Rebarrel/rebore a Husqvarna 8mm Sporter?

oppy

oppy

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Hey all,

I'm looking for a "project" for 2016. I happen to have a Husqvarna 8mm Mauser Sporter that I don't use very much (it always seems to play second fiddle to my 98K). I've always had my eye on 6.5x55mm and the thought crossed my mind to rebarrel/rebore the Husky to 6.5x55mm. It would be a bit of a learning project, and perhaps a deer rifle for my teenage son. I've never done something so ambitious; so I thought I would ask here for experiences/opinions on the matter. So, any wise advice from my fellow Gunnutters?
 
You would have to rebarrel it, you can't make the bore diameter smaller by reboring it, you can only rebore to a larger calibre.

That said as much as I love the 6.5x55, there is nothing wrong with the 8x57 for deer hunting, it's a great cartridge. If you want to build a rifle for your son you could just keep it as an 8x57 and put the money into things that might improve performance of the rifle for your son such as an aftermarket trigger, a good scope and mounts, a good recoil pad, bedding the barreled action in the stock (or even restocking it if you are ambitious), and maybe a new safety to allow lower scope mounting.
 
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Thanks for the reply.

I have a fine 98K in 8mm Mauser already and I love it. However, the Mauser action is awesome and it seems "wrong" to let the Husky sit idle, so I was curious about what would be involved to "repurpose" it to a 6.5x55. I misspoke about "rebore", I knew I would have to rebarrel. I just don't know about the effort and cost involved. Is it as simple as a barrel swap?
 
you would need thread the new barrel and chamber it most likely unless you can find a drop in barrel(I know trade ex had some 6.5x55 barrels) you will also need to make sure its has proper headspace then its sights and or drill and trap the receiver for scope mounts.
 
If you are talking about one of the Husqvarna sporter type 96 actions I thing Tradex, one of the banner sponsors has ex military, unissued barrels in stock at a reasonable price. They are supposed to be short chambered but the couple I have picked up were just fine and indexed perfectly when tightened up.

What I don't see is why you want to go to the 6.5x55. It's a fantastic cartridge and I really like it but so is the 8x57 and the ammo loaded up for it by North American commercial manufacturers is loaded to around 38,000 psi which gives it about the same recoil as the 6.5. Your rifle, your choice.
 
to convert it to 6.5x55 properly. is going to run you the same amount of money or more , as to buy a 6.5x55 sporting rifle from tradeexcanada .
 
Could you confirm what action the Husqvarna rifle that you want to rebarrel is. Husqvarna produced some 8x57 rifles on the model 96 action ( which is not as desireable for sporterizing). They also made many rifles on Mauser 98 actions. Many of these have the flag type safety on the bolt, which must be altered to clear a scope. Some of the later 98 action rifles were built on actions bought from FN. These are some of the finest mauser actions you can find. Husqvarna then started making their own actions. Looks like a small ring mauser with a side safety and a hindged floorplate. Early floorplates were steel and later ones were aluminum. These also are very good actions. M96 actions have the small ring thread while the M98 actions have the large ring thread. The Husqvarna 1600 actions have the small ring thread. You need to confirm what action you have BEFORE you go and buy a barrel.
 
Thanks for the input all. CanadaBoy - your suggestion (fix up the existing rifle) was my original plan, but then I got to thinking that a 6.5x55 would be a fine addition to the stable.

Rokoro, so it sounds like (if I were to go ahead with rebarrelling) that I would want a Mauser 98 action and not the 96 action?
 
The 96 is the original action made for the 6.5x55 cartridge. It has different features than the 98 action which was originally made for the 8mm cartridge. So rebarreling the 96 action to 6.5x55 makes it a true swede again.
 
oppy said:
Thanks for the input all. CanadaBoy - your suggestion (fix up the existing rifle) was my original plan, but then I got to thinking that a 6.5x55 would be a fine addition to the stable.

Rokoro, so it sounds like (if I were to go ahead with rebarrelling) that I would want a Mauser 98 action and not the 96 action?
Click to expand...

Either the model 98 or the Husqvarna 1600 would be very desireable. The 96 not so much
 
There is a lot of info on the 96 action not being strong enough for powerful calibers and reloads. When it comes to the 6.5x55, that does not apply. If one looks on the Tradex site there are also some very stout calibers in the 96 action. A non issue.

The real issue is whether you have a great deal of feeling or history with this particular rifle. The simple thing if you have no attachment to the particular rifle is to sell it on the EE. Simply look on the EE, Tradex, or any number of other sources for a rifle configured exactly as you want. Nothing at all wrong with any of your options, IMO, you are over thinking things. Rebarreling would almost certainly be more expensive. If you sell it and buy another rifle in 6.5x55, one could also likely buy a more modern rifle in the caliber, and still have money left over for a optic.
 
Thanks for all the information . I suspect that what I have is a Husqvarna 640 (so large ring 98 mauser) based on what I can gleam from a lot of Googling and picture comparison. So, it sounds like action-wise I'm good for whatever I want.

I get what everyone says about the cost involved, but this is more of a project for my own education/learning. I'm not wanting for rifles to shoot, and I'm interested in a project for the new year. :)

Again, thanks all for the info, it was very helpful.
 
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