I picked up a Rem model 6 falling block action. I thought I would stock it up and try and fit a .17 cal hornaday barrel on it. I have not sourced a barrel yet and I would like to do this on a shoestring budget as my finances are still in deep winter as they would say. I do not wish to dammage the action if this load is to hot for it. I would sell the action to a collector first and buy someting else. Any hints, ideas or suggestions short of slander would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

If you have the capability, buy a cheap barrel from someone like Gun Parts Corp. and sleeve it to .17....
No comment on the suitablity of the action.

JBMauser---

Isn't the number Six the cheap, stamped metal swing block?

If so, I'd say NO. They were pretty much a disposable rifle.......like cottage cheese three years out of date and the top pooched out.

JBelk, no the model 6 is a milled steel receiver. It is a sweet and accurate rifle. I have a complete original one that I learned to shoot with and it is still up to any task. I guess my concern is the power of the .17 HRM vs the .22 long rifle the action was designed for. The falling block is a simple action and I do not know if the .17 HRM has any real power to harm such an action or not. JB

JBMauser---

If you'll look real close at that action you'll see it's held together with eight rivets. The receiver was made of two plates press riveted to a forged semi-steel center section. The trigger guard is part of the center section.

The last line in DeHass' critique in "Single Shot Rifles" is--
"The Model 6 actions have no value for any conversion or rebarreling posibilities."

JBELK, I think I may have made a error in posting. The action is the Improved Model 6 and it is one piece of steel. I did not know about the original model 6. Since this is an all steel action do you think it could work. Elsewhere someone stated that the .17 HRM is no more potent to the action as a .22 Long Rifle. I have not the knowledge to challenge that. JB

You (may) be able to do it, but why? Your Model 6 will nothing but increase in value in unaltered state as time goes by. And if you must shoot a 17 HMR (and I do) you can get a "shooter" in Savage M93 for less than what it would take take to alter your gun. Or, get a nifty CZ American. But,just so you understand, the tiny bullet is fun to shoot but lacks energy of a 22 mag at 100 yards. You can expect as many prairie dogs to crawl into their holes after being hit at that range as not.

JBMauser--

You're right. The Improved 6 is a totally different action made from a one piece forging.

ONLY going by the drawings and descriptions I have beforem me, I'd still say no.

"STRENGTH" is something that a lack of won't necessarily hurt you.... Now tHAAT is a muddy sentence.

Strength has LESS to do with safety than design. The swing block single shots don't have a bushed firing pin, that's first. That means a pierced primer shoots brass straight back at you.

The rim is not protected by a gas sheild. That's second. If a rim breaks the debris goes straight out without any hinderance. It was once estimated by a factory safety expert that ten people a year were blinded by Stevens Crackshots......built the same way.

The barrel is only held by a takedown screw... third design fault. Since all the stress is in tension, I like the thought of something more.

It's a nice old gun and fairly scarce. The Improved came out in the late '20s and was discontinued in 1933.

The fourth reason......and my best one, is the quote by DeHaas, seen above, was in the chapter on the Model 6 Improved. When a world recognized single shot expert says something like that, I listen..... and urge others to do the same.