Quick question for the gunsmiths. On a M98 Mauser action (Vz24) that is currently chambered in 6.5/06 be set back and re-chambered to 6.5 Creed or 260 Rem.? My friend would like to keep the barrel as it is a shooter but is tired of reloading for it. My advice was just to rebarrel but he is dead set on keeping this barrel if possible and I can verify that rifle does easy 3/4 minute groups with hunting loads.
Set back and re-chamber Mauser barrel
- Thread starter LaMan
- Start date
In practical terms you would have to cut the tenon off and start over.
By the time you shortened the barrel enough to clean up the chamber with the shorter cartridge, the shank will probably be too small. I have never set a barrel back and restored it back to the accuracy it had when new. Being a 6.5-06, accurate life will be 1000 rounds or less. It is ballistically identical to the 6.5-284. When I build one for a customer, I tell them to buy 1000 bullets, and 200 cases. When the bullets are gone, pitch the cases and the barrel. Shoot it, enjoy it, then replace it.
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
Geez Walt I thought i finally made up my mind to use a 6.5 barrel i have for a 6.5/06.
mabie i better go back to original plan-260 Rem— Or mabie Not
When the 6.5/284 1000 yard craze was going on people Assumed it was more inherently accurate than 6.5/06 -or i guess they did- what do you think?—- Thanks Much
mabie i better go back to original plan-260 Rem— Or mabie Not
When the 6.5/284 1000 yard craze was going on people Assumed it was more inherently accurate than 6.5/06 -or i guess they did- what do you think?—- Thanks Much
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jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
What profile is the barrel.?
I know it's a Douglas premium probably a standard contour I'd say a no. 4.
SBS
Gold $$ Contributor
Sounds like your friend is a hunter, doesn't like to reload and likely doesn't shoot a lot. Another clue is that it is a sporter barrel. The 6.5 CM is the best bet if you can make it feed through the action. The case has less taper and will clean up a 6.5-06 chamber after cutting off the tenon. Compared to .260 Rem., factory 6.5 CM ammo is much more available with more options and generally more accurate (big considerations since no longer handloading). Should be a pretty straight forward job for a good riflesmith.
1. As Dave T. said above, cut off the whole tenon, usually .625 on LR mausers. Might have to take a little more off to get a completely new throat, but Douglas contours have a pretty long straight cylinder on the breech end. In a worst case scenario, mausers were originally made to headspace on the inside shoulder, so an outside shoulder is not actually necessary.
2. Rethread on centerline of bore and rechamber, making sure to get a clean, fresh throat.
3. Touch up the crown.
4. Wouldn't worry about barrel life, hunters seldom wear barrels out - they are usually ruined by poor or no maintenance. If they take care of them, hunters can get more accurate rounds out of barrels since they don't shoot long strings of fire with a hot barrel.
5. As far as accuracy goes, since 3/4" is acceptable for his use, no reason to think it would be significantly different when rechambered. He may have to try several different brands/weights since he will be at the mercy of factory loads. I won a number of 600 and 1K prone matches with a 6.5-284 rechambered from a 6.5x47L. Made my grandson a sporter out of an older Krieger takeoff 6.5-284 match barrel that had over 1800 rounds through it. Cut off 6" at the breech end, recontoured it and chambered it in 6.5x55 (on a 98) Shoots about 5/8" 3 shot groups, plenty good enough for our deer hunting.
Don't discount the feeding issue without checking it out. Mausers are made with integral feed rails machined into the sides of the receiver and they were made for the taper of the 8mm Mauser case. which is similar to the .30-06 case. However cases with less taper (and shorter) sometimes require work to make them feed properly. Also, he will have some extra space in his barrel channel from the barrel being set back, if cosmetics is an issue.
1. As Dave T. said above, cut off the whole tenon, usually .625 on LR mausers. Might have to take a little more off to get a completely new throat, but Douglas contours have a pretty long straight cylinder on the breech end. In a worst case scenario, mausers were originally made to headspace on the inside shoulder, so an outside shoulder is not actually necessary.
2. Rethread on centerline of bore and rechamber, making sure to get a clean, fresh throat.
3. Touch up the crown.
4. Wouldn't worry about barrel life, hunters seldom wear barrels out - they are usually ruined by poor or no maintenance. If they take care of them, hunters can get more accurate rounds out of barrels since they don't shoot long strings of fire with a hot barrel.
5. As far as accuracy goes, since 3/4" is acceptable for his use, no reason to think it would be significantly different when rechambered. He may have to try several different brands/weights since he will be at the mercy of factory loads. I won a number of 600 and 1K prone matches with a 6.5-284 rechambered from a 6.5x47L. Made my grandson a sporter out of an older Krieger takeoff 6.5-284 match barrel that had over 1800 rounds through it. Cut off 6" at the breech end, recontoured it and chambered it in 6.5x55 (on a 98) Shoots about 5/8" 3 shot groups, plenty good enough for our deer hunting.
Don't discount the feeding issue without checking it out. Mausers are made with integral feed rails machined into the sides of the receiver and they were made for the taper of the 8mm Mauser case. which is similar to the .30-06 case. However cases with less taper (and shorter) sometimes require work to make them feed properly. Also, he will have some extra space in his barrel channel from the barrel being set back, if cosmetics is an issue.
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