1903 surprise

[Brassmonkey]

Few months ago I bought a bubba'd sporter 1903. Yesterday I went to the gravel pit a few miles away stuck some milsurp 30.06 in it and all I got was click, probably should have checked the gun out better but meh light primer strike No extraction.

Go home and actually start looking at what I have. I drop one in the chamber and it rattles around. Close look at the bolt face shows it has been cut for a magnum cartridge. .300 win mag almost chambers but 7mm rem mag does, Not a 7mm barrel. Seems it's been modified for .308 Norma Magnum. Now I'm neck upsizing 7mm mag brass. [smilie=b: instead of using the 06 ammo I have.

[RustyReel]

I'd consider that a pleasant surprise......30/06's are everywhere.....not so much for the Norma Mags these days.

[Winger Ed.]

That conversion is still available, but was a big fad in the late 50s.

Without it being marked, I'd do a chamber cast to be sure which case it was punched out to.

[country gent]

Back in the time when sporterizing was at its peak a lot of military rifles were done at home in garages. the only things that were farmed out were what the person couldnt do himself. Ive seen some decent home conversions that were not stamped as to caliber. We had a win 94 stamped 30 wcf that at some time was rebored to 32 wcf, I suspect do to a washed out barrel. but it was never re stamped to the new caliber. As this was grandmas older brothers rifle it would have been done very early 1900s.

[gmsharps]

I've got the 308 Norma Mag dies if you need them.

gmsharps

[Brassmonkey]

I'm pretty happy about it, hard to complain about a 100$ gun these days even if it's ugly.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Had a similar experience with a P14 Remington that was supposed to be 303 British. Turned out to be chambered for 303 Epps Improved requiring a new set of CH4D reloading dies.

https://i.imgur.com/RVF9hLMh.jpg

[JoeJames]

Mighty luck it did not touch off. But since the extractor did not work enough to catch the base, probably not a possible.

[elk hunter]

Another possibility is 30-338. That's the 338 Win Mag case necked to 30. It's nearly identical to the 308 Norma mag. The 30-338 was developed by long range shooters as a 1000 yard round and was fairly popular back in the early 60's. I have a Springfield sporter in that caliber that was built by a friend. To be safe I'd do a chamber cast.

[Adam Helmer]

Brassmonkey,
Well, Caveaut emptour (Let the buyer beware.) Bubba was very busy in the 1950s and 1960s. I have seen many conversions to other caliber that were NEVER marked on the barrel or receiver. Some "Bargains" are NOT cheap enough.

Adam

[RustyReel]

Brassmonkey,
Well, Caveaut emptour (Let the buyer beware.) Bubba was very busy in the 1950s and 1960s. I have seen many conversions to other caliber that were NEVER marked on the barrel or receiver. Some "Bargains" are NOT cheap enough.

Adam

A Springfield sporter in .308 Norma Magnum for 100 bucks.....sure, I'll take a couple. I can work on the ugly.

[Adam Helmer]

Well,

Yes and no. ONCE you figure out what Bubba did? I prefer knowing what I bought.

Adam

[Texas by God]

A Springfield action, a barrel and a stock already put together and modified for scope use for $100. If it works correctly, great. If it doesn't, that's still a good deal. I would probably send it to Jes to become the other Norma Magnum- the .358- because I have several .30 caliber rifles already.....


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[GregLaROCHE]

This could be a situation where a lead pound chamber cast or some Cerrosafe could be useful, just to be sure.

[Baltimoreed]

291635
I got got on that deal with a supposed to be .30-06 1917 eddystone that was rechambered. I got a round of my .30-06 BAM ammo to fire though. Not too good. Seller refunded 250.00. Wasn’t worth the trouble to do a cast to me.

[FredBuddy]

Years ago, I was given an "unknown"
caliber built on 1903 Springfield.

I did a chamber cast.

Sent it to RCBS for custom dies.

Turns out it was a chamber based on the
7mm Sharpe& Hart only with the original
1903 .30 cal barrel.

Shoots great, but nobody wants it!!!