Seventeen inch 6.5x55 or longer.....

Muir

Well-Known Member
Ok. So here’s another twisted project from a warped mind.

I have about a half dozen retired M-1896 Swedish target rifles in 6.5x55. Two of them have less than pretty bores, and one of these is absolutely worn out. I don’t like breaking up military rifles any more but this last rifle is just worthless to me (or anyone else) in it’s present condition so I am thinking of having some fun with the action. This is what I’m thinking of.

I have three Gustav barrels in my basement: One a new, “in the white” M-94 Carbine barrel, the next a 24” Model 38 barrel in similar condition, and the last is a M-94 Carbine take off barrel I got somewhere in the distant past. This last barrel is bright, crisp, and a Sierra bullet dropped into the muzzle doesn’t make it near the end of the ogive so I know it’s pretty new. It also has sights. My idea is to take this 17” barrel and mount it in the M-96 action and drop it into a Swedish stock I modified into a straight-gripped sporter stock years back for a different rifle. I am debating between making a full length rifle with the 24” barrel, a scoped carbine with the new but sightless carbine barrel, or make an iron sighted rifle with the latter barrel.


I already have a 24” 6.5 sporter, and my son has a 22” Winchester M-70 in 6.5x55 and I have a slew of military guns so I’m leaning towards the handy little carbine. Bearing in mind that there are no velocity requirements, what you do?~Muir
 
Muir
My Reckon is to go with the 17'' scope carbine with a low power scope and use it as an alternative Brush gun , Beats using a 30/30 or something that would be common in your Part of the world ,its nice to be a little leftfield from time to time .(by the way I shoot a shortish barrel 6.5 so am biased )

regards

Kildevil
 
Kildevil: Thanks for the reply and I agree with you. I have several Weaver K2.5X scopes that would be excellent for he task.

Funny about short 6.5's. When I was in college, I worked for a local gunsmith named Bob Webber fitting barrels and such. He was a retired Marine armorer and I had already had considerable experience fitting barrels so we got a long famously. Anyhow, he bought dozens of M-94 Swede carbines at one point and he scoped several of them. A brush gun, right?? Nope. He used it out on the open country for pronghorn antelope! Witnessed kills at 400 yards!! He was a true 6.5x55 fan, may he Rest in Peace.~Muir
 
17" barrel seems too short to me. The 6.5x55 uses slow powder, so in a short barrel, this can be very noisy (slow powder has higher muzzle pressure than faster powder)
Not a problem with a moderator, through.
 
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