Action conversion questions

[Coffeecup]

Back when I was a kid, I had a sporterized 03 Springfield that went everywhere with me. The guy who did the sporterizing was clearly inspired by the Winchester M54, and built a great rifle. Brass and ammo was common, and I shot every chance I got.

Flash forward more than 30 years, I want another utility rifle like that one: probably either another 03 or a real M54 Winchester. The problem is that the 308 has displaced the 06 when it comes to availability of brass and ammo.

How much of a headache am I going to have with getting an M54 or 1903 Springfield action to reliably feed 308s?

Thanks,
Jim

[Wayne Smith]

Why bother? There is a lot of 30-06 brass and ammo around. Probably as much as 30-30, if not more.

[Coffeecup]

Why bother? There is a lot of 30-06 brass and ammo around. Probably as much as 30-30, if not more.
Why bother? I've got 2 5-gallon buckets of .308 brass I've policed up at the range, and a few thousand rounds of ball ammo I've bought when the prices were too good to pass up--and no rifle to shoot it in. (I did convert a couple-hundred cases to 300 Savage.) In the same time, I've gathered less than 500 '06 cases, and seen very little milsurp ball ammo, especially compared to how it was back in the early '80s. In the past five years, when '06 (and 30-30, for that matter) were unavailable locally, 308 was always on the shelves in one form or another.

And I just want one.

[John Taylor]

It should feed just fine. The model 70 used a bolt stop to limit the travel of the bolt to the rear but it will not work on the early 54s or 1903. Probably need a block at the rear of the mag to take up some room.

[bob208]

I have a m1 that the last time I put a barrel on it I went to .308. it feeds just fine. I tried one of the conversion sleeves to go from 06 to 308 in a 03 it worked just fine.

the only reason they shorten the mag area up is to keep some one from putting a 06 in a .308 rifle.

[M-Tecs]

Zero problems. The standard length Model 70 was the preferred action for many years for NRA Highpower match rifle. You could block the mags and bolts for shorter bolt throw but you would lose the ability to load with stripper clips. For HP you have to be able to use stripper clips. The 54 and early 70 all had stripper clip slots like the 03's. The later 70's dropped the stripper clips except for the National Match receivers. On the latter ones you could machine in the stripper clips slots or use a bolt on one. With the bolt on ones you could block the mag and bolt but this was only done for a shorter bolt throw.

My Model 70 standard actions in 6mm XC, 243 and 308 Match Rifles feed perfectly.

[Coffeecup]

Gentlemen, thank you! Now to locate and acquire a donor rifle, then get to work!

[Green Frog]

Coffeecup, :coffee:

IIRC, there is a nylon/plastic block available to mount in the front of the mag well of the M-1 Garand to aid the feeding of the shorter 308/7.62 NATO round from the rear of the magazine as the 30-06 was. If I were embarking on the project you propose, I'd look into using one of those. Just a thought...

Froggie

[Coffeecup]

Now there's a thought. . . use the block and mag well to establish a starting point for how much room to leave in the modified magazine. Thanks--I like the idea of retaining the option to load with clips, I used that a lot with my old Springfield.

Borrowed a Springfield today, later I'll pull the firing pin and do some tests with various loads to see how they rest in the magazine/how well they feed after being bounced around in the mag well, etc.

[robroy]

I wouldn't shorten the magazine a bit. I built a 257 Roberts AI on a 30-06 donor specifically so I could load long to find the lands. Just my 2 cents.