221 size action, OEM made?

[Nvreloader]

Guys,

I haven't kept up on ALL the OEM rifles made for the smallest cases, 221FB case size,
or smaller with the 223 head size.

There is a 90% possibilty of having a can/silencer installed also,
for ADC work in the hay fields around here.

I know the Rem made some models.

Are there others, I am really thinking hard of a switch bbl for several of my wildcats??

A Single shot or magazine, would work.

Any suggestions or Ideas??

Tia,
Don

 

[Gabe22BR]

My 221 fireball is the same as my 223 action. The mag box has a spacer in it to take up the room. I have since converted it to a single shot.

 

[CatShooter]

Guys,

I haven't kept up on ALL the OEM rifles made for the smallest cases, 221FB case size,
or smaller with the 223 head size.
There is a 90% possibilty of having a can/silencer installed also,
for ADC work in the hay fields around here.
I know the Rem made some models.

Are there others, I am really thinking hard of a switch bbl for several of my wildcats??

A Single shot or magazine, would work.

Any suggestions or Ideas??

Tia,
Don

The Rem 700s in 221 had different bolts, with higher angle ejectors, because the standard ejectors dropped cases back on the magazine - so don't try to convert a 222 or 223, you will be disappointed - CZ makes a great 221 with a smaller action, and they have an excellent reputation for accuracy.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Look at the cz 527, it is a true .223 sized mini Mauser action.

 

[LHSmith]

The Rem 700s in 221 had different bolts, with higher angle ejectors, because the standard ejectors dropped cases back on the magazine - so don't try to convert a 222 or 223, you will be disappointed - CZ makes a great 221 with a smaller action, and they have an excellent reputation for accuracy.

I believe the feed rails are slightly different also....at least my smith charged me extra to open them up.( I went bigger)

 

[germanlongbow]

I built both a 221 fireball and 17 Mach IV off a Remington 700 SA 223 bolt face. Two different actions from Remington. Its true the follower is shorter. I'm not sure about the difference in extractors from 221 FB direct from factory, but neither of mine have any issues with extracting the shell cleanly. I have a buddy who shoots a long list of 223 based sub bores without issues. The CZ's are great rifles. Just hard to beat the stock and trigger options of the Remington actions. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Just my experience is all. Scott

 

[Outrider27]

Since the original firearm chambered for the .221 Fireball was the Remington XP-100 pistol, to the best of my knowledge, an XP-100 action in .221 Fireball, or, with a little tinkering, its parent action, the model 600/660 rifle action, should also be considered.

 

[darrenk75b]

Get one of the model 7 actions being sold originally intended for the 300 BLK. They are a fireball-based action, with the extractor properly located.

 

[wapiti25]

SAKO Vixen is a small action, was sized for the 222 Rem

 

[tjtjwdad]

For the R700, there are some slight differences [mine is a later model] between the SA Fireballs and the STD SA; at least they are on mine. The differences are;

The feed ramps and the bolt face. For the bolt face; here is a link that shows the differences;

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=5&t=407626

I've never figured out what the grooves are for on the front side of the bolt lugs. Mine started life as a 17 Fireball that I converted to 20VT.

 

[flatlander]

I bought a CDL M700 in 17FB several years ago while Zanders was running a sale on the SS fluted bbl version. Bought it specifically to convert to 20VarTarg; it turned out very nice with a Bartlein 5-groove bbl (Bartlein has since stopped making 20 cal bbls). If Lapua had offered 221FB brass before I sold this rifle, I'd probably still own it.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

The Cooper M38 and M21 actions would be the potentially most accurate, being they're single shot actions with no magazine cutout. Being such short actions, they are very stiff and resist torque better than a SA M700 ever will.

My M38's in 22FB and 20VT are two of the most accurate rifles I own, both shoot in the low .2's. Any M700 will require much work to equal that degree of accuracy, at least all mine did.

 

[JohnHenry]

Although currently hard to find and pricey, Kimber of Oregon made a Model 84 repeater that they chambered in 221FB. I have one that was rechambered to 20Vartarg. Accurate rifle, but not as accurate as a single shot Cooper.

 

[Ackman]

I built both a 221 fireball and 17 Mach IV off a Remington 700 SA 223 bolt face. Two different actions from Remington. Its true the follower is shorter. I'm not sure about the difference in extractors from 221 FB direct from factory, but neither of mine have any issues with extracting the shell cleanly. I have a buddy who shoots a long list of 223 based sub bores without issues. The CZ's are great rifles. Just hard to beat the stock and trigger options of the Remington actions. Hope I didn't offend anyone. Just my experience is all. Scott

I've done the same thing. About '94 or so there was an article in Precision Shooting about doing a MachIV Remington. I did one the same way and feeding/extraction/ejection worked fine. A .221 should work at least as well. This is with the std. .223 boltface configuration. The ejector spring was weakened by shortening it, there were no ejection problems..

 

[Rustystud]

Look at a Marsh action.

 

[flatlander]

I bought a sweet little Sako Vixen in 223 back in '71 - was the only factory bolt action I could find in 223 at the time. Still have that rifle, even though it was not quite as accurate as I'd hoped it'd be - not bad, just not quite what you'd call a 'tack-driver'. It'd be great if someone was importing Sako actions like they did back then, when there were a couple of semi-custom rifle makers using then as the basis of their rifles in several varmint chamberings.

'Bout the only alternative today for an action scaled to these smaller cartridges is the CZ527 - I bought a 527 carbine in 7.62x39 as the basis for a 6 RAT build a few years ago. Just happened to get one that had a Turkish walnut stock with some attractive grain, so kept it in that, and used a Krieger 6mm/1-8tw #3 sptr. Turned the shank down to 1.065" to better match the action dia, and finished it at 24". It's a dandy little rifle, but oh how I'd have liked to have found one of the Sako A model repeater actions in 6ppc to base the rifle on.