Optimal barrel lenth for 6.5 X 55 Swede and a good gunsmith

Holleyman

Holleyman

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
74   0   0
Location
Athabasca, AB
I have a Carl Gustaf M96 Swede that I got given to me that was very sporterized, cut barrel, cut stock, bent bolt, drilled receiver and lots of quad wounds. It shoots pretty well for an old war horse with this much abuse.
I want to dress her up a bit and make her into a true sporting rifle. It is already in a Boyds stock that is about 95% fitted and finished. I have I have a Shilen sporter contour 1:8" blank that is about 28" long. I have to send this out to get the barrel installed and chambered and was wondering if there is any good reference material on what the ideal length of barrel would be for the cartridge. This will be a hunting rifle and I am planning on shooting 140 grain Berger VLDs or AccuBonds pretty much exclusively (depending on what it prefers once I range test it).
Also need recommendations on what gunsmith to get this done. Don't mind pay for the work, just want the work to be perfect and done inside of 6 months. Any suggestions??? I'm in Alberta, the closer the better.
 
If you were going to do the work yourself, this would be a viable project. If you are going to have it done by someone else, it isn't worth the time and effort, let alone the cost.

If that rifle is shooting well the way it is, just leave it alone and use that fine Shilen barrel on a modern receiver, like a Winchester or Remington.

With the modern actions, you can get way better performance out of the fantastic 6.5x55 Swede cartridge.

The action you have is fine for what is on it and factory ammo. That is where it should stop. Bed the action into the stock. You can do this yourself for $20 bucks or less. That will usually improve the groups. The stock is a Boyd's so refinish it. No big deal. Both of these endeavors will teach you something about your rifle and likely give you the results you want.

A used Remington in nice condition can be had for $300 or less, depending on what model it is. Once you rebarrel it, the Remington will have a significant value in comparison to the old Swede, which will not be any more valuable once you are finished with it than when you started.

If you have your heart set on rebarreling the Swede Mauser, take a look at the Tradex website, one of our banner sponsors. Last time I looked, they had new replacement barrels for $100. I used one of those barrels a few years ago and it was perfect. Screwed right into place and headspace was perfect. That old Swede sporter is incredibly accurate with all bullets from 129gr to 160gr.

Your project is OK but a waste of time and money. Your time, your money, your choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom