Remington 7600 - caliber change?

[hq]

To make a long story short, I've been looking for a 7600 for a few months now. Used ones are surprisingly expensive (especially compared to what they go for in the US) and the only model readily available new locally is rifle-length synthetic .308.

What I really want is walnut or laminate .30-06.

Stock and forend are easy enough to change, but I'm still a bit confused about what's required for changing the caliber, especially when .30-06 is a fair bit longer than .308. Magazine and magazine catch are a given, of course, but am I correct assuming that simply having a gunsmith rechamber the barrel with a .30-06 reamer and headspacing it accordingly would suffice? Action length should be identical for both and shorter .308-based magazines use filler blocks, .30-06-based ones don't.

Otherwise the small(ish) difference between the two calibers wouldn't really matter, but what I have in mind is getting a spare barrel extension from Lumley and having a 9.3x62 barrel installed for easy switch-caliber capability. The bolt head and cartridge length are interchangeable with .30-06 so that's a really tempting option for hunts that require a bit more punch than smaller caliber can deliver. Or, alternatively, a .25-06 or .270 barrels for longer shots on smaller game.

Getting a .30-06 to start with would solve this problem, but the amount of red tape involved in importing one is almost prohibitive compared to just buying a .308 and having a gunsmith convert it locally.

 

[Laphroaig]

hq,

Thanks for the education! I never knew such a device existed (Lumley bracket). It certainly opens up a new dimension for 7600's.

But I do agree with you that the difference between the .308 and 30-06 is small(ish). Is it really worth the trouble and expense to rechamber a rifle for such a minor improvement?

Laphroaig

 

[hq]

Like I said, stepping up from .308 to .30-06 isn't really worth it by itself, but the possibility to easily switch to 9.3x62 for moose, bear and even some of the big5 is awfully tempting. The case length of .30-06 is 2.494" (63.3mm vs. 62mm on 9.3) and rim diameter .473" (12.0mm vs. 11.9mm on 9.3), which make them an ideal switch barrel pair.

.358Win might be an option (in .308 length calibers) but 9.3x62 has a 42% larger case capacity, meaning that it can push 290gr bullets to approximately 150fps higher velocities than a .358 can 250-grainers. That's a huge difference and a major factor for me to consider a 7600 in the first place.

 

[Kp321]

Re chambering a 308 to 30-06 will work but the fired brass will have a step at the end of the original 308 chamber. The 308 has less taper than the 30-06 so the case diameter at the shoulder is fatter and the 30-06 reamer will not clean the old chamber. This will not cause any safety issues but could lead to early case failure if you reload. If you don't plan to reload the 30-06, go for it.

 

[hq]

Thanks, Kp321. I do reload but I tend to stay with once (or maybe twice) fired brass so a slight step in chamber shouldn't cause problems. Selling the .308 barrel from a new gun and having a .30-06 made from a Krieger blank is also an option.

However, the main question is whether a factory .308 7600 can be modified to .30-06 length caliber by rechambering/switching the barrel and changing the magazine, or is there something else, expensive or labor-intensive involved. I've done some basic research (parts diagrams and spare parts catalogs) and the only caliber-specific parts seem to be barrel, magazine and magazine latch, and now I'm trying to find out if a caliber swap to different length cartridges is really that simple.

I really hope it is...

 

[hq]

Come on. Even though 760/7600 is a fairly cheap rifle there must be somebody who has switched caliber from short cartridge to a long one or vice versa.

Anyone? Any tips and hints where to find this information? I've already googled extensively but come across nothing definitive. Even pointers to a right direction are highly appreciated.

 

[Laphroaig]

hq,

I'd try asking Lumley. There is a "contact us" option on their site.

The only thing I know for sure is that there is only 1 action length for current 7600 rifles. So it appears to me that it should not be a problem.

