Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Way to a 257 Roberts?

I just bought a NIB Marlin XL7 in 25-06. Really didn't need it, but could hardly say "No" for $280. Now I am wondering what to do with it, and suddenly thought about setting the barrel back, and rechambering it to 257 Roberts.

I know, I know, ......but it's winter, and will be for another three months!

Ted

Well, the AI version would be "safer" when running that reamer in and keep you from worrying about wasting a little length...

Oh, length... that is the issue with that Bob thing, no? And so you do it on a long action? and just because the action is already working with a LA cartridge you want to go back to a SA version???

Are you working with a full deck?!?

Why not just load that step-child '06 to Bob speeds and PRETEND you have a Bob?
art

Ted its winter here also, recontouring a barrel casuse its to heavy. Ordering LH Mausers, new countertops, if spring does not hurry up I will be broke!

But after having both I prefer the 257 AI, and prefer the long action in both the 257 Roberts and the 257 AI.

I love a good non sequitar as much as the next guy... maybe more...

And I have rightfully been called anachronistic for decades... But I cede the title...

Art, it's winter!

And, it's sequitur, not sequitar, but you knew that......

Hey, it's been a while. How are you doing, besides spelling that is?
Ted

Nothing like taking someone really proud of his spelling and stepping on his neck right off the get-go!

I thought it was spelled cigar!

Would there be enough barrel shank to set it back as far as you would need to? Might check the cartridge drawings and guesstimate the needed setback and see if it's even possible with the factory barrel.

Since the 25-06 case is 0.261" longer than the 257 Roberts case and has less tapped from base to the bottom to the bottom of the shoulder, I think that if I was going to do this conversion, I'd mill the shank back at least 0.600" to insure that there was enough steel to insure that the finish reamer would cut a proper chamber.

Jeff

The Marlin XL7 is like a Savage, it has a barrel nut. I'm not sure that theres enough threads to set the barrel back a great distance. No problem with a few threads set back.

I have one in 270 but I'm not at home to measure.

And just for reference that marlin XL7 has the same nut and threads that the savage does.

Yes, I am aware of how the Marlin X guns borrowed features from the Savage 110 series, including the barrel shank specs and the use of a barrel nut to lock the headspaced barrel to the action.

I have 4 Marlin X guns with Savage specs barrels installed, 3 A&Bs and 1 Stevens 200 recycle.

Although some people find it unnessary to do, I always trim the barrel shanks on Savage specs barrels back 0.05", 1 full turn of the barrel, and recut the chamber to account for the deeper recess in the Marlin X guns bolt face and to insure tight/minimal headspace. The only times that I haven't trimmed the barrel shanks back have been when I've rechambered to a longer cartridge, like going from 223 to 22-250 or from 250-3000 to 25-284.

Jeff