Author Topic: 6.5X55 Action (Read 1557 times)

razmuz · « **on:** January 27, 2005, 01:57:28 PM »

Anybody know where a 6.5X55 action can be bought? I'm talking about an action made specifically for that caliber.

MGMorden · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2005, 02:24:32 PM »

I don't really know if there is such a thing. Even the good ol' Swedish Mauser is a small ring Mauser originally meant for 7x57 Mauser. Maybe the Norweigan Krag. Don't know if the Krag-Jorgensen was made for 6.5x55 orginally or .30-40 Krag.

Might I ask, why do you want one specifically made for 6.5x55? Most actions these days aren't really made with any specific round in mind (it's just not economical for a manufacturer). They're mostly just made in "classes". Short action. Short magnum action. Long action. Long action magnum, etc. Any action made for regular long action rounds (like .270, .30-06, etc) should be perfect for a 6.5x55 chambering.

springer222 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2005, 04:34:58 PM »

http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.htm#m96

gunnut69 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 27, 2005, 07:53:49 PM »

Actually what MGMorden said is right and it's worng too.... The mauser M96 is simply an improved M95. Bit better gas handling, anti bind bump, etc. But and a big one it is... they were made expecially for the original caliber. They biggest difference in the feed rails.. The bumps that retain the rounds in the magazine. The difference is small and likely inconsequencial but it is there. The biggest difference in the M96 and the other small rings is metalurgy. I believe the steel at leaast that in the Swedish mafe M96's is better than the mausers. Be very fareful though as mauser made some of the M96 themselves so once again generalities fail us. I have several swedes and find them very useful and accurate rifles. As with all rifles I don't believe in hotrodding a caliber. If you want the extra power, get a larger round. That said I will once again restate,, The M96 and earlier actions lack the gas handling refinements of the 98. A pierced primer or blown case is very likely to damage the shooter.. much more so than with the M98..

Tom H. · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2005, 04:00:52 PM »

I agree with Gunnut, I had a case fail in my 96 and ended up getitng a face full of hot gas (unpleasant). I wear glasses which were adequate protection for my eyes but I was actually bleeding around my cheek and on my lip.
It was a "J" split where the rim separates from the case (military ammo).

The last 6.5 I built was on a yugo 48 action and I couldn't be happier, although I have a 98A that is waiting to become a fullstock 6.5
MAybe :lol:

Tom

longgun · « **Reply #5 on:** January 31, 2005, 10:15:17 PM »

With actions with push feed operation like the Remington 700 there is a problem with the 6.5 X 55. This is due to the different case head size. The case head size for 308 bolt face is .471" and for the 6.5 X 55 it is a little larger. Most remington 700's will feed ok with new 6.5 brass but if the case head swells just a little it is difficult to remove from the extractor and if reloaded may not work with the bolt again. To solve this several folks I know who use the remington 700 action have the bolts fitted with a Sako extractor and have the bolt face opened enough to fit the 6.5X55 brass. Either that or buy a Tikka or Sako chambered for the 6.5X55. However these are hard to find in the USA these days. Don

gunnut69 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2005, 12:26:28 PM »

It was my understanding that Swedish ammo made by US companies used the 308 standard case head diameter. In anycase I haven't measured so can't say for sure. That's the first I've heard of a problem with the 700 action and the swedish round.. It sounds fairly plausable but I don't particularly care for the addition of the M16/Sako extractor to the 700 bolt face.. It defeats a major safety feature of the M700, the enclosed casehead, and the gas handling characteristics of the action will be altered to it's detriment. Since Remington only chambers the 260 perhaps that's the reason. I thought the 700 had been chambered in 6.5x55? There certainly are plenty around the steel shooters world..

PS-I went to BigGreens website and sure enough they have made the 700 in a 6.5x55 caliber. They may have had problems but I'd bet the problems weren't with caliber selection but the cheezy remington extractor sticking.. I've some across several and have fixed them with varying degrees of difficulty..

longgun · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2005, 03:20:01 PM »

Gunnut, Winchester is the only US mfg of 6.5 X 55 brass that I have used. It is a little larger than the 308 brass head size. However when you use Lapua and other European made brass the case head is even larger. Infact if one handloads he will have to purchase a different shell holder to load 6.5 sweed ammo. The problem is not with the Remington extractor ( it is very good). The problem is the actual bolt face size of the bolt that is the problem. More steel shooters are using the Tikka and Sako rifles when they can find one. Several 700s are around but I would venture that most if not all have had the extractor mod.

There is nothing wrong with the Sako extractor, How many million Sako & Tikka rifles have been produced, and all have the sako extractor. If there was a weakness in the extractor Sako would have gone to something else many years ago. The only weakness I have encountered with the Sako extractor is if you get a load hot enough to push the primer back it will break the claw off the extractor.......... But it will also do that on the Remongton 700 extractor too.

I've heard horrow stories about Sako extractors but no one can produce a name of anyone who has actually been hurt by one. If someone loads a round hot enough to blow the extractor out of a gun......He has major problems which has probably ruined his action and had other pieces of metal flying also. Sorry about the rant, but this is one of my pet peaves.
don

gunnut69 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2005, 08:23:46 PM »

I had not noticed any difficulty reloading for the Swede.. I have loaded many hundreds of rounds for several remodeled M96's and a couple of Winchester Featherweights. I measured a few rounds of 6.5x55 of american make and the cases were very consistantly .4735 to .474,, That's only 3 thousandths (.003) inch larger than the .471 you attributed to the 308. I checked a few rounds of Norma 6.5x55 and they were averaging .478.. That's around .007 inch larger than the 308 which is still small indeed. I would also point out to you that remington made the M700 in 6.5x55 in 1994 and perhaps other years. I have known of no one having difficultly reloading for the 6.5x55 in any rifle although I have heard that the Norma cases require a seperate shell holder. The Remington extractor may be a bit picky about the casehead diameter but seriously doubt that such a minor difference in diameter would cause a problem.
My main objection to the Sako extractor is simple. It breaches the Remington gas handling system. No longer is the case sealed behind the '3 rings of steel'. The 700 is not really designed to handle escaping gas from a sako extractor cut and if the case breeches that's where it will leak. I have no problem at all with the sako extractor at all in a sako but find that altering a rifle without cause and possible creating a danger to the shooter is unacceptable. The 700 remington will contain case pressures that will indeed damage other rifles. A remington will hold pressures that would well and thoroughly wreck a mauser and M70's and the 54's are notoriously poor in handling leaaking high pressure gasses. Just to check, I'll try some remington bolts tommorrow and see if they will handle the Swedish case. My bet is that there will be no problems..

Johnly · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2005, 06:24:24 AM »

My 6.5x55 is built on a pre-64 M70 action and it works like a charm with Laupa brass and no modification to the boltface. From an action length standpoint, the M70 long action(30-06) is a perfect fit for the 6.5x55.

John in Oregon