SL-8 Rebarrel?

JustBen

JustBen

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I saw a thread on here the other day that got me thinking. You can convert an AR to 6x45 simply by putting a new barrel on it. Same bolt, same clips, just a different diameter bullet.

NOW, you can't hunt with an AR, as they are restricted. And here in Saskatchewan, you can't hunt with the SL-8 as it fires too small of diameter of bullet. IF you would make your SL-8 fire 6x45, technically you could hunt with it. Brass would be readily available for forming.

Now before anyone starts saying that the 6x45 would be a marginal catridge for use on deer sized game, let me tell you that I already know this. But for what I am planning on doing with it, it should meet my needs.

I currently do not own an SL-8, but i am definitely considering getting one. I am very curious to know if anyone out there has rebarreled theirs. Any reasons why it wouldn't work? would the larger diameter bullet contribute to feeding problems? Thoughts?
 
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Don't know why you couldn't, but why not buy an XCR in 6.8 SPC and save yourself the time, money and potential aggravation?

Not saying don't do it, but there is an easier way to go about it.
 
I have a couple of issues for staying away from 6.8 SPC.
1. Brass... .223/5.56 brass is cheap and plentiful
2. Better choice of bullet weights in 6mm

It would definitely be cheaper to head to the 6.8 XCR... but it wouldn't be as "cool."
 
well my question to myself if i was considering this conversion is am i willing to invest the kind of money its gonna take to rebarrel to 6x45 as well as the initial investment to buy the gun. price could be 700 to 1000 bucks for a quality job.
if the answer is yes then go for it
 
anything is possible with the right application of money, however to spent that kind of money just to save money on ammo, might not be the most well thought out plan.

by the time you source out the barrel blank, have it machined to fit the SL8, buy all the reloading equipment you are probably close to cost of 4 cases of 6.8 SPC ammo.
 
Honestly I wouldn't hunt with an SL8 as they are way to nice of a rig. I would buy a beater bush gun and take that puppy out on crownland for either varmint hunting or long range plinking. With that being said I would try to contact some barrel seller's on this site and see if they have some blank barrels in that chamber for sale then hit up a gunsmith to properly install it for ya.
 
Could be an interesting project. And practical too.

Have you ever handled an SL-8? They are heavy. obviously due to the long hbar. If you were to make a new barrel, say with a profile similar to that of a G-36 barrel, and a bit shorter it would really lighten the rifle. Its a simple and reliable design, I think it would work well as a bush gun.
 
Satain said:
Honestly I wouldn't hunt with an SL8 as they are way to nice of a rig. I would buy a beater bush gun and take that puppy out on crownland for either varmint hunting or long range plinking.
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There is no such gun that is too nice to hunt with. Same thing as a car that is too nice to drive. Its a tool, albeit a fancy one.

I wanted to swing into Frontier Firearms yesterday and take a peak at their SL-8, but I didn't get there in time. I think john@ is right on the shorter, lighter barrel.
 
I've been giving ot of thought to a non-restricted re-barreled to a wildcat or something out of the ordinary too. The XCR is looking like the best candidate for this. Since you're doing a custom barrel anyway, it can be fit to a tighter tolerance since it doesn't have to fit every XCR out there, which should help improve precision.

The XCR gives you more options because of the various bolts and mags available and the ability to use AR mags, including the 10 rounders.
 
JustBen said:
There is no such gun that is too nice to hunt with. Same thing as a car that is too nice to drive. Its a tool, albeit a fancy one.

I wanted to swing into Frontier Firearms yesterday and take a peak at their SL-8, but I didn't get there in time. I think john@ is right on the shorter, lighter barrel.
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Sorry that my theory doesn't float all that well with ya:p
My idea is to have a b!tch like my pick-up truck and I treat it as if I stole it. Then there is my baby, like my car and it only comes out when it's nice and sunny and feed the top notch fuel. So I use this theory when it comes to firearms and what I use for hunting and what I use for fun.
An SL8 is a dream to shoot & cost's a preaty penny too. Actually I find it's the most accurate out of the box semi-auto I have ever shot to date. Never mind that it looks 2 sweet & I can still hear the pinging, ringing in my ear drums. I would still take it out in a heart beat but would be pissed at myself if I was to scratch the $h!t out of it or get it covered in muck. Therefore my theory would dictate to me to just get a beater rifle and keep this bad boy for ether varmint hunting or long range plinking but I guess to each there own. To bad your provincial government doesn't realize that it's not the size of the bullet but the placement witch counts between meat in the freezer and sad day out hunting.
 
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