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I need a fifties era chamber conversion solution and wonder if anyone still does it. Picked up an '03 Mannlicher Schoenauer (originally 6.5 x 54) at a gun show that had been converted to 6.5x57. Got it home and the usual slick action won't handle the 6.5x57's at all - three rounds jam it up and two feed like an industrial project. 6.5x54's on the other hand feed like butter so who ever rechambered didn't screw up the action.

Rebarrelling would be complicated because the full length stock would demand the exact barrel contours, and a Schoenauer has unique sight shaping. Soooo does anyone today reline chambers to create a smaller caliber? In this case - a very slightly smaller one. Going to anything other than 6.5x54 is not feasible because of the tight dimensions of that rotary magazine (witness the 6.5x57s). Any ideas?

Have you considered having the barrel set back and simply rechambered for the 6.5 X 54? Hemingway loved it. Karamojo Bell slayed beaucoup elephants with it.

I have never heard if lining a chamber. There are a couple places that will do low pressure barrels. I think your best bet would be to get a old of the barrel maker of your choice and see if they can contour an exact copy of your barrel. The odds are they can, but will probably need your barrel to do it right.

There are lots of folks who will duplicate a contour. Its what I would be thinking about if I were you.

One other option would be to search around for an original takeoff barrel. I am not sure where to suggest looking but if you could find one it would likely be a cheap fix.

+1. I would try to find a takeoff first, but several of the really good barrel makers will duplicate the original contour.

Sounds like what your looking for is similar to what the navy used in M1 Garands in the 50s. The insert allowed 7.62x51 / .308 Winchester to be used in a 30-06 chamber correct?

Something like that - only a permanent soluion. I know a couple of gunmakers in Germany who do it (or did it) regularly to convert old combination guns and double rifles into current production calibers of similar pressures. I can find no one in the States who can do it. I am really intrigued with setting the barrel back a bit and re-reaming. That would address the longer case issue, but I think the over all width of the 6.5x57 might be too much to make that a feasible solution. Frustrating.

Setting back is going to cause a much bigger problem w/ inletting than having the contour duplicated.

Just about every barrel manufacturer will duplicate barrel contours.

Smith and Wesson's model 53 had chamber inserts to go from 22 Jet to 22 rimfire.

I think an insert could be made to do the job but the way I figure it you would have to open up the chamber's diameter to allow for a larger piece of steel. Can't see how you could do it with existing chamber.

Your most logical choice is to have the magazine altered to fit and feed the current chambering or have a new barrel with duplicate profile with sights attached.

This is a problem that is a bit different than the usual ones. Hope you figure something out.

Low pressure rounds. Don't go there with these.





Altering the magazine is not an easy task to get it right. It's been tried on the various Mausers over the years and is not simple if the cases are not from the same family tree, so to speak.

New barrel in 6.5 X 54 is ideal.