AR Build in 35 Remington? Could it be Done?

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35Remfan

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Ok, I got the idea from "Rail" in his thread "AR build in 30-30".

But it got me thinking that the 35 Remington has a semi-rim and so it is not handicapped like the 30-30 in trying to adapt it to the AR platform to it.

Would the 35 Remington work in an AR platform? I don't really have an answer as to why it is necessary other than the previous thread by Rail was in my mind a cool idea.

A couple of reasons I would like the idea is I love the 35 Remington. It is a real thumper on deer. Brass is easy to find (not as cheap for sure as 30-30 but still reasonable). Factory rounds are easy to find as well.

This is just a what-if I could thread. I am not looking for other cartridges that I know to be "better" or more reasonable or whatever. Just wondering COULD it be done not whether it SHOULD be done.
 
I guess if it will fit in the magazine it could be made to work. I never thought that .35 Rem. brass was easy to find. I find it just the opposite.
 
The Remington Model 8 worked for the .35 Rem and .300 Savage so there's a good chance you could make it work in the AR308 platform assuming there was enough gas to operate the action. The .450 Bushmaster has similar pressure and ballistics to the .35 Rem but it only has to move an AR15 bolt carrier. Interesting concept.
 
I wish I lived in your world...I'd love for 35 Rem brass to be easy to find ;)

While an empty piece of 35Rem brass has no problem fitting in an AR mag, there certainly isn't much room left for a bullet. I believe standard AR mags will accept up to 2.250". However, most 35Rem chambers are cut so that you really don't want to go shorter than 2.51" or so COL (this is just my understanding from my research; I could be off a little) because you'd be too far off the lands to get good groups.

Maybe you could come up with a round that is based off the 35Rem where you just trim the case back, but then you run into neck-tension issues. May as well go with 450 Bushmaster or 50 Beowulf; brass would be easier to find anyway!
 
I think you could have a pristine Remington model 8 for far less money than any kind of one of custom AR.

Unless you are married to shooting deer with a one-of AR15. Thats probably the more realistic route.

*Edit to add*

I see that Remington model 8s with the vintage 15 round mags are selling at around $1800 in nice shape. Still cheaper, and extended capacity for you.
 
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When Rail's thread was closed a minute before my reply, I pm'd him.

First, DPMS now makes a GII model which is a downsized .308 platform that weighs 7.25 pounds and is similar in size to the AR15 except in mag well capacity.

Second, magazines are the real issue, and building a working rifle from the magazine up is more important that whatever custom bolt locks up into the barrel extension and chamber. Those parts aren't hard to come by. Barrel and bolt makers abound. Custom one off magazine manufacturers that can get it right the first time, not so much. If the round can't be presented in the feed lips at the right angles, etc, then the project will fail before the round even gets chambered. It won't.

It might not require an "AR10," but definitely will require a mag well that can accept longer length cartridges. And what you fit into the mag well will make or break the effort. It's exactly the problem faced with the 7.62x39 conversion in the AR15. It's a tapered cartridge, curved magazine requirement getting inserted into a straight mag well. It's significant there are no AK's with magazine wells - they are all flat bottoms. And it's also significant that the 7.62x39 in an AR15 user base is more than ready to admit that reliable magazines are the major stumbling block for their project guns. So much they coined the term "frankenmag" to describe the difficulty of the problem.

Despite all the naysayers in the .30-30 thread, if you throw enough money at it, you can make it work. The AK ammo in an AR crowd did it. The reality is that a lot of those conversions spend a great deal more money for little ballistic advantage.

The better choice would be to tackle the solution with what range, what target? That determines if there is an existing cartridge that can fill the need, and builds the gun that fits the job. Going about it the other way is like saying "Can I put a Cadillac motor in a VW?" Yes, you can, and that is where the chorus of "Why bother?" starts up.

In my particular instance, I saw the grouping of cartridges that the AR15 mag well is limited to as being a circumstance where you pick out the best overall for the job intended. Since that was a hunting rifle that would target live game out to 300 yards, the 6.8SPC fit the bill. All I had to do was build it from existing parts available for sale.

