Jeremy

Doc. I checked out the site also and have found the prices very reasonable. Does it really take them 3 months to get the order to the customer?

That is a good score and it is a crap shoot as to what you get when dealing with parts and old receivers that have been cannibalized and the parts sold off. But I'll keep rolling the dice and inspecting very closely what I win. Jeremy

Doc, I'm going to keep it in 7.7 i have the dies and a couple of boxes of vintage Norma brass to get started with and I can always make more brass from 30-06 brass. I had floated the idea of making it into a .338 Gibbs for which I have a Hart barrel that I got dirt cheap from a seller on flea bay who didn't know what he had. After receiving all of the large ring Mauser parts from my friend in Colorado who saved them from the trash so that has put me on the hunt for an orphaned large ring receiver to marry the .338 Gibbs barrel to. I'm only doing that because of the economy of labor and tooling. Besides I haven't built a rifle on a large ring receiver yet. Building rifles on small ring receivers is fun and like eating green M&M's all the time sometimes a man just wants a red or yellow one. Having some large ring Mauser's will open up many more possibilities for different chambering and aftermarket parts that are available for large ring Mauser sporter's. Racepres, I could use another ejector/bolt stop the one I have the ejector retaining screw is in pretty rough shape. What would you need to have or trade for it? PM me with more information and I'll respond. Daddy day care calls I have to go for now. Jeremy

I have started another project. It is a Type 99 Arisaka orphan that I adopted a couple of years ago. It started as a barreled action that I bought just because I wanted to challenge myself. After more than a year of finding suitable parts. The real work has begun. It always starts as a pile of orphaned parts. I drilled and tapped for a scope and I must say that the receiver is as tuff as a witches heart. The pictures are for preliminary fit I still have to forge the bolt handle and lots of other work. Jeremy

Here is the 6.5x55 Swede.

It's very unfortunate that this will be the last year for the forum. I just would have liked to know about this forum a lot sooner than I joined. I have learned a lot and enjoyed sharing what I know. Jeremy

I have the same affliction. Rescuing the broken, cannibalized, orphaned, homeless and otherwise un-wanted guns is my purpose in life just like adopting stray animals is for others. I firmly believe that having a gun that doesn't go bang isn't worth having and staring at a wall hanger is as boring as watching paint dry.

Marty: It was my pleasure and honor to serve. I'd really like to see some posts with pictures of the tools, jigs and written descriptions of your methods. If you don't mind sharing. Jeremy

Marty: I wish that I had a 98 extractor so I could at least complete one of the bolt bodies that you see in the picture. I don't have any of those at all. The extractors that are in the picture are the 1903 Springfield extractors and one 93/95 extractor. Up until yesterday I had almost no large ring parts. I'm sorry that I cant help in that way besides if I had one to let go of I'd just send it to you without charge. It would be a way of paying it forward. Apex gun parts and so does Sarco have them in stock along with some cocking pieces that I also need to complete the bolt bodies in the pictures. If I don't find any of the parts I need to complete a build from my usual network. I'll be using the vendors that I mentioned a couple of sentences ago. I still have to inventory and clean up the bounty that I have acquired. Once that is done I'll have better understanding of what exactly it all is that I have on hand then I 'll have to find a place for storage or homes for it all. It just baffles the hell out of me as to the reasoning why someone who clearly knew what this stuff is would just decide to throw it all in the trash. I'm grateful that my friend stepped into rescue those parts and save me some shekels in the process. He is one of my old Army friends that retired about the same time I did. Jeremy

I was gifted a box of another mans trash that has become my treasure. So I have some projects utero now. Which has put me on the hunt for some orphaned large ring receivers to marry up to my parts and make some more bang sticks. Not only was there Mauser parts but there is 4 1903 Springfield extractors that are in excellent condition.

I will and that makes better sense. Thank you for the tip. Jeremy

Honestly I hadn't thought of it at the time I started doing it. I just did it without thinking about it just as an effort to make my work easier is all and it works. This is the way Ill do it from now on. I have had the barrel on hand tight to scribe some lines with a pencil to outline the barrel channel for later inletting.

