Anyone rebarreled one of these? any problems?
9.3x62,
It took me a while to get back to you - and I do not have all the answers but here is what I know. I might be wrong. I am sometimes.
The Steyr Mannlicher SSG 69 P1 and P11 rifles have a press fit barrel - meaning that the barrel is not screwed in the receiver (no threads). Instead, the barrel is litterally pushed into the receiver and pressed under ten tons of pressure. The lenght of the barrel shank in the receiver is unusally long, at 57mm (roughly 2¼"), resulting in a very rigid barrelled action.
One exception for the SSG 69 P1V which has a short (16.1") threaded (screwed) barrel with a different twist - 1/10" instead of 1/12".
As for the possibility of rebarrelling the Steyr Mannlicher SSG 69 P1 and P11 rifles, it seems that there are two options that might or might not be available, depending on where you live :
1) You could send the barrelled action back to the Steyr factory. I have read that somewhere but I don't know anybody - or have ever heard of anybody - who has done it. Here in Canada, I think that you might as well forget about that option unless you know someone who is well connected with the Steyr people at the factory and that someone DOES NOT include the actual Canadian Steyr Mannlicher importer, for reasons that I will not elaborate here.
2) It looks like that the Steyr SSG 69 P1 and P11 rifles can be rebarrelled outside the factory but that would be a rather "major" undertaking from a gunsmithing point of view : cut the barrel, clean up the receiver without damaging it and then thread it for a new barrel. Not many gunsmiths would be interested - methinks.
But all hope is not lost. In september 2008 (09-22-2008 to be more precise), Mr Oliver Bauer sent me an email that I transcribe here for you - verbatim :
"Dear Sir,
About 25 years ago, some SSG 69 CHAMBERS (and only chambers) were chromed lined.
All newer SSG 69 rifles feature a cold hammer forged barrel for outstanding accuracy and lifetime. Our internal tests show a lifetime of around 15,000 rounds (with proper care and handling, the use of high quality ammo ......).
All the best,
Oliver Bauer
Sales Manager
STEYR MANNLICHER GmbH
Ramingtal 46
A-4442 Kleinraming
Austria"
Well, 15,000 or 12,000 or even 10,000 rounds is a lot of rounds for a non chromed rifle barrel. Maybe then, after so many rounds and if the rifle is not grouping under 1 MOA at LONG RANGE, maybe it's time to get another Steyr Mannlicher SSG 69 rifle ?
Snowy; I have the cleaning kit too. I'l trade you for your Kahles scope! Hell I'l even fill it with oil! By the way I heard that Phil was down at the shot show.