Laphroaig

 

[hq]

Thanks, Laphroaig, that might be a good idea. Finding gunsmiths who have done any significant mods to a 7600 has been difficult so far.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Is the receiver long enough for the 30-06? If Remington hasn't changed the receiver dimensions, it may well be possible (provided a magazine may be found). Then it would be a matter of fitting a new barrel or even cheaper, sleeving the existing barrel and then re-chambering it.

 

[BBBBill]

As reasonably common as the 760/7600 is, it is not a gun that would appeal to customizers. Pretty much an every man's gun. Good luck with your project.

 

[hq]

Fortunately the receiver is identical on all models. That much I managed to find out, mainly because of a number of people have been cursing the .243, .260 and .308 having an excessively long stroke (same as .270, .30-06, .35Whelen etc.) for the length of the cartridge.

Sometimes common "every man's guns" are popular starting points for all kinds of custom projects, but that doesn't seem to be the case with 7600. Being the only common, mid-priced centerfire pump rifle of recent years - or even decades - may have something to do with it. It definitely fills a niche, offering fast second/third shots on driven hunts where semiautos are banned. Not to mention reasonable medium-range accuracy potential, too.

I'll just have to wait and see what people at Lumley have to say before I rush to buy one in .308. I may well end up being in market for a second-hand .30-06 fixer upper...

 

[BBBBill]

Yes. Not suggesting that it won't be a good project. Just that it, for some reason, has not (until recently) been a popular choice for modification. It does seem to have developed a small niche for itself. I'm all for that. Variety is the spice.....

http://www.remington7400.com/Remington_7600_Barrel_Conversions_Replacements.php

 

[frankenstein406]

Why don't you just do a 308 ai? Unless you are going to 35 whelen I don't really see the benefit in going to 3006.

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

You are from Finland why not buy a Tikka???

 

[hq]

I've been drooling after Accuracy Systems' barrels but for what they'd set me back, I might as well get a second-hand Krieghoff Semprio, which I can't really afford right now. And, frankenstein406: you're exactly on the right track. What I'm really after is a 9.3x62, a 10rd magazine full of of hot 290-300gr, 3500ft-lb+ loads and a couple of spare magazines in my pocket; just the ticket for driven wild boar hunts when you need lots of stopping power as well as ability to make several aimed shots in just a few seconds when they pass you by at full speed. .30-06 is just a starting point and, interestingly enough, very close to 9.3x62 as far as cartridge dimensions are concerned.

CarJunkieLS1: Tikkas are very nice and excellent value, but hunts like these strongly favor a pump gun. In January I did one hunt with a bolt rifle (.375H&H, 3+1 fixed mag) and missed more than one trophy keiler while reloading and trying to work the long action as fast as I could. Last weekend I thought I had learned my lesson, brought a lever gun and realized that 250yd is way beyond the practical reach of .45-70. Some drives take place in fairly thick woods and you only have a few seconds to take 3-5 or even more shots, some on open fields where shots will be taken at fairly extreme distances. Frankly, once I shoulder the gun I like to keep it shouldered and both hands on it at all times; when things start to happen in a driven hunt, they tend to happen quickly and if you miss the opportunity, you'll spend another hour or two waiting for something else to show up.

Semiautos are unfortunately out of the question so pump is probably the next best thing.

 

[X-Rap]

I'm pretty sure a 30-06 barrel will be a direct swap.
I'm not home right now or I would try it and see, it will be the end of the month before i could try.
Check Numrich and see if they have any available. I got a 308 Carbine barrel from them.
I only have 760's but if you stick with 7600 parts you should be alright. I don't know what changes there are between the 760 & 7600.

 

[hdbiker]

Seems to me the trouble is not worth the small % gain in performance and having to buy new magazines. hdbiker

 

[Sunray]

"...30-06 is a fair bit longer than .308..." Half an inch. Ballistically identical with like bullet weights.
Measure the ejection port or try putting an empty .30-06 case into it. If it fits with no fuss you're fine. The mags are not the same though. And there are different styles.