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Local guy has this.

Somewhat local guy selling this

Kimber 'Sportized' Rifle in 6.5x55 Swede with Bushnell 4-12 Scope includes 2-1/2 boxes of ammo. $450 or trade


Thoughts




https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ies/13012024/sporterized-kimber#comments

I had one with a nickel finished reciever with military barrel and ramline stock, never could get it to shoot better than 3-4 MOA. I sent it down the road to a buddy who put a new Shilen FWT barrel on it, stocked it in a Richard's 102 Old Classic stock, added a bold trigger, and commercial shroud. It shot pretty well after all that for him 1.5 MOA for five shots with factory S&B ammo. I bought one a few years later for a Burris Mini 4X scope that was sitting atop it, sent it down the road without shooting it. I had about $500 total in both rifles and I pretty much broke even when I parted ways with them.

I don't know if I'd throw any money at an old Swede sporter with as cheap as you can pick up a 6.5 Creedmoor from T/C and Ruger.

Thanks. I don't know much about Kimbers and I thought it was a rather cheap price.

Clyde

They were made up by Kimber Of Oregon to generate money when they were in their death throes. All the ones I have seen were 95 Swedish actions, in a Ramline tupperware stock, I don't know whose barrels they used but I have seen them chambered in 308, 243, 22/250, and of course 6.5x55.

$250 maybe, $450 - not a chance.

drover

I haven't seen any of the small ring Swedish Mausers that Kimber sporterized chambered in anything except 6.5x55. Kimber sporterized and rebarreled some large ring military Mausers, but I don't know where, when, or who made the actions.

For $450, a person could buy a Howa 1500 in 6.5x55, a V2 take-off stock to replace the piece of crap that comes on them, and still have a little money left over to go toward a better scope.

I remember seeing them about 25yrs ago or more. Almost bought one but went another route.

I have one that I bought back 20 plus years ago when Kimber put these out. It came with a TASCO scope on it. I changed the scope out and put a Timney trigger in it. I bedded the Ramline stock. It shoots most Handloads MOA or better than I can shoot. Been a great rifle and has accounted for allot of animals over the years. That being said I think that price is a little on the high side.

One thing is for sure this rifle sold me on the 6.5X55 as an awesome hunting round. My two nieces use this rifle now. They like it allot better than their .243

These were made up by Kimber out of surplus Swedish 1896 rifles. They were also rebarreled to .308 Winchester, maybe others but I've only seen the .308 and 6.5x55. Back when they were offered for sale, the 6.5x55 was not so common as it is today and very few other options in .264 caliber existed. They were pretty decent rifles, at least the 6.5x55's were. They have a fast twist barrel unlike many 6.5's that were introduced initially had.

These days, 6.5mm lovers have a much larger selection of rifles and chamberings to choose from, many of which can be had for the same or less than the asking price of that Kimber. I still have one that I restocked that is a superb shooter.

Funny thing is, 6 or 7 years ago people were all too happy to find one for $450.

Yeah, I started both my boys out with 6.5x55's. The youngest got a Mexican Mauser barreled in 6.5x55 and the eldest's was built on a commercial 98. They're still shooting em.

I wouldn’t mind a Swede for my BIG gun

I have the same rifle. I got it for a song and will try bedding it. I get about 2" out of it but I will tinker with it for the hell of it.

Perhaps try some heavier bullets, 160gr. What it was designed to shoot. May help.

That too.

I got one of the 6.5x55 ones in 1995 and it shot good so I pretty much left it "as-is" except for a Timney trigger and a 3.5-10x Leupold. Eventually accuracy fell off and the problem turned out to be that cheap, injection molded Ram-Line stock that Kimber was using on them. The stock even cracked where the recoil lug bears up against it and that thing is not a heavy kicker. Picked up a Bell & Carlson synthetic stock with an aluminum bedding block and it's the best thing I ever did for that rifle. It now SHOOTS. Don't know if $450. is realistic but it probably depends on condition and what else comes with it. If it won't shoot acceptably, first thing to do would be to do something about that bedding. They're nice rifles but, IMHO, Kimber made a mistake in just putting them into an injection molded piece of plastic like that with no provision for any sort of bedding. Bell & Carlson still lists a stock for the Model 96 Mauser and I'd bet they've sold a bunch to guys like me to put on those Kimber Swedes.

That didn't help me at all, I still have a couple boxes of 160 grain Sierra bullets on my shelf. I have a small ring HVA action I plan on turning into a 6.5X55 someday. I'll try them again in that rifle when it's built.

Problem with those Kimber Sporters is that the majority were mix master parts rifles. A lot of accuracy issues stemmed from improper barrel installation. I can't tell you how many I worked on that had the cartridge guide protrusions on the upper locking lug make contact with the breech. Not conducive to accuracy. Easily corrected but they did not take the time. Once properly addressed, accuracy generally improved.

Not all of them were Swedes. Saw one in an LGS about five years ago that was a VZ-24 rebarrelled to .280. The barrel was SS, fluted IIRC. Bottom metal was stock with the swivel hole in the guard and the issue trigger. Decent gun, but would have cost another couple hundred to get it up to snuff so I passed. Decent FNs can be had for not much more that are okay as-is.

Kimber of America, wich came into being in 1994, began sporterizing Swede 96s in the spring of 1995 in Colton Oregon in a plant that had been used by Kimber of Oregon during their boom to bust period 1988-1991. At some point after April 1995 Kimber of America did other caliber conversions from 6.5x55 and some 98s too. Kimber of America existed till 1996 when metalwork went to Yonkers NY and stockwork to Costa Rica. That was the end of Kimber in Clackamas and Colton Oregon. Note the Kimberamerica.com web address was carried over by the Kimber Manufacturing Co. The hang tags on Kimbers at Scheels in Billings MT say Kimber of America. Guess they didn't get the memo. The Swede Mausers were imported by container load. Employees got to pick through and buy 'em for $56, The sporterizing work was done by $7/hour production workers with little gunsmithing knowledge or give-a-damm.

I'd buy one for $100, maybe. Glad to read they've been good to some, just not my thing. Gawd I hated those damned Ramlines!

There's more Old Kimber information compiled on the Hunter's Campfire linked back here to a Hunting Rifles thread. Cheers.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...er-reference-for-reading-only-no-extrani

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...0667628/1/Kimber_of_Oregon_-_photo_and_l