M38 Barrel in white 6.5x55
- Thread starter 308BAR
- Start date
What is there to say, really?
If you buy a barrel for a small-ring Mauser, expect to pay at least $400 today. That should give you some latitude as to calibre, rate of twist, chambering, throating and the rest.
THESE barrels are SPECIFICALLY for the Model 1938 Short Rifle as used in Swedish military Service. As such, they will be chambered for 6.5x55 and throated for the 139-grain boat-tailed bullet which was adopted in 1941. Being that they are IN THE WHITE, they never will have been installed on a rifle. They are brand-new barrels, either over-runs or, more likely, spare barrels purchased for the rifles when they were being used by the Swedish military. Being that Sweden got rid of the rifles, they had no further use for a warehouse full of barrels. So they sold the things. Hundred bucks for a brand-new barrel? Sounds good to me.
The British did the same thing in the '60s when they were getting rid of the last of the SMLEs. Alan Lever had crates of brand-new SMLE barrels for 5 bucks each..... and I didn't have 5 bucks to spare! Right now, I could use a dozen of them. Lesson?
NICE part is that they will spin right onto a Model 38 or 96 receiver and they will shoot very well once they are installed by someone who knows what he's doing.
BTW, they will have broached rifling. That means that you don't expect TOP accuracy for about 200 rounds.
What else is there to know?
HOW WELL they actually shoot has a lot to do with the nut behind the butplate, so be sure that one is good and solid and holding tight.
Hope this helps.
.
If you buy a barrel for a small-ring Mauser, expect to pay at least $400 today. That should give you some latitude as to calibre, rate of twist, chambering, throating and the rest.
THESE barrels are SPECIFICALLY for the Model 1938 Short Rifle as used in Swedish military Service. As such, they will be chambered for 6.5x55 and throated for the 139-grain boat-tailed bullet which was adopted in 1941. Being that they are IN THE WHITE, they never will have been installed on a rifle. They are brand-new barrels, either over-runs or, more likely, spare barrels purchased for the rifles when they were being used by the Swedish military. Being that Sweden got rid of the rifles, they had no further use for a warehouse full of barrels. So they sold the things. Hundred bucks for a brand-new barrel? Sounds good to me.
The British did the same thing in the '60s when they were getting rid of the last of the SMLEs. Alan Lever had crates of brand-new SMLE barrels for 5 bucks each..... and I didn't have 5 bucks to spare! Right now, I could use a dozen of them. Lesson?
NICE part is that they will spin right onto a Model 38 or 96 receiver and they will shoot very well once they are installed by someone who knows what he's doing.
BTW, they will have broached rifling. That means that you don't expect TOP accuracy for about 200 rounds.
What else is there to know?
HOW WELL they actually shoot has a lot to do with the nut behind the butplate, so be sure that one is good and solid and holding tight.
Hope this helps.
.
Swede 6.5s shoot very well. These are brand new barrels. Expect that they are excellent quality. They are short chambered, a reamer will be needed for final fitting - after the barrel has been fitted to the receiver, and proper breechface to boltface clearance is confirmed. I have only used one of these barrels, and installing it was no different than fitting any other short chambered barrel.
I had one put on a Spanish small ring action I had for a "poor-man's custom rifle" project with a donor stock.
Haven't shot it enough to provide a real assessment, the scope mounting screws are out of alignment.
A gunsmith buddy put one on an action he had too, I think it was a Mannlicher, and he said it didn't shoot marvelously. I had never heard of this "broached rifling" thing before.
Haven't shot it enough to provide a real assessment, the scope mounting screws are out of alignment.
A gunsmith buddy put one on an action he had too, I think it was a Mannlicher, and he said it didn't shoot marvelously. I had never heard of this "broached rifling" thing before.
A BROACH is a type of tool which is used for enlarging a hole through a piece of metal. It does this by peeling a thin layer of metal from the surface being worked upon. You can drill a small round hole in a piece of square hollow steel and run a series of broaches through it and end up with an oblong slot: bolt-retainer slot on the C-96.
