The pressures in a 7x57 run pretty darn close to a .308. The action can handle the pressure but is a fair weather friend. The action will not be your friend if you chamber it in .308 and try hotrodding the handloads.
The Loewe actions were well made, used good steel (for the era), and their actions are actually of acceptable dimension (ring diameter) for higher-pressure chamberings. However, the alloy content and heat treatments used were somewhat inconsistent, and as a result the action is probably right on the edge of what is considered acceptable for a modern high-pressure chambering.
There are those that will tell you flatly that it cannot be done safely. I would disagree with that; I think that it *can* be done with an acceptable margin of safety given the appropriate action.
IRC the SAAMI max specs for the 7x57 are 35,000psi and for the .308 are 50,000psi. Not quite "close
That was the point I was trying to make. Essentially, you can't unless you're willing to subject it to a battery of tests whose cost is well in excess of that of a new Rem 700 action.The basic problem is how to non destructively determine a “good” M1895 from a “bad” M1895.
Excellent advice.Just enjoy these old actions for their history and craftsmanship.
.I do not know for sure,, but your statement implies an ammunition problem
He examined the box of ammunition, determined that the load data was not “hot”, checked the barrel for obstructions, there were none, and fired the rifle. The upper receiver ring blew off the rifle.
But these pre 1900 guns, metallurgy was a maturing technology, I consider metallurgy fully mature by the time you are in the 1930’s.
Prior to the model 98 action:
There was no safety lug on the back end of the bolt to stop it, if it decided to come out and stick in your head-bone.
There is no stop-ring inside the reciever. to enclose the bolt face & breach like the 98 action.
They didn't handle leaking gas nearly as well, because the planned escape route was not nearly as good as the 98 action.
A just a leaky primer could shoot your eye out!
Just to play devil's advocate as I wouldn't rechamber an old rifle to a new cartridge, especially considering that new cartridges don't always offer any performance gains (example: 6.5x55 to 260 rem, 7x57 to 7mm08), but if one were to look closely at a remington 700, it fails on points 1 and 3 above.