Think I got's me a 7.5 x 55 but............

[zuke]

I just got this rifle,but no mag.
I thought it was a 7.5 x 55 but the Graf brass I have won't chamber.
So I'd like to find the caliber and a mag for it.
Any help out there?

 

[desporterizer]

Try 3030 brass.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

As stated, many where rechambered 30 30

 

[zuke]

Nope, 3030 rattle's around the chamber mouth.

 

[Desert_Fox]

What's the date on the receiver?

You have an 1889/96 bolt, so it could be chambered for the GP90 round instead of the newer GP11 round?

I have a sporterized 1889 at home with no magazine chambered in 7.5x53.5mm.... It's a wall hanger for now.

Cheapest mag I found for the 1889 at a gunshow was $90... (the 1889 ten round mag)

Better off buying a new K31 for that price!

*EDIT* Also, yours appears to have the newer tangent leaf sight instead of the older quadrant leaf sight... looks to have been chambered for the GP90 round.... Hmmm...

Paging Diopter!

 

[gonzzzooo]

Looks like a k11 rifle, they were chambered in a shoter brass lenght of 53.5 or 54.5

 

[Desert_Fox]

Here's a nice helpful link: http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/index.html

 

[smellie]

Locking lugs at the front of the bolt. They were at the rear on the '89.

Could be a modded 1911.

Bunch of 1911s were rebuilt Stateside as .308s in the 1960s. Some of them came here. Globe and pals.

Hope this helps.

 

[zuke]

I just ran a 50 cal bore brush on a drill into the chamber and it's spotless now.
A 308 round drop's right in, a 30-06 round stick's out the chamber about 1/2 inch.
Would any other pic's help?

 

[diopter]

Brass has to be sized before it will fit the chamber. If it is a six digit serial #, what are the the first four digits? E.G. 1234xx
Chances are it's still in 7.5x55 if the .308 is too loose.

With that pistol grip grafted on (actually Swiss Mod made to 7.5x53mm 1889/96 rifles during conversion to 7.5x55mm 96/11) it is a 96/11 that was/is in 7.5x55, cut down to Carbine length somewhere outside of Switzerland.

 

[zuke]

serial number is 3369xx.
Barrel receiver and bolt have matching number's.

"What's the date on the receiver?" Where about's on the receiver would it be?

A close look at the chamber look's newly machined.
I thought the 7.5 brass would be bigger then the 308 brass

 

[fenceline]

I thought the 7.5 brass would be bigger then the 308 brass

If it will help, I'll post a pic of 308 next to 7.5x55.

 

[zuke]

If it will help, I'll post a pic of 308 next to 7.5x55.

Wont hurt my feeling's one bit, Thank you.

 

[fenceline]

It is a little grainy, but here it is...

Left to Right...
7.62 Nato by Norc (sorry, stand in for the 308 I thought I had), 7.5x55 Swiss, 7.62x54 Russian, 303 British

 

[diopter]

That serial # places it as an 1889/96 made in 1910, one of 6300 made that year with serial #'s in the 336801 to 343100 range. Converted later to 96/11 from from 1912 to 1920

Grafted on pistol grip , forward position of locking lugs on bolts and it must have a four groove barrel for the 7.5x55.
Older original 7.5x53 chamberings used a three groove barrel(1889, 1897, 1893 and 89/96).

The Swiss Did a decent job of keeping serial #'s in good order by year and rifle model with very few exceptions.
Look here:
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/schmidt_rubin.html

And from the site:
http://www.swissrifles.com/sr/index.html

serial number is 3369xx.
Barrel receiver and bolt have matching number's.

"What's the date on the receiver?" Where about's on the receiver would it be?

A close look at the chamber look's newly machined.
I thought the 7.5 brass would be bigger then the 308 brass

 

[wgamble89]

If you haven't yet you should check under the butt-plate you should find the date of manufacture there and if your luck a service tag

 

[zuke]

Well I found stamped inside the groove on the left hand side of the receiver the word's "Cal 308 Win".So it look's like a conversion all right.
I took the bolt apart and I'm letting it soak in gasoline overnight. Took 2 of us to open the bolt! It was full of grime/dust/sludge.
I'll find a safe place to fire it from after I tie it down.
I looked under the butt plate but only found sand and pine needle's.
The barrel does have 4 groove right hand twist,and hopefully will stabilize the 308 round's.
Now all I need is a mag! Hopefully it'll feed properly.

 

[diopter]

Many people with those .308 conversion were flabergasted by how accurate they are.
Good luck.

 

[zuke]

Thank You!

 

[diopter]

Google or search on the Swiss Rifle Forums(s) for:
Santa Fe Swiss Alpine Sporters, Santa Fe was a division of Golden State Arms Corp.