Can/will 223 cycle in a long action?

[SanPatHogger]

So I've been dreaming of a 300 Norma or 300 PRC. I have put together a 243 with a Criterion remage barrel and it shoots fantastic. Looking to do a higher end build next, probably over the next 2 years. I have access to shoot a mile or more and there are places that go further. Shooting at KO2M would be pretty sweet, just to get to try it out. Problem is shooting it would be super expensive so really a few times a year? I am thinking swapping a bolt and spinning another barrel on and now I could shoot the hell out of it in 223 and maybe run some matches with it. Have the same stock/chassis, trigger, scope, bipod.... but shoot it for cheap and shoot it a lot. But will 223 feed in a long action? Does anybody make mags that look like a Bergara or Voodoo 2 mag that puts 223 in a long action?

 

[B y r o n]

I think your biggest hurdle will be finding a long action bolt that fits a 223 cartridge!

 

[Mr. Z]

Desert Tech SRS SAC .223 conversion says yes.

Works great and let’s me shoot a whole bunch more than I’d be able to otherwise.

 

[TheOfficeT-Rex]

Zermatt with a bolt head change will do it.

 

[B y r o n]

Desert Tech SRS SAC .223 conversion says yes.

Works great and let’s me shoot a whole bunch more than I’d be able to otherwise.

I saw a reference for a SA .223 conversion but not a LA .223 conversion.

 

[rlsmith1]

@Tyler Kemp and his guys are working on 308 LA mags and the next evolution of that may be 223 mags. I’m running a LA Zeus QC and would love a 223 barrel for it.

Desert Tech has it factory but I think we will get there with standard Rem 700 actions someday too

 

[Mr. Z]

I saw a reference for a SA .223 conversion but not a LA .223 conversion.

Don’t put the bolt stop in
Are you familiar with the platform?

It’s not the answer OP was searching for, but an SRS runs from 338LM length to 223R length with the swap of a barrel, bolt/bolt face, and mag.

 

[Rob01]

No. Don’t do it. Some things just need to be shut down before they start. Keep the long action for long action calibers and short for short.

 

[AMMOWASTER]

It can be done but it seems like there is no situation where it would be worth the trouble unless you are stuck with that gun only. Savage used to do it but they had mags properly set up and a bolt stop that limited travel to basically make it equal to a short action.

 

[SmartDonkey]

You need a magazine that has a spacer or some kind of block so that the ammo is positioned forward in the action. If you have that then it is just like a SA- that has a longer bolt throw. If the ammo is at the rear of the action then it leaves the mag well before the nose is at the chamber and you will have lots of feeding issues.

 

[Birch7]

OP-simplest solution I can think of is to machine/print an aics LA block to incorporate a single stack mag (cz527) towards the front. There is no off the shelf option, and it would be alot of work and probably extra frustration in a match. If you are not an engineer or fabricator, just buy a tikka 223 and save for your dream rig.

 

[Mike Casselton]

Yep. Savage has been doing it for decades.
It works for them, but that's a lot of bolt travel if you don't have a long bolt stop like Savage did.

It would probably cheaper or nearly equal in the long run just to buy a 223.