Kimber M96 Sporter?

[Colt46]

I've got a 96 Swede that I was thinking of turning into a sporter. However, it might be cheaper to leave as is and pick up an allready completed one. I see 96 kimber's around every once in a while and want to know what the deal is with them. Do they shoot? Price range? Strength(regards to handloading)?
Any help/opinions are welcome,
Thanks

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I bought one (cheap) for the wife about a year ago. Scope mounts are kind of a pain to find for it. Mine has a funky split Weaver type bottom mounted on it. Been considering replacing the entire thing with a single bridge mount one of these days. The safety does get in the way of most any scope I've set on top of it. I've never fired it for an accuracy check, but it does go bang when I have one in the chamber. For what it is, I suppose it's ok. It has a Ram-Line type plastic stock, and for what I have in it I suppose I'm not hurt. I just have other priorities as far as my Swedes these days, and other Swedes I own are my favorites, hence the lack of my devotion to this one.

I'd say if you can get one CHEAP (I paid $US 125 for mine and it appears unfired...maybe there was a reason why) ....and save an original Swede from being cut on....then it might be worthwhile. I can't say enough good about 6.5x55, but remember, it's still a M96 action and it probably, like mine, cocks on closing. Dayton-Traister makes a good trigger/cock on opening conversion, but that's best left to an experienced, competent gunsmith.

If you handload for it, it should present very good accuracy. Just don't try to hot-rod it. It's not a .264 Win Mag and never will be.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[9mmepiphany]

please don't cut up (bubba-rize) a perfectly good swede...that is how they came up with the kimber 96. they are refinished, safety checked and dropped into a sporter stock...they do not come up to the standards of the kimber .22 rifles.

for a sporter, there are barreled actions available. i don't think you'd need to hot-rod the 6.5x55mm. it is the swedish equivalent to our .308/30-06 in that it is used for everything from match shooting to hunting big game (up to moose)

 

[scotjute]

I sporterized one (laminated stock, glass-bedded, shortened barrell, hot-blued, turned bolt, new safety, Leupold rings/scope) and spent about $1200 or so on it. If you have it done, right, it won't come cheap.
A Kimber is a much better bargain, $-wise.
The standard 6.5x55 round has been absolutely devastating on whitetail.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

yeah, before you go chopping up a perfectly nice Swede, remember Century Arms made a sporter model of the Swede from old cracked-stock surplus and put them in new plastic stocks, a new bule job, and IIRC, a scope mount kind of like the old Williams See-Through scope mount. Sure took care of the clearance problem with the bolt handle. I bet you could find one of these floating around in the next big gun show you attend. Should be equal to or (maybe) better than a Kimber Swede job.

Remember, that was the KBI-Kimber company, not the Kimber of today or the Kimber that makes semi-custom rifles today. They were largely a surplus rifle importer/rebuilder, not a true manufacturer.

If you find you absolutely have to get a Swede and rework it yourself, contact Samco-Global and see what they've got in a
broken stocked action. Parts are parts. Please, please don't dismantle a complete old Swede.

Regards,
Rabbit.

"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world
peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until
the looting started..."

 

[BusMaster007]

Even though I'm a Remington enthusiast, if I absolutely HAD to have another 6.5x55 Swedish caliber rifle ( I've got an M96 and an AG-42B), I would seriously look at the Winchester Model 70 Featherweight.
What a beautiful little gun with all the necessary Mauser features.

The next closest, I think, is a Ruger M77 MkII in this caliber. It, too, has similar features to the Mauser action of old.

I have to agree with the others in pleading with you to not change an original Swede.
Good luck on your choices.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Bus brings excellent points. The Winchester M70 in 6.5x55 is excellent, as is the Ruger. CZ also makes one. I've not seen the Remington 700 of which he speaks, but it likewise would be excellent and would handle anything you could safely load without the variable of century-old steel. It negates the problem of mounting optics as well.

Regards,
Rabbit.


There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full. - Henry Kissenger, New York Times Magazine, June 1, 1969.

 

[Edward S]

I have one of the Kimber Rifles with a M4 Leupold on it...very accurate!!
Also, a M38 Husky...started out with a Mint 1896, and just fell in love with the round.
I added a Ruger .264 Win Mag when Ruger made a limited run.... sold the .264 to my Brother, and shoot the Swedes.
I had one of the Ljungman Semi-auto 6.5's....fun, but I could not stand the look of he thing, so sold it to a Good Friend.
I really like handloading the 6.5x55 and EVERY rifle I have had has been a tack driver...
Ed

 

[Baba Louie]

Colt46,
check out SAMCO's barreled 96 action (tho I don't know what condition their "fair" is)

https://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles-sm96.html

Could be a good basis for a build... I dunno. I do know I'd rather buy one of these than chop up a perfectly fine 96 or 38, but that's just me. YMMV

 

[marks6806]

The reworked Kimbers came in all conditions. I bought one with a twisted receiver (?!) which became evident when trying to fit scope bases. Some were really nice. Many were not in 6.5x55. The early 1990's Century Arms stuff was pretty cheesy. I bought one - had a really pathetic plastic stock and a bore that left a little pile of rust by the muzzles when you tapped on it. I bought 4 new 'in the white' M38 swede mauser barrels from Sarco and had a good smith use the Century receiver to build a really nice swede sporter which shoots under 1/2 MOA with handloads even today and is deadly on Whitetail. Anchors them. I still have two of those original ITW swede barrels (24" 7.5 twist). My brother wanted the same thing and sent me a beautiful all matching Gustaf so it went to the smith and used a 2nd barrel. Shoots just like the first one. That was in the 90's. These days I would not spoterize a decent old swede. Kimber's 'sporterizing' activities left us with far fewer original M96's than before. A shame, really.

A Samco barreled action might be OK. Several companies make replacement barrels and synthetic stocks for them. I will sell you one of my M38 barrels if you are interested.

 

[MichaelK]

I bought two back when they were 80$. I decided to sporterize one and left the second original. With a Williams peep sight and a recoil pad, I think I turned it into a rather nice deer rifle.