Hi guys- I've got an Arisaka rifle chambered in 6.5 [censored]. The stuff is expensive, not super easy to find and from what little I've read, the brass can only be reused so many times before it's junk. Is it possible/feasible to re-chamber/re-barrel this gun for a more common round?
Re-chambering 6.5 Arisaka rifle?
- Thread starter The_Eric
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I don't know if they made any late cast action 6.5s. All of the bad apples were of the 7.7 variety, and only the later ones of those.
I haven't seen anything that a 6.5 can simply be rechambered to that is much of an improvement regarding price and availability. .257 Roberts comes to mind, but then again, it is not nearly as common as it once was. Not a rifle I would tamper with. If it is fairly original, keep it, display it. Rebarreling opens up a lot of options. 308 etc.
EDIT: The early actions are strong as heck. Just clunky for use as a sporting rifle.
I haven't seen anything that a 6.5 can simply be rechambered to that is much of an improvement regarding price and availability. .257 Roberts comes to mind, but then again, it is not nearly as common as it once was. Not a rifle I would tamper with. If it is fairly original, keep it, display it. Rebarreling opens up a lot of options. 308 etc.
EDIT: The early actions are strong as heck. Just clunky for use as a sporting rifle.
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By the time you buy the barrel and have it put on your into it just less than what you can get a new rifle for(Savage). Hang it on the wall and spend your $ on a good shooter. Been there done that.
Just my 2 cents. DD
Just my 2 cents. DD
Is the chrysanthemum intact on your rifle? If so i would leave it be. I also have an arisaka and its has the intact mum, while its in rough shape, it should go up in value over time.
Keep the old girl intact. It's a collector piece. Shoot it for fun, once in a while.
By the time you re-chamber this, you'll have spent as much as a new Ruger American or Savage would cost, and they shoot better.
By the time you re-chamber this, you'll have spent as much as a new Ruger American or Savage would cost, and they shoot better.
I'd keep it original if I were you.
Here's some hints from the cast boolits site on how to make brass from other cases (initially .303, but one guy is using .220 Swift)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?269475-6-5-Arisaka-from-303-Brit
Those guys know their stuff generally.
Here's some hints from the cast boolits site on how to make brass from other cases (initially .303, but one guy is using .220 Swift)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?269475-6-5-Arisaka-from-303-Brit
Those guys know their stuff generally.
I'm not seeing the problem. Brass is available for $.60/each. Loaded is $1.50ish. There's nothing to re-chamber it to that would be cheaper or easier than simply using the original. Extremely common calibers that aren't 223 are $1. Sell it and buy a Mosin if ammo is too high. No reason to hack it up.
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Is the chrysanthemum intact on your rifle? If so i would leave it be. I also have an arisaka and its has the intact mum, while its in rough shape, it should go up in value over time.
Mine is still there, not defaced.
Is the chrysanthemum intact on your rifle? If so i would leave it be. I also have an arisaka and its has the intact mum, while its in rough shape, it should go up in value over time.
Mine is still there, not defaced.
Originally Posted By: JetStar
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Is the chrysanthemum intact on your rifle? If so i would leave it be. I also have an arisaka and its has the intact mum, while its in rough shape, it should go up in value over time.
Mine is still there, not defaced.
While not highly valuable, its a nice piece of history! I wonder how many guns( arisakas) undefaced exist in the usa?
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Is the chrysanthemum intact on your rifle? If so i would leave it be. I also have an arisaka and its has the intact mum, while its in rough shape, it should go up in value over time.
Mine is still there, not defaced.
While not highly valuable, its a nice piece of history! I wonder how many guns( arisakas) undefaced exist in the usa?
A 6.5 mm Japanese may be *rebarreled* to 7.62, but not just re-chambered. I hate to think what reboring the stock barrel might cost. You do not want to force a .308 bullet down a .26x bore! One of my favorite "dumb things done with guns" stories is about a Japanese Arisaka rifle that had been rechambered to .30/06, in the 1950s & '60s this was a very common thing- even though the .308" .30/06 bullet was a bit loose in the 7.7mm bore. The owner managed 3 shots, brought it to a different gunsmith, reported it had kicked like a mule & bolt locked tight after that 3rd shot. Bolt was hammered open, gun seemed OK- the cause, it was a 6.5 mm, *not* a 7.7!
Hey guys, thanks for the input! To answer a few questions- It was given to me by my Grandpa. It's missing it's mum (was filed off), so I'm guessing this wasn't taken from a fallen soldier in battle. It's a regular model, mid production and is in pretty sound condition but missing some of it's accessories.
To be honest, other than knowing that it can be done, I don't know what all is involved in changing the rifle over to accept another cartridge.
hatt, I didn't realize that brass was that cheap... I have a friend that has a bullet mold and dies to load it. Hmmmm, I may have to bribe him into helping me out.
Alternatively, is there another cartridge that is close enough to the 6.5 to re-tasked to fit into my current chamber?
To be honest, other than knowing that it can be done, I don't know what all is involved in changing the rifle over to accept another cartridge.
hatt, I didn't realize that brass was that cheap... I have a friend that has a bullet mold and dies to load it. Hmmmm, I may have to bribe him into helping me out.
Alternatively, is there another cartridge that is close enough to the 6.5 to re-tasked to fit into my current chamber?
The 6.5 Arisaka is not an easy one to convert and guns in good shape are getting rare. Trust me, I would leave it be. You can get new serb loaded ammo cheap enough.
I am somewhat in the same boat as you. I have a 1941 Carcano long rifle in the 6.5 Carcano. I also have a French MAS36 in 7.5 French. It is best to leave these old war horses alone and shoot them once in a while when you have money to burn for ammo.
If you want a cheap gun to shoot, well you can hunt around for the Spanish mausers in 7.62NATO, get a Mosin Nagant, or find an already "bubbafied" rifle like I did. Got a sporterized ww2 Enfield for 40 bucks at a garage sale.
I am somewhat in the same boat as you. I have a 1941 Carcano long rifle in the 6.5 Carcano. I also have a French MAS36 in 7.5 French. It is best to leave these old war horses alone and shoot them once in a while when you have money to burn for ammo.
If you want a cheap gun to shoot, well you can hunt around for the Spanish mausers in 7.62NATO, get a Mosin Nagant, or find an already "bubbafied" rifle like I did. Got a sporterized ww2 Enfield for 40 bucks at a garage sale.
It is especially tricky because the 6.5 Arisaka is a semi rimmed cartridge. That alone makes it an oddball.
Originally Posted By: dinkydau
By the time you buy the barrel and have it put on your into it just less than what you can get a new rifle for(Savage). Hang it on the wall and spend your $ on a good shooter. Been there done that.
Just my 2 cents. DD
This times 1000. Leave it as is for historical accuracy and buy a different gun altogether if you want to shoot a cheaper/easier to find caliber.
By the time you buy the barrel and have it put on your into it just less than what you can get a new rifle for(Savage). Hang it on the wall and spend your $ on a good shooter. Been there done that.
Just my 2 cents. DD
This times 1000. Leave it as is for historical accuracy and buy a different gun altogether if you want to shoot a cheaper/easier to find caliber.
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