You can also cause the broach to ROTATE as it is drawn through a long piece of tubing. In this manner, it will cut a spiral groove down the inside of the barrel. Another broach then cuts this groove deeper. With a whole series of the things, you can put the rifling grooves into a Swedish barrel, 4 passes each of about 8 broaches will give you the .004" deep grooves, each pass removing about half a thou of metal.
The ENFIELD CUTTER BOX is a type of adjustable broach which uses a single "claw" to do all the work, the depth of cut being adjusted after 5 runs down the barrel, 72 degrees apart.
Most modern barrels use BUTTONS which force (and cold-forge) the rifling into the polished tube. This process was developed during WW2 for turning out zillions of Tommies and Grease Guns. Germans and Brits used broached or "cut" rifling.
There is also rifling which is described as "hammer forged" but they forget to tell you about the mandrel down the middle of the barrel which has the actual rifling on it in relief.
And, related to the above, is autofrettage, a system developed by the French for re-using old worn-out 8mm rifle barrels in 7.5mm machine-guns. The just used a LOT of pressure and SQUEEZED the old barrel (after it had been turned to minimum thickness) down inside a new outer piece. Sounds silly, but it gave them machine-gun barrels which were very nearly impossible to shoot out.
But the old barrels all had "cut" rifling which was done in most cases with a BROACH or a tool which did much the same jo
Enfield Cutter Box.
Hope this helps.
.
You can also cause the broach to ROTATE as it is drawn through a long piece of tubing. In this manner, it will cut a spiral groove down the inside of the barrel. Another broach then cuts this groove deeper. With a whole series of the things, you can put the rifling grooves into a Swedish barrel, 4 passes each of about 8 broaches will give you the .004" deep grooves, each pass removing about half a thou of metal.
The ENFIELD CUTTER BOX is a type of adjustable broach which uses a single "claw" to do all the work, the depth of cut being adjusted after 5 runs down the barrel, 72 degrees apart.
Most modern barrels use BUTTONS which force (and cold-forge) the rifling into the polished tube. This process was developed during WW2 for turning out zillions of Tommies and Grease Guns. Germans and Brits used broached or "cut" rifling.
There is also rifling which is described as "hammer forged" but they forget to tell you about the mandrel down the middle of the barrel which has the actual rifling on it in relief.
And, related to the above, is autofrettage, a system developed by the French for re-using old worn-out 8mm rifle barrels in 7.5mm machine-guns. The just used a LOT of pressure and SQUEEZED the old barrel (after it had been turned to minimum thickness) down inside a new outer piece. Sounds silly, but it gave them machine-gun barrels which were very nearly impossible to shoot out.
But the old barrels all had "cut" rifling which was done in most cases with a BROACH or a tool which did much the same jo
Enfield Cutter Box.Hope this helps.
.
I put one on my Mauser action along with a new Triger and a modified stock looked ugly as sin, but deadly accurate.
When I put on the new barrel all I had was a vice and a large crescent wrench, 6.5x55 go gauge the barrel was a perfect fit! Too bad. I ruined it by getting sal####er on it. It was the best rifle I have ever shot hundred yards cold barreled dead center of the bull's-eye (are they sold out now. I sure would like to get another one and this time dura coat it before I take it on the ocean again)
When I put on the new barrel all I had was a vice and a large crescent wrench, 6.5x55 go gauge the barrel was a perfect fit! Too bad. I ruined it by getting sal####er on it. It was the best rifle I have ever shot hundred yards cold barreled dead center of the bull's-eye (are they sold out now. I sure would like to get another one and this time dura coat it before I take it on the ocean again)
They just got a new shipment in, hmm dura coat good advice.
Thanks all for the info reall good stuff to know.
That is awesome. I got a CG m96 29" barrel and decided to freshen it with a new barrel. Your results are awesome. What loads and bullet you using?
That is awesome. I got a CG m96 29" barrel and decided to freshen it with a new barrel. Your results are awesome. What loads and bullet you using?
I have six of those barrels, with three of 'em installed, up and shooting.
