Are there any new rifles made for "old" calibers?

[SprayAndPray]

I´m thinking of 6.5 Jap / 6.5 Carcano / 7x57 Mauser / 7x64 / 7.5x55 Swiss / 303 Brit / 7.7 Jap. I´m sure i missed a few, but unusual oldschool calibers.

Any production rifles being made for these?

The reason I´m asking is I saw Norma is still making brass for these.
How is the performance compared to the common calibers today (for hunting mostly, up to moose size)? Is ballistics when handloaded comparable to todays ammo or is there a good reason most people use other calibers?

Is it hard to get hold of the right bullets? Most of these use a thousand or 2 larger/smaller bullets compared to "new" calibers from what I´ve read.

I think the rimmed ones look exotic. Dont know why.

 

[jkingrph]

Ruger still makes the #1 in 7x57 and I think 6.5x55. Use the right bullet and they are adequate. These are generally loaded to lower pressures and velocities because of the late 19th century rifles they were used in. Metals were not alloyed and treated to be as strong as today. With proper reloads a 7x57 is almost a ballistic twin to the 7mm-08.

Personally, I prefer these old calibers to the new hyer-mega-ultra-mags or whatever you want to call them.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Every now and then Ruger, Remington or Savage will come out with a rifle in 6.5x55 or 7X57. If you check around, you can find one.

However, you can always find rifles in the very best of the "old" calibers -- the 7.62X63mm.

 

[ArmedBear]

7x57 definitely.

Some people consider it to be the best do-it-all hunting round, or tied with the .30-06.

6.5x55 of course, also.

 

[Cosmoline]

With proper reloads a 7x57 is almost a ballistic twin to the 7mm-08.

I'd say with proper handloads out of a No. 1 the 7x57 leaves the 7mm-08 far behind. It can fire up to a 190 grain slug, which in 7mm looks like a crossbow bolt. And it has more capacity.

 

[Hokkmike]

6.5 X 55

 

[silverlance]

id like a remington in 11mm, please.

 

[rcmodel]

Remington began offering the Model 700 Limited Edition "Classic" in a different caliber each year begining in 1981. Model 700 Classic Rifles were offered in the following calibers from 1978 to 1985: .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum. The limited editions began in 1981 through 2005. They are listed below.

1981: 7mm Mauser
1982: .257 Roberts
1983: .300 H&H
1984: .250 Savage
1985: .350 Rem Mag
1986: .264 Win Mag
1987: .338 Win Mag
1988: .35 Whelen
1989: .300 Wby Mag
1990: 25-06
1991: 7mm Wby
1992: .220 Swift
1993: .222 Rem
1994: 6.5x55mm Swedish
1995: .300 Win Mag
1996: .375 H&H Mag
1997: .280 Rem
1998: 8mm Rem Mag
1999: .17 Rem
2000: .223 Rem
2001: 7mm-08 Rem
2002: .221 Rem Fireball
2003: .300 Savage
2004: 8mm Mauser
2005: .308 Win

Ruger has had a similiar program through the years, though not as formalized as Remington's Classic Series.

6.5 Jap / 6.5 Carcano / 7.5x55 Swiss / 303 Brit / 7.7 Jap and a few others are still made because there are millions of surplus rifles in those calibers still in use.


rcmodel

 

[hank327]

I have a Remington Mountain Rifle in 7x57 Mauser that I bought in the early 1990's. I think it was a limited production run in that caliber. I know that US Repeating Arms made limited runs of the Model 70 Featherweight in 7x57 and 6.5x55 Mauser some years ago.

 

[SprayAndPray]

"However, you can always find rifles in the very best of the "old" calibers -- the 7.62X63mm. "

hehe

It would be fun to have one of those oldies (WW1/2 or earlier) in a new rifle.

Which of the oldies is considered the best allround caliber these days?
Is it the 7mm Mauser? Will it fire the same bullets as 7mm mag/7 wsm? Is the .303 brit good?

