Rebarrel Questions

Sportdog · October 8, 2008, 11:31 PM

I started a thread on the "Art of the Rifle" forum about the possibility of converting my bolt action 30-06 into the 338-06 A-Square. I guess that I did not know how little I know about doing something like this, having never had it done and not knowing anyone who has. Here is the thrust of my question. Can I send my barreled action out, have it rebarreled, and returned to me being able to just drop it back in my stock and shoot it? I don't know anything about barrel contours and the numbers that they represent, headspacing the bolt to the barrel etc. etc. etc. Does the company that puts the new barrel on take care of all this stuff or do I have to turn it over to a local gunsmith for putting the final touches on it? Does anyone know about this stuff? Thanks for any information that you can give me.

SST · October 8, 2008, 11:58 PM

Yes! You can send out a barreled action and have it rebarreled, and just drop it in the stock, if the contour of the barrel is the same. You can request that the new barrel have the same contour. If one of your barrel maker's contours doesn't exactly match up, they will turn one to make it so for a reasonable price. Or, you can open up the barrel channel on your stock to accommodate a slightly larger barrel diameter. If the new barrel has a smaller contour, it will still work in your stock, but it may look funny. In any case, bed the stock for your new barreled action. The new barrel will be properly headspaced. Any reputable barrel maker will make sure that the chamber is within SAAMI specs. Although the two most import components of accuracy are barrel and bullet, it is a good time to have the action trued while the barrel is off. There won't be a better or cheaper time to get that done.

buzz_knox · October 9, 2008, 08:45 AM

This was supposed to go in its own thread. Don't quite know how this glitch happened.

kraigwy · October 9, 2008, 10:01 AM

Dont send just the barreled action, send the whole gun. Then when rebarreled the smitty can do what ever inletting that may be required and test fire it.

Harry Bonar · October 9, 2008, 07:17 PM

Sir;
You have chosen an excellent caliber - only a few hundred feet per second behind the 338 Win. Mag. and alot easier to shoot.
Send your barreled action to Douglas Barrels at Charleston W.Va. (call it up on your computer) and they will do everything you've asked, even to contour your present barrel exactly. You can, yes, drop it right in your present stock.
I know them well and they are a group of old West "by golly" Virginians who know yheir stuff!
Incedentally, it was A-Square Co. who standardized this caliber by SAAMI so you can buy ammo from Weatherby or A-Square. I've built several of them and there is adequate loading data for it and it handloads easilly!
Harry B.

James K · October 9, 2008, 09:42 PM

When talking about work to be done, "I want this and this, and by the way, this and this also, along with this, this and this", be aware that every "this" costs money.

Jim

Sportdog · October 10, 2008, 12:30 AM

I contacted a company about doing this rebarrel job and they said they could do a 338-06 but did not have a reamer for the 338-06 A-Square. I was under the impression that the A-Square was just the new name of the wildcat. Am I missing something. I see that RCBS sells 336-06 A-Square die sets. Can anyone enlighten me? Thank you.

Harry Bonar · October 10, 2008, 07:41 PM

Sir;
The 338-06 and the 338-06 A-Square, are identical - A-Square simply registered it with SAAMI, thus the addition of "A-Square."
Harry B.

SST · October 11, 2008, 02:35 PM

Sportdog,

The 338-06 A-Square is a 338-06, but not necessarily the other way around.
Wildcatters have been necking up the '06 to .338 long before A-Square got it standardized. There are reamers out there with all kinds of different dimensions. If you want the SAAMI version, the 338-06 A-Square, your gunsmith must have that particular reamer in hand.

Harry Bonar · October 13, 2008, 08:33 PM

SST;
You're perfectly right SST. Some of those early reamers might have had a different shoulder angle - thanks for the advice!
Harry B.

