finish my swiss k11 308 converted project

[saiga308]

Comparing the length of the barrel shank exposed on your rifle to an original m1911 it looks like the barrel was set back at least and inch, so yes the chamber was reamed to 308 which would have removed the entire original chamber and throat. Original K11 below.

View attachment 802389

The other picture you posted of a similar converted rifle you can see the gap in the inletting of the stock where the barrel was set back. It looks to me like your rifle will have the chamber partially into the thin section of barrel so its safety would be highly questionable to me. Be safe and take care.

i will keep it on the low pressure slow burning powder levels for sure 168 grain max size

 

[saiga308]

heres what i was thinking powder data on the web

168 - 172 grain boat tail - Lake City military cases
41.0gr - 43.0gr BLC(2) - 2360 fps - 2565 fps

data for 308 brass i would - 2 grans for lake city

155 GR. SIE HPBT Hodgdon BL-C(2) .308" 2.775" 45.0 2658 37,500 CUP 48.0 2867 49,600 CUP
165 GR. HDY SP Hodgdon H335 .308" 2.750" 39.0 2432 44,500 CUP 42.0 2608 49,100 CUP
168 GR. SIE HPBT Hodgdon BL-C(2) .308" 2.800" 44.0 2569 39,400 CUP 47.0 2754 50,200 CUP

 

[Random 8]

I think you're in the ballpark with Bl-C2. I've run 46 over a chronograph with a 150 Hornady FMJ loaded in WCC military brass and fell into the same range as WCC M80 ball. I would add either IMR4064 or H/IMR 4895 to your list. Easy powders to find a good load for in .308, and both will tolerate loads somewhat below starting loads and still yield consistent accuracy and velocities, which is probably a prudent approach in your modified K11. Not so with BL-C and W748, they tend to like it near max in my experience. I got interesting (in a bad way) results with H335 in the .308 with 150 grain bullets. Stiff bolt lift and pressure signs a couple grains below max, have not revisited that powder in the 20 years since that experience. FWIW, I now use IMR 4064 for all things milsurp from 6.5x55 123gr to M1 Garand and 7.62x54r. It falls in the sweet spot for most of the 20th century military rounds and it's versatility saves me a lot of space in the loading room. I have yet to find a suitable rifle cartridge that won't shoot it well. Varget could fall into the same niche, but it seems a little harder to ignite with low loading density and data is lacking for some of the more obscure cartridges.

Also re your sticking rounds. I was off grid for the long weekend. I had a similar problem with my .280 after a couple of those nasty Asian lady bugs decided to ride out a winter in the chamber and left some surface rust behind. Mimicked high pressure load heavy bolt lift but no pressure signs on the brass, only light galling indicating scale present. Some JB valve grinding compound on a stepped shotgun chamber mop attached to a cleaning rod section and chucked in a drill solved the problem.

 

[saiga308]

I think you're in the ballpark with Bl-C2. I've run 46 over a chronograph with a 150 Hornady FMJ loaded in WCC military brass and fell into the same range as WCC M80 ball. I would add either IMR4064 or H/IMR 4895 to your list. Easy powders to find a good load for in .308, and both will tolerate loads somewhat below starting loads and still yield consistent accuracy and velocities, which is probably a prudent approach in your modified K11. Not so with BL-C and W748, they tend to like it near max in my experience. I got interesting (in a bad way) results with H335 in the .308 with 150 grain bullets. Stiff bolt lift and pressure signs a couple grains below max, have not revisited that powder in the 20 years since that experience. FWIW, I now use IMR 4064 for all things milsurp from 6.5x55 123gr to M1 Garand and 7.62x54r. It falls in the sweet spot for most of the 20th century military rounds and it's versatility saves me a lot of space in the loading room. I have yet to find a suitable rifle cartridge that won't shoot it well. Varget could fall into the same niche, but it seems a little harder to ignite with low loading density and data is lacking for some of the more obscure cartridges.

Also re your sticking rounds. I was off grid for the long weekend. I had a similar problem with my .280 after a couple of those nasty Asian lady bugs decided to ride out a winter in the chamber and left some surface rust behind. Mimicked high pressure load heavy bolt lift but no pressure signs on the brass, only light galling indicating scale present. Some JB valve grinding compound on a stepped shotgun chamber mop attached to a cleaning rod section and chucked in a drill solved the problem.

i see now

168 gr. SMK, 39.0 gr. (37.0 to 39.0 gr.) IMR 3031, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer
168 gr. SMK, 39.0 gr. (38.5 to 40.5 gr.) IMR 4895, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer
168 gr. SMK, 40.5 gr. (38.5 to 40.5 gr.) IMR 4895, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer
168 gr. SMK, 40.0 gr. (38.0 to 40.0 gr.) H-4895, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer
168 gr. SMK, 40.0 gr. (39.5 to 41.5 gr.) IMR 4064, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer
168 gr. SMK, 43.0 gr. (41.0 to 43.0 gr.) Win 748, LC Match, Fed 210 Primer

 

[jpw062]

Be cautious with these.
I have one.
"long string and a vice" field tested it. Prvi Partisan rounds, which I understand do not push the pressure threshold.
Second shot the bolt was hard to release. Third it was STUCK. Had to slam rifle butt on ground while holding by bolt to clear it. This was about ten years ago. Has been sitting while I try to figure what to do with it since. Found this in a search as to what other much lower pressure cartridges might be possible. Not worth it. I will saw it next time I am at shop.