Which of the old calibers are considered no good and should be avoided? There has got to be at least a few that just didn´t cut it (or maybe other factors that rules them out, like no good bullets available, competing calibers were much better etc).

 

[GunTech]

AKAIK, CZ has never stopped making rifles in many 'old' calibers like 7x57 and 6.5x55.

Of course 30-30 is one of the oldest smokless cartridges, and it's still available. When speaking of transitional BP to smokeless, there's plenty of them too: 45-70 srpings to mind.

 

[EricTheBarbarian]

im still waiting for a remington 700 chambered in 762x54r

 

[mustanger98]

My $.02... H&R makes their HandiRifle, and offers barrels for the SB2 series, in .30-30Winchester. Now, what I wish they'd do is offer a barrel in .303British and 7x57Mauser and maybe a couple of other oldies. Even a barrel for .375Winchester while they're at it with the .38-55, but those aren't old/obsolete military. In any of those cases, I think it's not like it'd take that much extra tooling.

As far as old calibers, I like my 8mmMauser in my K98k just fine. I like my .303British in my No.4Mk2 just fine. Why do I really need a new rifle in those chamberings? I'm not a scope fan and, except for H&R, the new rifles probably mostly wouldn't be offered with sights.

 

[rangerruck]

check Sako , and Tikka as well.

 

[The_Shootist]

Well...

...couldn't find 7x57 under Ruger, Sako or Tika so I checked the following:


http://www.mauser.com/Specifications.67.0.html?&L=1


I presume "all commercially loaded calibers" includes 7x57

If you couldn't get it from Mauser I guess there would be no hope. Bet the rifle is pricey, though

 

[coelacanth]

I think you may have ventured into the realm of. . . .

custom gunsmithing. Some of the factory offerings are produced in the older calibers but most of that kind of thing comes from gunsmiths with custom chamber reamers and good working relationships with barrel makers. Personally I'd love to have a good lever action chambered for the .303 Brit. . Another caliber I'm a real fan of is the 7x30 Waters but good luck waiting for one of those two from a major gun mfgr.

 

[wraith56]

New mass production guns aren't chambered for old calibers.

7X57 isn't old quite yet. Ruger still chambers it.

45-70 is forever young.

 

[SprayAndPray]

"If you couldn't get it from Mauser I guess there would be no hope. Bet the rifle is pricey, though"

I´m guessing probably a couple of grand. I´ve seen mausers go for over 10 grand. A bit out of my league (way way out to be honest).

 

[rr2241tx]

Check CZ and Howa for metric calibers. They're not dead, just not widely imported to the US.

 

[Ash]

EAA imported some Russian Baikal double rifles in 7.62x54r (but only a very small number). I suppose theoretically they are still available.

Ash

 

[foghornl]

I am not familiar with the line of CZ brand rifles, but don't they offer a turnbolt rifle in 7.62x39?

Oh yeah, lever guns in .30-30Win, .35Rem, and .45-70 are still made.

Hmmmm......the .30-06 round has been around for 101+ years. Is anyone making a rifle/carbine now in 7.62x54? It has been around for 112+ years.

Not sure about some of the other "Mil-Surp" cailbres either, like the Carcano/Japanese/Brit rounds.

 

[Cosmoline]

I am not familiar with the line of CZ brand rifles, but don't they offer a turnbolt rifle in 7.62x39?

Yup, and it's a sweet shooter. IIRC it's the 557. My only gripe is it should be a double stack magazine not a single stack. If they made them to accept AK mags the rifle would be perfect.

 

[onemsumba]

CZ 527 carbine is in 7.62 x 39

CZ 550 in 6.5x55 and 9,3 x 62

 

[onemsumba]

CZ 527 carbine is in 7.62 x 39

CZ 550 in 6.5x55 and 9,3 x 62

Sako offerings in

8x57
7x64
6.5x55
9.3x62

 

[.45Guy]

Winchester put out the "Legacy 94" in .38-55 before they went belly up. I looked one over that looked pretty shoddily made, and really over priced.