30-30 to 7.62x54r

[dk17hmr]

I have been thinkin about making a NEF 30-30 into a 7.62x54r. I know the chamber will clean up and everyone should know I would be shooting cast through the rifle.

Anyone see a problem with doing this? Other then the ejector which isnt a problem because ejector/extractors can be bought from Brownells.

If the reamer is for a .311 instead of .308 throat will there be a problem shooting .309 cast through the barrel?

I want basically a .308x54r. Is it do able without spending alot of $$$? My smith will rechamber a NEF barrel for $50 the last time I talked to him anyways. And I can get a new 30-30 from a local shop for $200.

Is the reamer going to screw me up?

[nicholst55]

I'm in the process of having the same thing done, sort of. I'm having a .308" barrel installed on a Mosin. I expect it to work out just fine, and so does the gunsmith who's doing the work. He's done this before for another customer, and that guy seems to be happy.

I expect the throat diameter to be a bit on the large size, but I reckon it'll work.

[KCSO]

If you are going to rechamber why not go with 30-40 Krag? Almost the same ctg. and no throat problems. In the NEF the 30-40 would also equall 308 winchester velocities with no problems.

[Scrounger]

How do you feel about rechambering a Contender .30-30 barrel to .30-40 Krag? I've seen some barrels done that way and they don't seem to have any problems with them. Only question in my mind is whether there is really anything gained with cast bullets.

[Larry Gibson]

Why not just use a reamer that is throated for .308 bullets. They are being made that way as rebarreling a MN with a .308 barrel is becoming more and more common. Milsurp 7.63x54R bullets are mostly .308-.311 anyways and shooting them in .308 bores is not a broblem (many M38 MNs have .308 barrels).

Larry Gibson

[chevyiron420]

i used a 03-A3 barrel in my m95 steyr and reamed it for 7.62x54r. i didnt have any problem with it at all.-phil

[JIMinPHX]

What do you have against a 30-30?

[Lumpie]

The first thing I would do is slug the barrel. I have a Nef in 45-70, and I could not get exceptable accuracy from it. I chambered it to 45-2.6. I think that the factory people at Nef just dlill and ream to whatever? When I redone this barrel, I found that It shot much better, even when I shot 45-70 ammo. The bore on this barrel miced .4595. In a more related case, I have a Uberti highwall 30-30. I rechambered it to 30-40 krag. It shot better, when I finished it. Also one thing to think about, is what do you expect to gain in this process? I did it to shoot spire Point bullets, that I casted for my P14 30-40, 98Krag, and 03 Springfield. If one would examine what you gain, then I would think what did I do it for in the first place. Having said that, its a big boy toy. GO FOR IT! Lumpie

[Ed Barrett]

The Finnish M-Ns were sometimes rebarreled with .308 barrels. They shot them with their own military loads and Russian loads and never had a problem. I own one and it's a very accurate gun, the chamber is standard 7.65 x 54R.