Form 7.5x54 Fr from 6.5x55?

[trooperdan]

Has anyone formed 7.5 French MAS from Swede 6.5x55? I am short of 7.5 and fat with 6.5! I anticipate just medium power booletted loads in my MAS36/51's

[EDG]

I formed 7.5 MAS from the very heavy PMC 6.5X55 brass. The formed brass seemed too small at the head. There was quite a large step in the fired case at the junction of the case head and the wall of the case.

That was long before 7.5 MAS boxer brass was available. I would buy new brass before I would ruin 6.5X55.

PS I also formed 7.5 MAS from 7.5x55 Swiss Schmidt Rubin. The head of the Swiss case head was too large so I had to swage it down. It worked ok but it was a lot of work.

[Charley]

6.5x55 with the original head size (not the US .30/06 size case head) forms beautifully. Imperial lube, and run it into the sizing die. Mine all came out at the proper length as well, didn't even have to trim.

[fryboy]

one of the easiest conversions i know and a sad use for good 6.5 brass ,new brass ( with genuine swede measurements ) shouldnt even need annealed but a good lube helps and especially inside the neck

[Expat74]

I'm still a noob. I reload for a decade and a half, but I'm learning every time I shoot my loads.

Please, all you other noobs that stumble over this post and feel like knowing enough to start case conversions, please take it from me, another sort-a-noob .. don't believe what you read on the internet. Especially if it goes boom. I learned a lesson last friday. If you want to do serious conversions, serious meaning safe for you and others, get a book (Handloader's guide to cartridge conversions, Cartridges of the world, etc.) and a good caliper. Take measurements. Compare. Verify. And most imporatantly: err on the safe side.

Because making 7.5x54mm using .30-06 results in this, plus a good load of soot in your face. Believe me, you don't want that. I know I don't. The other 23 "conversions" I fired held up.

190357

Cracked, Cracked, Swollen bottom, origninal fired 7.5 MAS

And let me tell you another thing dear fellow noob reloader, the cracked ones were considered high quality cases, the swollen ones rather low end. Not always (if ever) are better quality cases more forgiving, quite the opposite, because they use better quality (tougher) brass than low quality ones. That's why you have pressure levels resulting in a case split where the low ends "only" swell.

Oh, by the way, luckily something must have kept me from duplicating a military load. This was 75% of it. Imagine the rest. MAS 36 and shooter are well.

Just a kind reminder..

[bouncer50]

I been using 6.5x55 brass to make 7.5 French. Went the French rifles started come to the US the only ammo was surplus. To reload the only round close to it was 6.5x55 next was 30.06 or 270 brass. I have one semi-auto and two bolt action. What i notice the semi-auto swells the 6.5x55 brass more then the bolt actions. You can look at the brass and see what rifle it was fired from. I trust the 6.5x55 a lot more in a bolt action.