Rechambering of Rifle Actions?

[CoElkHunter]

Maybe I’m not using the correct terminology here? But I have read quite a bit here on AH regarding the rechambering of rifles, typically to a larger caliber or a different cartridge of the same caliber. I’ve read about chamber reamers , but how does this work with a new barrel and the entire process? I see many of rechambered/rebored rifles for sale so just asking? Thanks!

 

[JimP]

If you just want to re-chamber your rifle to say a improved version of what you are already shooting such as a 30-06 AI all that is needed to do is to ream the chamber out to accept the new case, no other work is really required except to check the headspace once the chamber has been reamed out. One advantage to this type of round is that you can shoot the original factory chambering in the rifle which will then fire form the case to the new chamber diminsions for reloading

Now if you want to go to a different caliber and cartridge design you would need a new barrel and some action work done. If your bolt face on your existing rifle is one of the common dimensions such as what is on the 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .300 Weatherby Mag then the bolt work would not need to be done, just a new barrel, check the headspace and a few adjustments.

If you wanted to shoot a round that has a different base diameter then the bolt face might need to be opened up to accept the new cartridge along with a new barrel and a few other things.

The combinations are almost endless as long as your pocket book holds out.

 

[CoElkHunter]

If you just want to re-chamber your rifle to say a improved version of what you are already shooting such as a 30-06 AI all that is needed to do is to ream the chamber out to accept the new case, no other work is really required except to check the headspace once the chamber has been reamed out. One advantage to this type of round is that you can shoot the original factory chambering in the rifle which will then fire form the case to the new chamber diminsions for reloading

Now if you want to go to a different caliber and cartridge design you would need a new barrel and some action work done. If your bolt face on your existing rifle is one of the common dimensions such as what is on the 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .300 Weatherby Mag then the bolt work would not need to be done, just a new barrel, check the headspace and a few adjustments.

If you wanted to shoot a round that has a different base diameter then the bolt face might need to be opened up to accept the new cartridge along with a new barrel and a few other things.

The combinations are almost endless as long as your pocket book holds out.

Thanks for explaining this! I was thinking a .375 h and h to a .416 something with the same bolt face diameter? But maybe it wouldn’t be cost effective with a new barrel, chamber reaming, etc? BTW, My father in law does have 6mm AI, but I’m not sure how the cost and availability of reloading dies fits into the AI equation?

 

[perttime]

Same bolt face (cartridge rim diameter) is good. Then you need the new chambering to be something that uses the same action length. In practice, about the same cartridge overall length. It could be as simple as installing a new barrel, or the rifle might need some work to make it feed right.

Reloading dies aren't all that expensive, but if cost is a serious issue, staying with something relatively common makes sense.

One thing about Improved chamberings is that the shoulder angle is usually steeper, which can make it harder to make the cartridge feed smoothly.

 

[Areaonereal]

Rebarrelling.....use your original action, if it is the same bolt face and action length, i.e. magnum then chamber a new barrel after truing your original action with a barrell of your choice and contour. Simple....cost: new stainless barrel $300.00, truing action $175.00, chambering $225.00...prices may vary, but I have had 8 or more rebarrels over the years....you can also set this up as a switch barrel, but that is another option with a different caliber in another barrel....an example...if your action accepts the length....a 7 mm Rem mag. Barrel chambered for your action and also another barrel in 375 h h chambering. Takes about 5 to 10 minuets to switch barrels. Same action....two calibers. Chamber, thread and crown for extra barrel cost approximately $300 barrel and $225 chambering...total $525.00...not bad for the option of a second caliber.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Rebarrelling.....use your original action, if it is the same bolt face and action length, i.e. magnum then chamber a new barrel after truing your original action with a barrell of your choice and contour. Simple....cost: new stainless barrel $300.00, truing action $175.00, chambering $225.00...prices may vary, but I have had 8 or more rebarrels over the years....you can also set this up as a switch barrel, but that is another option with a different caliber in another barrel....an example...if your action accepts the length....a 7 mm Rem mag. Barrel chambered for your action and also another barrel in 375 h h chambering. Takes about 5 to 10 minuets to switch barrels. Same action....two calibers. Chamber, thread and crown for extra barrel cost approximately $300 barrel and $225 chambering...total $525.00...not bad for the option of a second caliber.

