autocrash
CGN Regular
Hey all,
Finally got some down time from new-fathering (think it's more tiring for my wife than me...) and work (not by choice, my employer went out of business... long story).
My plan is to take a long action Savage 116 in .223 and turn it into a cheap, accurate, .308 rifle.
Why not keep it .223 you ask?
1 - Already set up to reload .308 for my M14/305
2 - I like a challenge, and
3 - That'd just make sense...
So pursuant to this, I have purchased a take off .308 barrel from EE, and have taken off the existing barrel:
Now how does one do this in a ghetto-cheap build such as mine? With only the finest automotive tools and home made barrel vise known to man:
(Extra ghetto points - the hinge edge was exactly the right thickness to fit in the bolt shroud slot (old-style), although judging by the marks on the shroud already, someone used an ill-fitting screwdriver prior to my perfectly sized hinge...)
*Missing pic of barrel vise, it's just a couple of pieces of 2x4 wrapped in wire set in my bench vise... worked bloody well too..
FWIW, the barrel came off with not a scratch either.. I think it only turned once in my blocks...
So now, I'm looking at my magazine box, and it certainly appears to be the same dimensions as a .308 box, but with a spacer placed at the back of the box:
Comparing the boxes here:
So... has anyone ever taken the spacer out of the back of the box... is it worth it? should I try and trade with someone for the appropriate box? I am going to try and trade out the barrel and bolt head for an appropriate bolt head... should I add a magazine to the trade arrangements?
It certainly looks like with some minor tweaking and possibly a new follower, it'd work...
Any advice/hints/tips/tricks/abuse welcome!
Matt
(also, this is a continuation of: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?786061-Cut-Crown-and-Thread-Price in which I was challenged to compare accuracy of a stock 22" and a cut down 18.5" barrel... results of which will appear in this thread when I get there...)
Finally got some down time from new-fathering (think it's more tiring for my wife than me...) and work (not by choice, my employer went out of business... long story).
My plan is to take a long action Savage 116 in .223 and turn it into a cheap, accurate, .308 rifle.
Why not keep it .223 you ask?
1 - Already set up to reload .308 for my M14/305
2 - I like a challenge, and
3 - That'd just make sense...
So pursuant to this, I have purchased a take off .308 barrel from EE, and have taken off the existing barrel:
Now how does one do this in a ghetto-cheap build such as mine? With only the finest automotive tools and home made barrel vise known to man:
(Extra ghetto points - the hinge edge was exactly the right thickness to fit in the bolt shroud slot (old-style), although judging by the marks on the shroud already, someone used an ill-fitting screwdriver prior to my perfectly sized hinge...)
*Missing pic of barrel vise, it's just a couple of pieces of 2x4 wrapped in wire set in my bench vise... worked bloody well too..
FWIW, the barrel came off with not a scratch either.. I think it only turned once in my blocks...
So now, I'm looking at my magazine box, and it certainly appears to be the same dimensions as a .308 box, but with a spacer placed at the back of the box:
Comparing the boxes here:
So... has anyone ever taken the spacer out of the back of the box... is it worth it? should I try and trade with someone for the appropriate box? I am going to try and trade out the barrel and bolt head for an appropriate bolt head... should I add a magazine to the trade arrangements?
It certainly looks like with some minor tweaking and possibly a new follower, it'd work...
Any advice/hints/tips/tricks/abuse welcome!
Matt
(also, this is a continuation of: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?786061-Cut-Crown-and-Thread-Price in which I was challenged to compare accuracy of a stock 22" and a cut down 18.5" barrel... results of which will appear in this thread when I get there...)
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