floated from 3" beyond the receiver will shoot around 1" 3 shot groups @ 100yds W/my hunting bullet of choice. I can get smaller groups W/a bullet from another manufacturer that is the same weight. I do not use that particular bullet as it's terminal performance is not as good as the bullet of choice. Every last bit of accuracy is not the most impotant factor me.

My 8X57 that has been "cheaped out" W/a military barrel will shoot rings around that M700 W/the hunting bullets of my choice.

I usually end up W/slightly more than an off the shelf M700 & a rifle that I can be proud of because it's unique.

Yes, I paid quite a bit for the 1910 Mexican Mauser action, but there is no other alternative to build the rifle I want to build.

If those "swedes" can shoot 1" or less W/miltary barrels in the military stocks, I think I could expect somewhat better accuracy once I do my bedding routine on a sporter stock. I've fiddled around W/a lot of different contact/relief points & I think I have come up W/a technique that works quite well W/the M98 action.

Wildcat, I don't think you paid too much for the Mexican. Clean $200 Mexicans don't come around that often anymore. Most are pitted, including the bolt face & magazine box, the crests are often stamped deep, and Mike has already done alot of truing and polishing on that action. Also, you might talk to him about installing a Swede barrel. His personal rifle is a beautiful 1910 with a Swede military barrel and is very accurate. Get him to email some pics.

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Wildcat, I don't think you paid too much for the Mexican. Clean $200 Mexicans don't come around that often anymore. Most are pitted, including the bolt face & magazine box, the crests are often stamped deep, and Mike has already done alot of truing and polishing on that action. Also, you might talk to him about installing a Swede barrel. His personal rifle is a beautiful 1910 with a Swede military barrel and is very accurate. Get him to email some pics.

I didn't mean to sound like I felt like I paid too much for the action.

On the contrary, I meant to point out that I paid what I had to to get something unique. I am very satisfied W/the purchase.

Yes, I have talked to Mike & he sent me PIX of that beautiful "cheaped out" Mexican/Swede hybrid.

I'll see if I can post some pix.

Wildcat,

Many around here often forget that not everyone can go to Africa every year or at worst every other year. For amny of us Africa is either a one time trip or dream.

I went for years having to take parts from my last project to make the next. Or sell one rifle to build the next one. I went through the phase of spending a lot of time and $$$$ to try and get that light barrel sporting rifle to group 5/8" when with very little effort and $$ it would group 7/8" No game animal could tell the difference.

When you have limited resources it is a constant balancing game. Many on here don't have to deal with that. They want something they simply write a check. They don't have to balance if I buy that new rifle what happens is the washer on it last legs dies.

A man should build what he feels he can afford. Only he know his limits. Others shouldn't talk down to him for it.

As to putting $$ aside and saving up for the NICE rifle there were always things around my house that would come up more important and the fund would be hit. Besides I would have have a nice rifle today than a great rifle 5 years from now. Heck i'm 60 I could be gone 5 years from now.

quote:

Originally posted by wildcat junkie:

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Wildcat, I don't think you paid too much for the Mexican. Clean $200 Mexicans don't come around that often anymore. Most are pitted, including the bolt face & magazine box, the crests are often stamped deep, and Mike has already done alot of truing and polishing on that action. Also, you might talk to him about installing a Swede barrel. His personal rifle is a beautiful 1910 with a Swede military barrel and is very accurate. Get him to email some pics.

I didn't mean to sound like i felt like I paid too much for the action.

Indeed, I meant to point out that I paid what I had to to get something unique. I am very satisfied W/the purchase.

Yes, I have talked to Mike & he sent me PIX of that beautiful "cheaped out" Mexican/Swede hybrid.

I'll see if I can post some pix.

How's this for a rifle that was built by so called "cheaping out" on a barrel?

Just a thought, to really save some bucks why not buy a M96 with a good barrel and then just pay to have it turned down? You'd have a barreled action for in the area of $400 and you sell the take off stock....

quote:

Originally posted by Recoil Rob:
Just a thought, to really save some bucks why not buy a M96 with a good barrel and then just pay to have it turned down? You'd have a barreled action for in the area of $400 and you sell the take off stock....

It's not a 98 action!

The Mexican Mausers are the ONLY SR intermediate length M98 actions.








I would end up W/about the same in my 1910 Mexcan/Swede take off barrel.

See my previous post above.

I realize it's not a 98, it's a 96 but for the 6.5x55 plenty adequate. Just a lower cost alternative but if you need a 98, then you need a 98...

quote:

Originally posted by Recoil Rob:
I realize it's not a 98, it's a 96 but for the 6.5x55 plenty adequate. Just a lower cost alternative but if you need a 98, then you need a 98...

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude.

Fact is, I'm like the guy that hot rods small block chevies. I have so many aftermarkets triggers, safties & such for the M98, I prefer to stay within that realm.

Also, since I already pulled the trigger & purchased that Mex Mauser action that I posted PIX of, changing horses now would be kinda silly now doncha think?

OK, the Mexican/Swede hybrid is a dead issue. I will use the E R Shaw #2 contour blank .264 barrel W/my VZ500 commercial Yugo intermediate length LR M98 action to build the Classic Oberndorf Mauser in 6.5X55.

The Mex Mauser will get a 24" light sporter profile, FN Mauser take off barrel (VG condition) in 6mm Remington, possibly rechambered to Ackly Improved to extend brass life in that high pressuere cartridge.

I got the barrel for $54.20 shipped to my door.The price was cheap because the threads were buggered up. I'll have them turned down to SR size.

quote:

Originally posted by wildcat junkie:
I have read about some astonishing accuracy dealt out by as issued 6.5X55 Swedish Mausers.

I have a lead on a resonably priced take-off Swede barrel in very good condition & thought it might be a viable candidate for making a 6.5X55 on my recently bought 1910 Mexican mauser.


I was going to do the 6.5X55 W/an by using an E R Shaw barrel I have by screwing it onto my VZ500 action But, if a take-off Swede barrel would have good potential for decent (1" or less 3 shot groups @ 100yds)I might opt for the option of the Swede barrel on the SR Mexican action.

Try one of these ($84) for a cheap alternative:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewp...productnumber=468773

The reviews are good and fall within your accuracy requirement.