Thanks so much for this information and appx. cost involved! I guess with at least a front and rear sight (I like open sights) installed on the new barrel and maybe a barrel band sling point, the cost would go up a little more? But $525.00 is reasonable!

 

[JimP]

The last time that I looked at rebarreling and working over a old rifle I found that I could buy a new rifle for less. Granted it wouldn't be a custom one off exactly the way that I wanted it but it would be new.

I came to the conclusion that unless you have a action that you just love or a caliber that you can not just find in a factory cambering it is a lot easier to just order a new rifle off of Davidson's or somewhere. Even when I purchased my .25-06 I planned on bumping the chamber out to a AI chamber but finally decided that the extra 200 or so fps wasn't worth the cost and I shoot nothing but reloads so ammo would not be a problem.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Existing barrels can be relined but that's a whole other chapter of changing cartridges. As JimP posted, unless you have a special rifle you want to change, most likely cheaper to just buy another.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The last time that I looked at rebarreling and working over a old rifle I found that I could buy a new rifle for less. Granted it wouldn't be a custom one off exactly the way that I wanted it but it would be new.

I came to the conclusion that unless you have a action that you just love or a caliber that you can not just find in a factory cambering it is a lot easier to just order a new rifle off of Davidson's or somewhere. Even when I purchased my .25-06 I planned on bumping the chamber out to a AI chamber but finally decided that the extra 200 or so fps wasn't worth the cost and I shoot nothing but reloads so ammo would not be a problem.

Really good point! I like CZ and Interarms Whitworth rifles. Their quality seems very good for a lower end large bore priced rifle and they fit into my rifle budget. I’ve been calculating the costs involved for a new barrel with sights and the gunsmith work and it doesn’t now look cost effective for me?

 

[CoElkHunter]

The last time that I looked at rebarreling and working over a old rifle I found that I could buy a new rifle for less. Granted it wouldn't be a custom one off exactly the way that I wanted it but it would be new.

I came to the conclusion that unless you have a action that you just love or a caliber that you can not just find in a factory cambering it is a lot easier to just order a new rifle off of Davidson's or somewhere. Even when I purchased my .25-06 I planned on bumping the chamber out to a AI chamber but finally decided that the extra 200 or so fps wasn't worth the cost and I shoot nothing but reloads so ammo would not be a problem.

Yeah, custom made rifles seem to be great, but out of my price range. I look for well built, factory or semi-custom (used) rifles with good functionality? I was just floating this thread to gather some opinions from the many here on AH with personal knowledge of this subject? Thanks!

 

[Hogpatrol]

If you're just looking to change cartridges that have the same length action and bolt face and the cases arent' too far off body wise, a new barrel and chamber job could be had for $600-700.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Yeah, custom made rifles seem to be great, but out of my price range. I look for well built, factory or semi-custom (used) rifles with good functionality? I was just floating this thread to gather some opinions from the many here on AH with personal knowledge of this subject? Thanks!

CEH,
The used custom rifle market is where you can find some wonderful rifles and save thousands of dollars over having one built. As long as it fits you and meets your criteria who cares that it was made for someone else! Custom rifles are like buying a new pick up truck, value is lost as soon as it is driven off the lot. On the flip side is who gives a damn about that either, your kids will take that loss when you die! Watch gunsinternational.com and you will find many things to your liking.

 

[Rob404]

I'm having my Austrian Mauser in 7mm Rem Mag re barreled with a Shillen 338 Win Mag barrel also adding the old front and rear sights for about 450.00

 

[CoElkHunter]

I'm having my Austrian Mauser in 7mm Rem Mag re barreled with a Shillen 338 Win Mag barrel also adding the old front and rear sights for about 450.00

Sounds great! Same cartridge lengths, widths and rim diameters. That’s also a very reasonable cost to do that.

