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Semi-auto 6.5x55

KAIFS

KAIFS

-mistake recognized is half-corrected-
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 6, 2019
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Midwest, USA!
In US, who makes or can make a decent WORKING 6.5x55 in a semi-auto (DI or piston) with my choice of barrel and magazine capable of fitting 3.2” OAL rounds?
Not interested in discussing caliber choices :).
Thank you
P.S. already own a Ljungman (AG/42b), looking for a modern platform.
 
You are going to have to use a proprietary large frame receiver set that has proprietary magazines. You will then have to have someone like Craddock make a custom barrel chambered for you. You should take a look at what Noreen has to offer. You could pick up one of their rifles chambered in 270/25-06/30-06 and just get your own custom barrel chambered in 6.5x55. The Noreen magnum rifles(7rem mag/300win ) have bigger magazines that probably would not feed properly for your 6.5x55. I don't think the falkor or nemo magnum rifle platforms would work due to magazine design. Noreen uses a standard dpms ar10 barrel extension on their upper recievers/barrels.
 
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I probably like 6.5 Swede more than most guys on this forum, and on occasion I like to swim upstream with my gun projects and make my life harder than it needs to be. But I have to ask why on this one? This seems like reinventing the wheel for zero net gain.
 
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I have found no better and more versatile round than what 6.5x55 offers. I find about 90% of all my rifle shooting is 6.5x55 due to accuracy, range and consistency.
I do not NEED one, I want one.
 
You could try to find one of these:

Ljungman AG42

The AG42 Ljungman was a Swedish semiautomatic rifle used during World War 2. It used a direct gas impingement system and tilting bolt.
www.forgottenweapons.com www.forgottenweapons.com
 
Take a French 49/56 rifle and have a custom barrel installed. The French round is 7.5x54 so the overall length should be similar and the mags would work. It doesn't make much sense to do this but that seems your style.
 
ddavis said:
Take a French 49/56 rifle and have a custom barrel installed. The French round is 7.5x54 so the overall length should be similar and the mags would work. It doesn't make much sense to do this but that seems your style.
Click to expand...
They're not really the same shape, I don't think it would be plug and play.
20200110_195455.jpg
 
ddavis said:
Now I'm curious. If I remember the next time I'm in the safe I'll see how well a mag holds 6.5x55. I think all the loaded and I've got is long AF OAL though. Might not fit.
Click to expand...
Just tried a couple surplus 6.5x55 in my MAS 36 magazine, they just barely fit lengthwise. Boltface and extractor actually seem to work decent, maybe not in a semi auto though. If I remember I'll try some 6.5 in my bro's 49/56 mag tomorrow.
 
TonyTheTiger said:
Just tried a couple surplus 6.5x55 in my MAS 36 magazine, they just barely fit lengthwise. Boltface and extractor actually seem to work decent, maybe not in a semi auto though. If I remember I'll try some 6.5 in my bro's 49/56 mag tomorrow.
Click to expand...


All my loaded ammo is too long so I took a fired case, pushed a 140 BTHP in by hand and loaded it into the 49/56 mag. It will feed, chamber, and eject.
 
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My first thought was a Browning BAR in .30-06 with a barrel change. Worthwhile or not a different story.
 
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Hetzer said:
My first thought was a Browning BAR in .30-06 with a barrel change. Worthwhile or not a different story.
Click to expand...


Thought of that as well. The most reasonable/practical thing would be one of the extra large frame ARs like a Nemo or Noreen. The barrel change would be easy for most Smiths to do and it would be easy to tune. But wanting a semi auto 6.5x55 isn't easy or practical in general so it's fun to come up with oddball solutions. FWIW I really like my 59/66. It's like a French M1A but more reliable.
 
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Doesn't the Swede case also have a slightly larger diameter case head (.480 or so???). That may or may not cause issues with the AR10 bolt, you may have to get a gunsmith to slightly open up the bolt face, also.

No big deal, just something else to consider.
 
.483 bolt face opening works just fine in ALL of my swedes with all of my brass
 
My Mausingfield action won't accept 6.5x55 case head diameter. It's very possible that whatever action you go with could face the same problem.
 
I am sorry, I meant to say any and all brass works fine with .473 bolt face opening on my bolt rifles. Yes, i own military Ljungman already :). I want a modern platform so I can have modern accessories/optics on it and a magazine platform capable of accepting 20-30rd magazine. I do own 25rd Modified MG13 magazines for AG/42b - Again, i want a modern platform which can accept a great trigger, etc.
I have a number of custom rebarreled rifles (bolt action), donors of which were originally in 270 or 30-06, one is actually a magazine fed Remington pump :) - I know, I am a 6.5x55 nut.
To dispel myths about bolt face in a swedes- yes its true that some older brass was significantly oversized (commercial), old Norma is the only one I actually owned which did NOT fit the .473 bolts. Some (note, some) older rifles indeed had .479 of .481, such is the case (.479) in Tikka M65.
Modern brass 40yrs old or newer is not an issue for factory .473 bolt faces.
Custom 10rd magazines from DarkEagle Custom which were designed for 270/30-06 have such tight tolerances that it actually fits 9rds of 6.5x55 (due to slightly larger case diameter) vs 10 without shaving off a bit of a follower top...
 
