6.5x57AI reamer

[1000yardstare]

Just got my 6mm Super LR reamer and headspace gauge from the good folks at PTG. At the end of this season my 30 inch 6AI barrel should be toasted in the throat. Will have MacLennon cut 2 inches off the chamber end and rechamber for the 6SLR.

This will leave me with a whack of 6AI brass. Ran a 6.5 expander mandrel down the neck of a 6AI and wound up with a perfect 6.5x57AI.

Asked the good folks in Oregon to send me a print of a 6.5AI reamer if such exists. They e-mailed me the reamer designed by Robert Mallory and drawn up by Dave Kiff as print # 5927. Great service from those folks as usual. Will probably order the reamer in the Fall.

Sometime this coming Winter I will catch MacLennon in a batch of 6.5 barrels and send him the 6.5AI reamer along with a Savage action and ask him to fit a 30 inch 8 twist lead lapped barrel.

Will start a new thread in the Spring of 2011 describing bench rest and F Class practise results.

 

[markr]

I have a rifle in that caliber built by P.O. Ackley himself. Mine is designated a 6.5X257 Roberts Ackley improved...but the brass is better formed by simply necking down 7X57 and fireforming.
That is a terrific round, it should please you very much!
Mark

 

[1000yardstare]

markr, great stuff. You actually knew the great P.O. himself.

For sake of comparison, I asked PTG to send me the print of the 6.5/257AI. The good folks in Oregon e-mailed me Kiff print # 12371, design by Ron Romines.

I see some minor variations between the Mallory 6.5x57AI and the Romines 6.5/257AI such as neck diameter and neck length but this may be due to make of brass. There are also many other minor length differences up and down the reamer.

Redding tells me that they have made 6.5/257AI dies but not 6.5x57AI dies. From the two Kiff prints I can see why Redding considers them to be similar but different cartridges.

Now I have to compare my 6AI cases to the two Kiff prints to determine which one it resembles.

 

[ktoney]

what you need is a 6.5GAP

Gap has reamer and redding dies on hand

thou mainly run as 6mm crusader

very tempting but for now i have made a decision to stay with x47

but if it dont work out ie 2950fps and match accuracy then rechamber to 6.5GAP

 

[1000yardstare]

KToney, from what I can gather on various web sites, the 6.5 GAP and its brother the 6mm Crusader are just variations on the 6.5AI and 6AI to allow smoother feeding in an AR10 platform.

My 6.5x57AI project will be single fed in a Savage action. Slam feeding throw a semi-auto is not a consideration.

But thanks for the interest and info.

Bill

 

[ktoney]

Nope not for AR

bolt action only, perhaps we are talking about 2 different things

60gr H2O cap

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1917980&page=1

light reading for ya

good luck

 

[1000yardstare]

Seems to be conflicting info on the same web site re 6.5 Gap, 6mm Crusader. Can only assume that the posters have some knowledge of which they talk.

Check it out at http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showthreaded&Number=1331559

 

[1000yardstare]

2644, I look forward to seeing your 6.5AI. Post away.

Bill

 

[2644ever]

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/1651/65x55impi.jpg
http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/3140/65x57impii.jpg

from left to right:
.257 Rbts, 6.5x57 Mauser, 6.5x57 Imp, .260 Rem

 

[ktoney]

Bolt action tact rifles are not single shots

most use badger DBM

hence ref to mag length, max they can run thru box

bottom line
GAP has reamer and dies on hand