 

[CoElkHunter]

CEH,
The used custom rifle market is where you can find some wonderful rifles and save thousands of dollars over having one built. As long as it fits you and meets your criteria who cares that it was made for someone else! Custom rifles are like buying a new pick up truck, value is lost as soon as it is driven off the lot. On the flip side is who gives a damn about that either, your kids will take that loss when you die! Watch gunsinternational.com and you will find many things to your liking.

Yeah, your right. I’m going to look around on Gun Broker and Guns International. I’m not in a hurry, just wanted to learn from others here on this issue and compare the different options? Thanks!

 

[sestoppelman]

This is timely for me as well. I was outbid on a very rare rifle the other day on GB, it was an early BRNO ZKK with pop up peep sight. While waiting for the auction to close (14 days!), I found some factory ammo and dies for a bargain at Grafs. Caliber is one our Euro friends are more familiar with than most of us are, the 8x64s. It really is nothing more than the 7x64 necked at 8mm, .323 dia. I have a good donor rifle in a Zastava 98 Mauser factory sporter I recently got. Mag box is plenty long and it will feed and extract 5 rounds from the mag but wont chamber due to the extra length of the round. What I need now is someone to do the re chamber job. I sent out emails yesterday to several smiths and none even replied.

With what the rifle eventually sold for, $1835 US!, I figure I can still get an 8x64 and be in it for a lot less than that.

If anyone has any recommendations for someone to do this, please let me know.

 

[CoElkHunter]

This is timely for me as well. I was outbid on a very rare rifle the other day on GB, it was an early BRNO ZKK with pop up peep sight. While waiting for the auction to close (14 days!), I found some factory ammo and dies for a bargain at Grafs. Caliber is one our Euro friends are more familiar with than most of us are, the 8x64s. It really is nothing more than the 7x64 necked at 8mm, .323 dia. I have a good donor rifle in a Zastava 98 Mauser factory sporter I recently got. Mag box is plenty long and it will feed and extract 5 rounds from the mag but wont chamber due to the extra length of the round. What I need now is someone to do the re chamber job. I sent out emails yesterday to several smiths and none even replied.

With what the rifle eventually sold for, $1835 US!, I figure I can still get an 8x64 and be in it for a lot less than that.

If anyone has any recommendations for someone to do this, please let me know.

From what I have read here on AH about the Zastava actions, including my Interarms Whitworth .375, is that the bottom portion of the feed ramp is trimmed to allow the smooth chambering of the longer cartridges. I may be wrong, but that’s what I remember.

 

[sestoppelman]

Well it does it nicely. I think it would make a neat unusual rifle.

 

[Hogpatrol]

This is timely for me as well. I was outbid on a very rare rifle the other day on GB, it was an early BRNO ZKK with pop up peep sight. While waiting for the auction to close (14 days!), I found some factory ammo and dies for a bargain at Grafs. Caliber is one our Euro friends are more familiar with than most of us are, the 8x64s. It really is nothing more than the 7x64 necked at 8mm, .323 dia. I have a good donor rifle in a Zastava 98 Mauser factory sporter I recently got. Mag box is plenty long and it will feed and extract 5 rounds from the mag but wont chamber due to the extra length of the round. What I need now is someone to do the re chamber job. I sent out emails yesterday to several smiths and none even replied.

With what the rifle eventually sold for, $1835 US!, I figure I can still get an 8x64 and be in it for a lot less than that.

If anyone has any recommendations for someone to do this, please let me know.

I can't post the links but check the Mauser forums for gunsmiths.

 

[5shot]

My rebarrel on a M70 Classic ran close to $800. Sights are going to run about $400 and bluing about $300. In the end, I could have bought a rifle for cheaper. In the end it will be just what I wanted, but end up costing a lot more than I had originally planned on.