Building a Custom Rifle off Colt Sauer Action

[htsmd]

Good evening to all.

Am in the early stages of building a matched pair of rifles in 338 win magnum and 338 Federal. Would like to base the rifles on Colt Sauer actions.

Have acquired a 7mm Rem Mag for the 338 win mag build. Question: will this action hold up to a 250-275 grain bullet? I know the C/S magnum action was chambered for 300 win mag and 300 weatherby mag as well as 458 win mag - but, are all the "magnum" actions the same? Or, are the actions slimmed down or otherwise different for the lighter chamberings?

Pressure is pressure. I feel comfortable the 7mm action can take the 55,000 CUP of the 338 win mag, but what about the rearward recoil of the heavier bullet?

I know about the weakness in the wrist of the C/S stocks. Planning on a totally different stock style, so stock issues are not a problem.

Ditto on the short action. They made them in 22-250, 243, 308. Haven't found one yet, but what if I built off the 22-250 or 243? Could that action stand the recoil of a 160-185 grain bullet from a 308 case?

Anyone with knowledge or leads/redirects would be immensely appreciated.

At this stage of life, I do not need an action blowing up in my face...

Thanks in advance for replies

 

[CYANIDEGENOCIDE]

pressure is handled by the barrel, recoil forces are negligible, what you need to factor is bolt thrust as a function of shear forces transmitted through the locking lugs. I am not trying to comment on your abilities but if you don't understand this you probably shouldn't be attempting this project. If you are hell bent on this I suggest seeking out a competent smith

 

[Horsemany]

I am not trying to comment on your abilities but if you don't understand this you probably shouldn't be attempting this project. If you are hell bent on this I suggest seeking out a competent smith

This is THR keep it friendly. I was under the assumption a gunsmith would be involved and the OP was currently seeking another donor action for the builds.

 

[htsmd]

Yep, understand your post just fine. Respectfully, I believe the barrel does NOT absorb all the pressure. Pressure is a 360 degree - 3 dimensional thingy. That's why there are holes drilled in the receiver to deflect gas when the pressure blows out the primer, or the barrel expands, case splits, and bolt is pushed backward. Did see a photo sometime back at some range where a Colt Sauer had an incorrect cartridge chambered & fired, and it blew the receiver into 3 pieces.

I think the issue here, that I wonder about, is the unusual manner of the rear lugs in the bolt, which are cam'd into a circular channel in the receiver. Read DeHaas' discussion of the Colt Sauer bolt several times, but he just doesn't have anything to say about strength. And, I dont know if the lugs & receiver channel are the same in all/every of the magnum receivers.

No, I'm not doing the gunsmithing, just picking the actions, barrels, designing the stock for the stockmaker to build, etc. Just wasn't enough room in the Title to put the whole story...

Have communicated with a couple of excellent journeyman machinists who are gunsmiths and regular posters to THR. So far, nobody knows the details of any possible variations within each of the 3 actions - the 458, the long action, and the short action. Nor, do they know if the 458 is a different action than the one Colt Sauer used for the 7mm, 300 win, 300 weatherby.

Appreciate your post, and agree about the gunsmith part. Do a little stuff myself, but no CNC lathe in my workshop!! Just hoping to find someone who has some knowledge about this innovative action that has a very high reputation among collectors of fine rifles.

Thanks