[spade]

Alright, not sure which forum this is supposed to be in : Rifles or Cartridges & Calibers, but here it goes.

I was reading on the Montana Rifleman website that the bolt face of their standard short action is .473. Will this action cycle the Lapua brass reliably considering that the Lapua brass has a rim diameter of .479? I know the winchester brass has a rim diameter of .473 but I personally have come to prefer the Lapua brass because it's more consistant and it comes annealed. I also know that mel is in the process of buying some Lapua 6.5x55 ammo and building an SC1 prototype based on this action.

Are you going to open up the bolt face a bit on these actions or what? Is there something different between this action and the 700 action that will allow proper feeding and cycling? Am I rambling and just dont understand something obvious?

Someone help me out here. I'm confused.

 

[mele]

The big difference between the MT rifleman action and the rem action is the claw extractor vs. the plunger extractor on the Rem 700.

Yes, the bolt faces will handle the euro spec 6.5

MEL

 

[spade]

Well thats good mel, i wasnt sure. I had heard of guys who had built rifles off of mauser actions,cz actions, sako actions, and remington actions that had issues with different brass.

 

[mele]

Yes, I've heard the same. But I've also heard (and will soon know first hand) that if you make sure you can handle the euro brass, then you are good for the USA brass also.

MEL

 

[spade]

Yeah, if the euro brass works the the US brass will work obviously. But if the US brass works it doesnt nessicarily mean the lapua or norma brass will.

 

[madgunsmith]

Re: 6.5x55 brass.

I've read that the casehead diameter of the 6.5x55mm is supposedly 0.480" However, I have some Czech ammo in this caliber that measures 0.476". I also had some Swedish military ammo that measured 0.476" also.

The Remington ammo in this caliber is about 0.473".

My Sako fires all this ammo reliably.

 

[mele]

Now that I have the MT Rifleman SC3 action here and its chambered in 6.5x55, I'm trying to get some norma or lapua ammo here... Celt at HD Rifles must be out of town, as he has not replied to my purchase request. I found another supplier of the 139 Lapua ammo, I might just have to order some from them just to get some here.

Mad, you have any norma or lapua 6.5 brass you could spare to send to me? (just one shell each)?

MEL