Custom rifle input request

[kungfuhippie]

I've drempt up a custom rifle that I'd love to shoot.

Please don't criticize it for cost etc. but instead if this in not possible (and why) etc. Also please don't suggest I buy another gun, especially a k-31.

Basically- I love my steyr m95 stutzen, but dream of it shooting a more common/lighter round. I found while playing with a dummy round that 7.62x54r will chamber and fit in the clips. But got to thinking how easy it'd be to rebarrel it with a barrel chambered in 7.62x54r.

The other thought is to get a .308 barrel and chamber it for 7.62x54r, start loading wildcat (if you can call it that) ammo for it .308 bullets in the russian case.

I know that the steyr m95's are cheap and I can get a Savage in .308 for less...

I love the light weight of the gun, the straight pull design, and the mannlicher clips, so doing this is to make a fun scout rifle that is exactly what I want.

 

[kungfuhippie]

No one even wants to tell me how stupid this idea is?

MY only question is weither the pressure of the 7.62x54r is less than the 8x56r.
Locically, being a lighter round, one would think the russian round would be easy on the Austrian gun.

 

[Jim Watson]

W.H.B. Smith liked the '95 Steyr and said its ammo generated 47,000 psi (would be CUPs now). I am not sure if that was for 8x50R or 8x56R, but either way, I think that is a bit more than 7.62x54R.
A lot of them were converted to 7.92 (8x57) to supplement Mauser rifles, so they strike me as adequately strong for the change.

The 7.62 rim is a bit larger than the 8mm; casehead is close. Donnelly says to make 8x56R by reducing the rim and otherwise reforming 7.62x54R.

You say 7.62x54 will fit the 8.56R clip, magazine, and bolt face, and feed into or at least towards the chamber.

I would say you are good to go. All it will take is time and knowledgeable labor. Your knowledge or your money.

Barrel diameter is not terribly critical. There are a lot of .308" Moisin Nagants out there for .310" bullets. As long as you have the chamber neck and throat to let the larger bullet release and swage down into the bore, you are ok.

I don't know what you mean by "lighter round, though." Such ballistics as I see indicate the 7.62 is usually loaded with a lighter bullet but at higher velocity. That carbine is still going to kick unless you load it down.

 

[kungfuhippie]

By lighter load I mean that shooting my m38 is fun I could shoot 100 rds. without thinking and shooting my m95 means by 20 rds. my shoulder is begginng me to stop. I guess that is what I meant, something I can use for hunting, but lighter than the 8x56r, not a "light round" such as the .223

I've thought about just loading light loads for the steyr, but being able to shoot surplus at the range cheap is a big benefit.

 

[Jim Watson]

What I thought you meant. I still don't think a 7.62x54R is going to kick a whole lot less in that carbine.

Are you set up to do the work yourself?

 

[Oohrah]

If you plan to spend money, don't choose an obsolete cartridge
not manufacted in the in the USA. The rimmed you thought of
are abundant now, will not have a future demand as a sporting
cartridge, and is already dropped for military production. The
.312 8mm is all but a custom deal and .323 8mm are starting to
get scarce. The 303 British is almost strictly sporting that may
not found everywhere. Pretty sure that even with a shortage
now and price increases on everything, the 308 and the 223
will remain available at least in our life time. Also consider if
cases can be formed from another more common case.

 

[Langenator]

The rimmed you thought of
are abundant now...and is already dropped for military production.

Given that Russia still produces the PKM machinegun and SVD marksman's rifle in 7.62x54R, I'd hardly say it's been dropped for military production.

Given the massive numbers of these weapons in circulation around the world, I'd say the 7.62x54R will continue its reign as the oldest serving military cartridge for decades to come.

 

[kungfuhippie]

I have a co-worker who is up for the challenge, he does any custom work you want. From 1-off rock crawling parts to a replacement barrel for my 9mm star. Just buy the metal, bits, etc. and he'll do it. The only "hard part" is that you and he need to research it to death before he attepts anything-alloy used, full detailed drawings, all metal treatment info, etc. so for him to do the barrel blank I'll end up buying the blank, some tools, and a book or two. But he'll get precision to the thousandth if I want and if he's interested in it he often does it for cost, no labor charge. If he wern't so picky I'd take my project elsewhere, and I may anyway if he has too much to do.

Going to a .308 or a .223 would mean redesigning the magazine/clips or single shot only, either way that'd be the end of this project, then I'd just get a new rifle. When I bought my steyr stutzen (not the one I'll be doing this to) I fell in love with it, being left handed the straight bolt is wonderful, the mannlicher clips I like for trail-gun duty and quick reloads without having to worry about magazines getting lost or dirty, and the light weight design is very nice, especially when you'll be hiking more than shooting. A K-31 is too much rifle for what I want this to be. Basically I'm trying to make a straight pull m38 mosin.

 

[Ian]

I used to work with a gunsmith who had made himself an M95 in .405 Winchester...

 

[kungfuhippie]

Ian,
more details if you have any please.

 

[Jim Watson]

Looks like you have the support needed. He can undoubtedly turn a barrel blank to the '95 profile and match the threads.
Clymer, Manson, and PTG all make 7.62x54R chamber reamers and reamerrentals.com rents them for about 1/4 the purchase price. You might have to have a word with the vendor about pilot diameter if you go with a .308" barrel... and I don't know where you would get a .310".

 

[kungfuhippie]

I will be ordering a couple m95/34's. and some barrel blanks then. On a side note, I am waiting for my C&R License to arrive. Would I be within the law to buy a steyr with my license and rebarrel it to the new caliber, or is that a C&R no no?

 

[Red Tornado]

I'm pretty sure once you buy your C&R rifles, you can do whatever you want with them, you just can't dispose of them as C&R. i.e. you'd have to do a FFL01 transfer to whomever would potentially be buying them. Oh yeah, and you can't convert them to full auto.
RT

 

[kungfuhippie]

Thanks, what I figured, I just prefer to stay within the law when it's my butt on the line.

Oh yeah, and you can't convert them to full auto

darn you saw through my posts to my real plans of a full auto bolt action carbine

 

[Essex County]

A few years back Bob White at The Accuracy Corner had a 95 that had a new Douglas barrel chambered for 7.62X54R on his list for 179.00. Having done business with Bob before I called him for it. Sadly, the rifle had been sold a few days before. I snoozed and I lost! Your not crazy at all. I like offbeat myself. Essex

 

[Titus]

Please don't bubba a mil-surp!

 

[kungfuhippie]

If I were to do this in my garage, cut up the stock, and put a scope on it with the help of a dremel or screw on a rubber butt-pad then I'd be guilty of bubbaing a milsurp.

What I'm doing is rebarreling it with a barrel that matches the original profile, uses the original sights (maybe a taller front sight if need be, making no modification to the rest of it. Basically if I keep the old barrel it could be returned to original spec. This is way different from bubbaing a Mauser of Enfield. The only other mod I'd do would be to clean up the trigger if need be, some of these can have a rough pull.

Anyway Austria already bubba'd these up with short barrels, rechambering from 8x50r to 8x56r and re assembling them with a mix of parts.