 

[saiga308]

Be cautious with these.
I have one.
"long string and a vice" field tested it. Prvi Partisan rounds, which I understand do not push the pressure threshold.
Second shot the bolt was hard to release. Third it was STUCK. Had to slam rifle butt on ground while holding by bolt to clear it. This was about ten years ago. Has been sitting while I try to figure what to do with it since. Found this in a search as to what other much lower pressure cartridges might be possible. Not worth it. I will saw it next time I am at shop.

i put over 650 rounds through it so far no issues with lower pressure rounds i been reloading with wc 844 military poder with most of them and it likes 180 grain speer i see they do drop about 12 inchs more then a regular round at about 400 + yards but on the mark

 

[morcey2]

This was thirty years in the future. Anyone remember what a tetrode was used for?

Yep. Use them all the time. I built a JTM45 clone with Shuguang KT66s (think Norinco, but for vacuum tubes) that are beam tetrodes. Sounded absolutely awesome when cranked. Had to bias them a little hotter than normal otherwise they sounded kinda brittle. Had to sell it to cover some medical expenses. My favorite beam tetrode is the 6V6. Makes great sounding guitar amps without killing one's hearing... although 15 watts through an efficient speaker is still extremely loud.

So, yeah, I have multiple really loud hobbies.

That's my totally superfluous tangent for the day. Not a comment on anything else in your post, just answering the question for the youngsters in the audience.

Matt

 

[Slamfire]

Be cautious with these.
I have one.
"long string and a vice" field tested it. Prvi Partisan rounds, which I understand do not push the pressure threshold.
Second shot the bolt was hard to release. Third it was STUCK. Had to slam rifle butt on ground while holding by bolt to clear it. This was about ten years ago. Has been sitting while I try to figure what to do with it since. Found this in a search as to what other much lower pressure cartridges might be possible. Not worth it. I will saw it next time I am at shop.

If there is permanent deformation than the action is toast. If however, all that you did was to "spring" the action, then the rifle is not broken. Normally I would advise using chamber headspace gauges to check headspace. You never did say what rifle you have, I assume it is a K11. And you never did say what cartridge it is chambered in. But, if you reload, cut the amount of powder in the case so pressures are LT 40 Kpsia, these older actions will hold it. I have not loaded that low in the 7.5 Swiss, but I regularly shot a 168 SMK with 39 grs IMR 4895 in a 308 Win, and that is just at 40 Kpsia, and is a very accurate load. It is within the pressure limits of those 1900 era 7mm Mausers that were converted to 308 Win.

Please don't chop up your rifle, if you have no faith in it, part it out. Everyone needs extra extractors, firing pins, rear sights, stock fittings, magazines, etc, etc.

 

[desidog]

i see the grouping of this 308 mauser isnt to bad open sites too time 07:00 mark

That dude is firing 60K PSI factory ammo through a 40K PSI receiver... with bad gas handling. Either he's brave or an idiot; one case head separation would ruin more than his day.

 

[LoonWulf]

That dude is firing 60K PSI factory ammo through a 40K PSI receiver... with bad gas handling. Either he's brave or an idiot; one case head separation would ruin more than his day

It all comes down to how lucky the shooter feels....In all likelihood the thing won't let go. It's pretty rare to read about them going boom (tho there's plenty of times it's happened), and if a person's willing to take that chance....well their face.
But hopefully they tell me, so I can be somewhere else.....

I have a friend who regularly shoots a low serial 1903. He's doing lighter loads now that I gave him an Arisaka and he bought my Bergara 06.
Still makes me cringe a little tho, when those things let got they go all the way.

 

[jpw062]

I have a K11 sporterized barrel front left of receiver marked "308 WIN"
I could download the rifle... But why in the world would I bother? If I was interested in hand-loading for it why would I ever switch from 7.5 Swiss? The idea was to get a cool straight pull rifle in a commonly available US caliber I could hunt with. Why would I keep a rifle around I know is not safe to fire the cartridge for which it is labeled?
I could definitely go to a lot of trouble to make it work, but it isn't worth it. I will keep the gunbroker search for a Mauser m96, 1996 not 1896, open and grab one when it comes up.
If I pass by my gunsmith before I pass by my metal saw I may have him take a look and see what her thinks about a conversion to something else. I wonder if a 357 max is possible...

 

[saiga308]

I have a K11 sporterized barrel front left of receiver marked "308 WIN"
I could download the rifle... But why in the world would I bother? If I was interested in hand-loading for it why would I ever switch from 7.5 Swiss? The idea was to get a cool straight pull rifle in a commonly available US caliber I could hunt with. Why would I keep a rifle around I know is not safe to fire the cartridge for which it is labeled?
I could definitely go to a lot of trouble to make it work, but it isn't worth it. I will keep the gunbroker search for a Mauser m96, 1996 not 1896, open and grab one when it comes up.
If I pass by my gunsmith before I pass by my metal saw I may have him take a look and see what her thinks about a conversion to something else. I wonder if a 357 max is possible...

its the challenge to make it work with 308's to me its a rare odd rifle that make heads turn