She is no longer an orphaned receiver but a couple of steps closer to range day.

Thank you for the offer and I'll take you up on it. I'll pm you my address later on.

inthe10ring You have brought up a valid point. So in the interest of building my rifle to shoot safely and keep myself and others around me safe. I have a homework assignment. With that being said I have done some preliminary research on the subject of this cartridge and to be completely honest with myself and everyone here. The idea of chambering my barrel to an AI is quickly losing its luster and isn't going to be fun anymore. Now I'm starting to get mad. Not at anyone here just with the idea that a simple mistake from a vendor that I bought my reamer from and I'll own my part in it too has turned into a 3 ring circus. That my friends is what pisses me off. So I'll start with the parent cartridge. Stay tuned for the results of my research. Jeremy

I don't have the AI gauges, the regular Swede go gauge can be used as the AI no-go gauge and Manson Reamers sent me the blue prints to make my own AI go gauge since their lead time is 3 months at this time. 6.5x55 Swedish AI std.pdf Jeremy

I forgot to ask. Besides it was a better idea to invest in the reamer rather than drink and pee my money away. I'll likely build more of them when the mood hits me. Another reason I bought the reamer is the price was right. I also have the gauges. Jeremy

No, I'm going to keep it because it is going to be discontinued soon. That is probably why it was on sale to begin with.

I contacted Midway and informed them of the mistake on their part and they told me that I could keep it.

I don't know wether to be happy or mad about this. Yesterday I received my order from midway of the bag of brass and the reamer I bought to complete my build. When I opened the package the brass was as described which isn't a surprise but upon closer inspection of the reamer it turns out that it is a 6.5x55 swede Ackley improved finisher. Clearly not what I ordered or so I thought. I went back and looked at the description on the website and it said it is supposed to be a Sammi spec finisher. Then I had a thought. Why would midway send me a reamer that is worth $65 more than what I paid for it? That isn't smart business practice for midway. Then I looked up the manufacturer part # of PTG's to double check and low and behold it is what I ordered. It is very clear that someone at Midway messed up or did they? Was I being set up to buy a set of dies for the AI cartridge? Now I have a reamer for this chambering and I don't want to wait for the Sammi spec reamer. It would be at least another 2 weeks to get this mess straightened out. Patients isn't my strongest quality. Damn it. Now I'll have another wildcat cartridge to load for. I'll shoot the regular loads until all of my brass is fire formed. CH4D has the dies. Oh well I guess that is the bane of a hand loader and hobby smith. Such is life. Does anyone have any load data for 6.5x55AI ? Jeremy

Thank you. I like to think so too.

I blued the receiver and some small parts. I used Mark Lees express brown 2 it took 6 coats to get it done. The process was apply the solution after de-greasing boil wash rinse repeat and card the parts between cycles. I'll jewel the bolt and blue the barrel next. The barrel will have to be done in the garage with the large bluing tank. The same process of wash rinse repeat.

It is much easier. It does work on both small ring and large ring Mauser's in particular 93,95,96 and 98 models. It also works on the Spring Field 1903 and 1903A1, Enfield the Jap 38 and type 99. There are 2 numbered top plates to drill the different models of rifle receivers the plate stamped withe #1 is for Mauser's and the one marked with the #2 is for the later models. Sun Optics a Chinese knock off of the same fixture which unfortunately has been discontinued too. The method of use is the same and it can serve double duty as a holding fixture which is useful for other work while being held in a vise. Every now and then they do come available on eBay or you can get lucky like I did at a gun show. Jeremy

This is the jig I used. It is made by Wheeler engineering and unfortunately it has been discontinued. The holes in the top of the jig uses drill bit and tap guide bushings to prevent the drill bit and tap from wandering. The key to success is sharp drill bits and taps. The most difficult part of the process is to break through the case hardening which chews up drill bits and they break if you aren't careful.

They are Leupold bases and Leupold medium height rings. Mauser small ring matte 51263.