Can a .204 ruger barrel be rechambered to 20BR?

[Woodman]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but can a 204 ruger barrel be re chambered to 20br? I am looking for a 20br barrel for a factory Remington 700 action but they appear to be non-existant. I can find 204 rugers and wonder of they can be re chambered to 20br? Thanks for any advice. George

 

[Forum Boss]

Yes. Nominal bore diameter for each is .204.

Be aware that the .204 uses a .223 Rem sized bolt-face whereas a 20 BR uses the .308-class of boltface.

So, if you bought a Rem 700 Chambered in .204 Ruger, you would need to purchase a different Bolt, or, alternatively, have the rims of your 20BR brass rebated to fit the smaller bolt-face.

Also, in rechambering, you'll likely give up some barrel length as the 20 BR is actually a shorter case.

 

[Preacher]

A lot will depend on the length of the 204 barrel's shank you plan on using...
A straight no taper will not be a problem, but others might, so check every thing out carefully before jumping into it...
You could also open the 204 bolt up to fit the BR case..

 

[KevinL]

I would just by a 700 with a 243/308 bolt face then by a barl and have it chambered to 20 br.
It will be a custom any way so start with the right parts.
Most 204s come with a 1 in 12 twist brl for a 20br, I think ) you should have at least a 1 in 10 or 9 twist to shoot a bigger bullet! A 40 grner wil shoot at around 4200 fps in a 20 br a 50 will shoot around 3900. A fast twist will let you shoot the bigger bullets.
Good Luck Kevin