They are outstandingly accurate .... shooting consistent .4 - .6 moa in tuned, scoped, M96's.
So far, all of my Swede's(over a dozen tested) are at their best with the same load components, varying only slightly in charge weight or seat depth to optimally suit each individual.
Bullet; 140gr Amax. They have a long shank and can be seated to jam(in new M38 barrels), with adaquate seating depth in the neck to hold secure. 3.190" oal jams .020" in my favorite rifle.
.264.5" dia. with .620 BC.
Powder; Reloder22. Started at 45gr, worked up to 47 - 48gr, or 2650 - 2675 fps(23.5"bbl) on the chrono, as there is a sweet node there, and pressures are warm but not over the top. Comfortable max in my guns ... YMMV. The R22 wants .3gr less in the summer heat.
All Swedes slugged so far have loose bore dimensions, .265" to .266" in the grooves is typical, may explain why the max powder charge is so close to a modern, .264" bored rifle that will attain higher vels. and pressures with similar charges.
Case; Lapua.
Primer; CCI Br2, Fed215m below -15c.
Lee collet and Redding/Forster seater loads 'em nice and straight, .... goodby fliers!.
Sorry tiriaq, but all of mine have been finished chambers, and screwed right on with correct headspace.
Rate of twist is Swede mil. standard, 1 in 7.9".
Someone mentioned Tradeex has more?
, gonna have to spring for a couple.
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Hmmm, so no finish reaming needed??
The Tradex ad says the ones now on offer are short chambered and in the white. Can't see from the small pic in the ad, but it looks like you will need to save and re-install your old front and rear sight bases.
The Tradex ad says the ones now on offer are short chambered and in the white. Can't see from the small pic in the ad, but it looks like you will need to save and re-install your old front and rear sight bases.
Allright now, here's a question for someone who knows more about these things than I do.
Will a small-ring barrel (as for a 96 or a 38) work okay on a small-ring 98 action (such as the 98a)?
Sacrifices required?
Hope not.
We're almost out of virgins!
.
Will a small-ring barrel (as for a 96 or a 38) work okay on a small-ring 98 action (such as the 98a)?
Sacrifices required?
Hope not.
We're almost out of virgins!
.
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
what i'm doing right now ( when i have a bit of spare time ) is taking a a barrel off of a '96 action ( 9.3x57 ) and installing it ( and rechambering to 9.3x62 ) on a husky 1600 action .
the threaded shank portion is roughly 60 thou longer on the '96 barrel than on the 1600 barrel .
i'm assuming the small ring 98 ( the 98a ) you talking about is similar to husky's 1600 action.
The one i got is spot on, go gauge, all i had to do whas spin the berral up against go gauge I had no problems you will have no problems putting it on the 96 action
Well, the only one I worked with was short chambered. Odd that Tradeex is advertising them that way.
Just out of curiosity, how was the breechface/boltface clearance?
It would be interesting to drop a GO gauge into one of these barrels, and measure the projection of the gauge from the barrelface. This would definitively determine if the barrels are short chambered or not.
Not positive, but don't recall that the first batch from Tradeex mentioned 'short chambered' in the description.
Possibly they have a different spec. on the second batch?.
Mine where installed by a local gunsmith, who I believe measured the case head protrusion to confirm the headspace specs.
Being curious, and not too trusting
Selecting a new Lapua case that measured ' 0 ' headspace on the rcbs Precision Mic, I slipped progressivly thicker shims between the boltface and case head till the bolt would not close without some resistance.
The tightest of the 3 barrel installs was 3 thou., the loosest wouldn't close on a 6 thou. shim.
The accuracy of those specs. was confirmed by firing, then remeasuring that same case.
Since then, some cases have 6 or more full power firings on them with no sign of trauma.
One extractor was bumping the barrel breechface enough to feel on bolt close, and needed a bit of relieving. One kissed just enough to rub off a bit of layout die. One stood off a tiny bit, so close that the gun oil pooled between them.
Going from memory here, but recall a zero headspace case in the chamber having the entire web inside the chamber, to about flush with the top of the extractor groove, typical mauser, deep in there.