I think as far as an ar platform with 20 round magazines the noreen 30-06/270/25-06 would be the easiest and most practical. You can find used ones for under 1000$ that will most likely come with multiple magazines. Since your going to replace the barrel anyway, you can find a deal on any one of those 3 calibers.
 
Noreen also uses standard ar 15 trigger and ar10 hardware accept for longer break down pins for recievers.
 
redneckbmxer24 said:
Why would you not just use 6.5 Creedmoor or 260 which will actually fit in a large frame?
Click to expand...

Because you could use a round that has been around for 140 years and can outperform both of those while having near double the barrel life.
And just to show all the young whipper snappers that their "amazing new 6.5 cartridge" was done back when their grandfathers were just getting born.

One day I want to do a 6.5x55 for my AXMC
Right now I just have a late 1800s production Mauser for it.
 
If 6.5x55 was that great it would have stuck around and they would have built rifles around it. It faded for many reasons. 260 has managed to hang around pretty well and 6.5 Creedmoor has become more widely used in the US than 6.5x55 or 260 ever were combined.
 
If you only want to shoot short loaded rounds (2.80" -2.87" ...with certain metal mags) you may make an AR10 sized platform work, this would be the easiest and the cheapest.....You'd have to find the right gunsmith and he may not want to guarantee function as the larger case diameter MAY or MAY NOT cause some oddball problem to pop up.

I you want to run longer rounds you would have to go to the Noreen -06 sized platform and may possibly have feeding issues with the short case in the longer action/mags (again, it may work perfectly and easily)....This would be much more expensive and unknown problems may arise...finding a gunsmith to do it may be problematic.
 
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W54/XM-388 said:
Because you could use a round that has been around for 140 years and can outperform both of those while having near double the barrel life.
And just to show all the young whipper snappers that their "amazing new 6.5 cartridge" was done back when their grandfathers were just getting born.

One day I want to do a 6.5x55 for my AXMC
Right now I just have a late 1800s production Mauser for it.
Click to expand...

Lol. Outperform and double the barrel life? Given the same bore diameter those are mutually exclusive, you get one or the other.
 
Actually its EXACTLY the reason I am such a 6.5x55 fan. And no, those are not mutually exclusive.
While I have not experimented with 260, I have gave an honest go to a 6.5CM with Savage MSR10 LR. I would imagine I could have gotten beyond 2300 rounds before needing a replacement if I shot it as a bolt-action rifle vs rapid strings- I was not impressed. Also, creedmoor must be a carbon magnet, because I literally have spend hundreds of dollars just trying to find the most effective way of battling carbon fauling/carbon ring...
Sounds as Noreen rebarrel would be a way to go.

P.S. :) 6.5CM is fun and accurate round, out to 800m I have shot two quality rifles in 6.5x55 and 6.5CM and I have to say that accuracy is the same, in my opinion. Now, considering my reloading equipment and components stock - I am considerably better equipped for 6.5x55 - so another consideration. With that said- I did get a better case life out of Lapua Creedmoor cases, although cleaning it was a bigger pain on the ass.
 
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KAIFS said:
Actually its EXACTLY the reason I am such a 6.5x55 fan. And no, those are not mutually exclusive.
While I have not experimented with 260, I have gave an honest go to a 6.5CM with Savage MSR10 LR. I would imagine I could have gotten beyond 2300 rounds before needing a replacement if I shot it as a bolt-action rifle vs rapid strings- I was not impressed. Also, creedmoor must be a carbon magnet, because I literally have spend hundreds of dollars just trying to find the most effective way of battling carbon fauling/carbon ring...
Sounds as Noreen rebarrel would be a way to go.

P.S. :) 6.5CM is fun and accurate round, out to 800m I have shot two quality rifles in 6.5x55 and 6.5CM and I have to say that accuracy is the same, in my opinion. Now, considering my reloading equipment and components stock - I am considerably better equipped for 6.5x55 - so another consideration. With that said- I did get a better case life out of Lapua Creedmoor cases, although cleaning it was a bigger pain on the ass.
Click to expand...

Perhaps the reason you you were unimpressed by the 6.5 Creedmoor is because you bought a Savage MSR which is an utter piece of shit. 6.5 Creed is a great round.
 
redneckbmxer24 said:
Perhaps the reason you you were unimpressed by the 6.5 Creedmoor is because you bought a Savage MSR which is an utter piece of shit. 6.5 Creed is a great round.
Click to expand...
Because you have a complete platform which will yield higher numbers count out of the barrel spitting out at ~2900fps in a rapid fire?
Also, i have not disputed good performance and accuracy of 6.5CM.
Just because you like briefs does not mean boxers are a better match for me :)
 
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