In the opposite vein, I've thought the Win 94 lever action would be outstanding in 6.8. Working around the spitzer bullets would be the challenge, a spiral feed tube magazine would solve it. Alas, we will likely never see it, as the market wouldn't even support sales in .30-30. Oh well.
 
A BLR uses a box mag. You could build a 6.8 BLR much easier than a 94.
 
Yes, and ironically, the BLR is also an alloy receiver with a barrel extension screwed on just like an AR15. Since I have a '64 Win Saddle Ring in .30-30, I decided to keep it because I can find ammo on the shelf, even in this panic.

Right next to the 6.8.
 
crazysccrmd said:
http://68forums.com/forums/showthread.php?44732-358MGP-The-Mid-Bore-Hammer-!!

That might interest you.
Click to expand...

Just going to put this out there again. This 6.8 based wildcat almost exactly duplicates the 35Rem performance. Hornady 35Rem 200gr FTX at 2225fps (24") compared to the 358MGP 200gr FTX at 2130fps (16.5"). Sounds like an easier answer to the OPs question than a custom one off AR10 based rifle.

Another link with compiled info on the 358MGP. http://www.msrhunt.com/post/358-mgp-6792930
 
crazysccrmd said:
Just going to put this out there again. This 6.8 based wildcat almost exactly duplicates the 35Rem performance. Hornady 35Rem 200gr FTX at 2225fps (24") compared to the 358MGP 200gr FTX at 2130fps (16.5"). Sounds like an easier answer to the OPs question than a custom one off AR10 based rifle.
Click to expand...

The 358 MGP sounds interesting but it doesn't offer much of anything over the .450 Bushmaster and the 250gr FTX at 2,200 fps. Bullet drop is virtually the same out to 300 yards with the .450 BM having 24% more energy at 100 yards, 16% more at 150 yards, and basically the same energy at 200, 250 and 300 yards. The only advantage I can see is magazine capacity (a non issue for hunting) and more efficient use of powder.

My apologies to the OP who clearly stated ....

35Remfan said:
This is just a what-if I could thread. I am not looking for other cartridges that I know to be "better" or more reasonable or whatever. Just wondering COULD it be done not whether it SHOULD be done.
Click to expand...
 
I've got a .358 WSSM AR upper. Works great, and I believe would have more whack than a .35 Rem. About the most powder you can fit in an AR mag.
 
Tirod said:
In the opposite vein, I've thought the Win 94 lever action would be outstanding in 6.8. Working around the spitzer bullets would be the challenge, a spiral feed tube magazine would solve it. Alas, we will likely never see it, as the market wouldn't even support sales in .30-30. Oh well.
Click to expand...

I think a CZ-527 Carbine in 6.8 or especially 6.5 Grendel would be a really cool combination, but it remains to be seen whether or not those rounds will really take off. But I hope they do. I think cartridges in that power range have a lot going for them as medium sized deer rounds.

And back on topic, from my recollections, the 35 Remington (rimless) is close enough in size to .308 class rounds that I think it could be made to work in an AR-10 platform. It'd maybe be a custom one-off thing as far as the barrel goes and maybe some tweeking to make the magazine work, but it sounds workable.

If the original poster tries this out, I'd like to hear about the result.
 
It won't fit in an AR-15. And if you're going to use an AR-10 you might as well build one in .358 winchester.
 
The 6.5 Gredel is probably where I will go once I finally get an AR-15. Just my opinion but it is the best option in the AR-15 for hunting deer and black bear. I could change uppers and have the 223 for everything smaller.
 
Redneck2 Never heard of the 358 wssm until you brought it up. Just starting to look at the ballistics and they are interesting.

What about reliability issues in the AR-15 format? Anyways great point to ponder. I like the looks of the carrtiage.
 
I got my upper from Dedicated Technologies. Function is flawless. Shoots 3 into sub 1/2". Gives better performance than the .35 Remington and already available. After my deer hunting buddy shot mine, he ordered his for this past season. I make my cases from .25 WSSM brass
 
I have a .25 wssm upper I don't have a lot of round thru it but it doesn't seem to have reliability issues.
 
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