M2 Springfield CF conversion

[gnoahhh]

Off the wall question: Has anyone here converted a rimfire M2 Springfield bolt to centerfire? I have a spare bolt front half and a firing pin. I can see how to alter the firing pin, no problem. It's the bolt body that has me stumped.

[Texas by God]

Off the wall question: Has anyone here converted a rimfire M2 Springfield bolt to centerfire? I have a spare bolt front half and a firing pin. I can see how to alter the firing pin, no problem. It's the bolt body that has me stumped.I don't know the answer but that's how Whelen and others came up with the .22 Hornet. They hot loaded the .22 WCF in converted M2 rifles.

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[gnoahhh]

Yep. But my project is a little more tame than the Hornet. A gent on another forum is perfecting a centerfire/reloadable .22LR. Same size case and all- small pistol primer, .8gr. Bullseye, 40-45 grain heeled cast bullet, thumb seat or crimp with a die. Same .22LR chambered barrel. Requires only switching a firing pin to CF to use in any .22LR rifle (or pistol I would presume). He's doing his development work with a Contender platform for easy conversion back and forth between rimfire and centerfire. I want to do mine by stepping it up a notch and employ my 1939-vintage M2 Springfield.

[Texas by God]

What a cool rifle to have. Just finding an extra M2 bolt to convert might be challenging. Good luck and keep us posted. You have crossed over from gun nut to gun maniac haha!!

[firebyprolong]

Just myself I would think it much easier to build a whole new front end to that bolt in centerfire than to try to convert an original rimfire bolt face to CF.

[gnoahhh]

May be. But I know it can be done. Witness the aforementioned Hornet experimental work done by the lads at Springfield Armory in 1930, plus I shot an m2 converted to .22 K-Hornet for many years said conversion done by a guy in the 60's.

[firebyprolong]

Don't take me wrong gnoahhh, I know it can be done. I've seen a hornet built on an original before and lusted after one ever since. I'm not trying to convince you of anything, I'm just suggesting that there's more than one way to skin this cat. Junk drill rifle bolts are a dime a dozen m2 bolt heads are harder to find. I'd really like to see what you get figured out, sounds like a neat project.

[gnoahhh]

Yeah, my first thought was to use a M1903 bolt, but the differences are insurmountable. I'm picking on the poor M2 for this project because bolt parts and firing pins are turning up in fair numbers on ebay. Maybe someone somewhere stumbled onto a trove of them, who knows. All that really needs to be done is alter the firing pin and front non-rotating half of the bolt. The rear half of the bolt can be used in either guise. If, after altering a front half, headspace is compromised then I'll have to spring for a rear bolt half too (the locking lug on these bolts support adjustable headspace via a stout set screw) because I don't want to have to mess with re-adjusting headspace when switching from rimfire to centerfire.