October 8, 2008, 11:31 PM	#1
Sportdog Junior member Join Date: February 28, 2006 Location: Southwestern Michigan Posts: 369	Rebarrel Questions I started a thread on the "Art of the Rifle" forum about the possibility of converting my bolt action 30-06 into the 338-06 A-Square. I guess that I did not know how little I know about doing something like this, having never had it done and not knowing anyone who has. Here is the thrust of my question. Can I send my barreled action out, have it rebarreled, and returned to me being able to just drop it back in my stock and shoot it? I don't know anything about barrel contours and the numbers that they represent, headspacing the bolt to the barrel etc. etc. etc. Does the company that puts the new barrel on take care of all this stuff or do I have to turn it over to a local gunsmith for putting the final touches on it? Does anyone know about this stuff? Thanks for any information that you can give me.

October 8, 2008, 11:58 PM	#2
SST Member Join Date: January 13, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 37	Yes! You can send out a barreled action and have it rebarreled, and just drop it in the stock, if the contour of the barrel is the same. You can request that the new barrel have the same contour. If one of your barrel maker's contours doesn't exactly match up, they will turn one to make it so for a reasonable price. Or, you can open up the barrel channel on your stock to accommodate a slightly larger barrel diameter. If the new barrel has a smaller contour, it will still work in your stock, but it may look funny. In any case, bed the stock for your new barreled action. The new barrel will be properly headspaced. Any reputable barrel maker will make sure that the chamber is within SAAMI specs. Although the two most import components of accuracy are barrel and bullet, it is a good time to have the action trued while the barrel is off. There won't be a better or cheaper time to get that done. __________________ Regards, Sam Taylor SST's Rifle Room http://angelfire.com/mo2/rifleroom

October 9, 2008, 08:45 AM	#3
buzz_knox Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1999 Location: Knoxville, in the Free State of Tennesse Posts: 4,190	Source for replacement K-frame barrels? This was supposed to go in its own thread. Don't quite know how this glitch happened.

October 9, 2008, 10:01 AM	#4
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Dont send just the barreled action, send the whole gun. Then when rebarreled the smitty can do what ever inletting that may be required and test fire it. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071

October 9, 2008, 07:17 PM	#5
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	338-06 Sir; You have chosen an excellent caliber - only a few hundred feet per second behind the 338 Win. Mag. and alot easier to shoot. Send your barreled action to Douglas Barrels at Charleston W.Va. (call it up on your computer) and they will do everything you've asked, even to contour your present barrel exactly. You can, yes, drop it right in your present stock. I know them well and they are a group of old West "by golly" Virginians who know yheir stuff! Incedentally, it was A-Square Co. who standardized this caliber by SAAMI so you can buy ammo from Weatherby or A-Square. I've built several of them and there is adequate loading data for it and it handloads easilly! Harry B.

October 9, 2008, 09:42 PM	#6
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	When talking about work to be done, "I want this and this, and by the way, this and this also, along with this, this and this", be aware that every "this" costs money. Jim

October 10, 2008, 12:30 AM	#7
Sportdog Junior member Join Date: February 28, 2006 Location: Southwestern Michigan Posts: 369	Difference Between 338-06 & 338-06 A-Square I contacted a company about doing this rebarrel job and they said they could do a 338-06 but did not have a reamer for the 338-06 A-Square. I was under the impression that the A-Square was just the new name of the wildcat. Am I missing something. I see that RCBS sells 336-06 A-Square die sets. Can anyone enlighten me? Thank you.

October 10, 2008, 07:41 PM	#8
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	338-06 Sir; The 338-06 and the 338-06 A-Square, are identical - A-Square simply registered it with SAAMI, thus the addition of "A-Square." Harry B.

October 11, 2008, 02:35 PM	#9
SST Member Join Date: January 13, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 37	Sportdog, The 338-06 A-Square is a 338-06, but not necessarily the other way around. Wildcatters have been necking up the '06 to .338 long before A-Square got it standardized. There are reamers out there with all kinds of different dimensions. If you want the SAAMI version, the 338-06 A-Square, your gunsmith must have that particular reamer in hand. __________________ Regards, Sam Taylor SST's Rifle Room http://angelfire.com/mo2/rifleroom

October 13, 2008, 08:33 PM	#10
Harry Bonar Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2004 Location: In the Vincent, Ohio general area. Posts: 1,804	338-06 SST; You're perfectly right SST. Some of those early reamers might have had a different shoulder angle - thanks for the advice! Harry B.