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Roscoe54 · April 16, 2012, 10:38 PM

My actions are 1939 and 1941, Husquvarna offered a commercial SRM in .308, many folks have done this conversion and I'm confident that it's safe.... However I've decided it's idiotic to spend good money on an expensive conversion when I have all the components on hand to build two fine 6.5mm x 55 rifles--I'm not talking about sporterized military pieces, but using the Husky receivers as the basis for fully-custom target/hunting rifles.

Many smart shooters have finally caught onto 6.5mm x 55 in recent years (I've been a cheerleader for 25 years) and my custom Swedes have sold easily in the past. I'm an ex-FFL gunsmith--I dropped my license because the paper requirements and a surprise ATF home visit made it more of a hassle than it was worth. I had a pretty narrow niche in restoring military rifles to better-than-new shooting condition, plus doing custom stock work, metal polishing and re-bluing. I'm not a full-service gunsmith and have limited machine tooling, but lotsa people like their guns to be pretty and for a few years it was a profitable sideline home business. I'm self trained but by limiting myself to a few guns, learning everything I could in specific areas and referring out other jobs to folks who were better at those tasks, I ended up with more business than I wanted.

That said, I think I'll use my remaining Husqvarna actions for 6.5 x 55 custom guns...I even have a few in-the-white 24" carbine factory barrels on hand. I replace the bolt handle with a TIG-welded custom teardrop handle, install a 1-piece Redfield scope mount, cut off the bolt safety/vertical cocking piece (this lightens the firing pin/cocking piece and improves lock time), install an OEM bolt shroud and Timney trigger w/safety, re-shape the trigger housing, replace the barrel if needed (24"-26" Shilen or factory Gustafs/Husky free floated, pillar or glass bedded depending on intended use) plus a few other tweaks before steel-bedding the action in a walnut or Bell Carbelite stock (I left the butt uncompleted so I could customize the drop and LOP to customer preference). I used to mirror-polish the metal and have them hot-blued, but the EPA has shut down my bluers so I now use Dicropan IM hot water blue or DuraKote in my garage, or can have a local guy Parkerize 'em. The end result is a light quick-handling rifle, a target trigger w/instant lock time, a stock married to your body and the near-unrivalled medium-to-long-range accuracy of the 140gr Spitzer BT 6.5mm Swedish cartridge (Swedes were used in Olympic Games shooting/skiing events into the early 60's before they switched to .22 rimfire). I've built five custom Swedes and all but one fired one-hole groups at 100 yards.

In my active smithing days I had no problem finding buyers for my custom Swedes, and began getting word-of-mouth referrals from all over. Without an FFL I can't build more for resale, though I can sell guns from my personal collection without restriction. I'll sell a 6.5mm or two and use the bucks to pick up a Rem. 700 or Win. M70 in .308 rather than get into a tail-wagging-the-dog situation...I'd best stick with what I know. Since I have a rebuilding formula that works very well and I've done it enough times to eliminate all guesswork, why mess with a good thing?

Y'know how these forums are...sometimes I can't help thinking out loud.

Thanks for your input,
Dave

April 16, 2012, 10:38 PM	#3
Roscoe54 Member Join Date: September 23, 2007 Posts: 17	My actions are 1939 and 1941, Husquvarna offered a commercial SRM in .308, many folks have done this conversion and I'm confident that it's safe.... However I've decided it's idiotic to spend good money on an expensive conversion when I have all the components on hand to build two fine 6.5mm x 55 rifles--I'm not talking about sporterized military pieces, but using the Husky receivers as the basis for fully-custom target/hunting rifles. Many smart shooters have finally caught onto 6.5mm x 55 in recent years (I've been a cheerleader for 25 years) and my custom Swedes have sold easily in the past. I'm an ex-FFL gunsmith--I dropped my license because the paper requirements and a surprise ATF home visit made it more of a hassle than it was worth. I had a pretty narrow niche in restoring military rifles to better-than-new shooting condition, plus doing custom stock work, metal polishing and re-bluing. I'm not a full-service gunsmith and have limited machine tooling, but lotsa people like their guns to be pretty and for a few years it was a profitable sideline home business. I'm self trained but by limiting myself to a few guns, learning everything I could in specific areas and referring out other jobs to folks who were better at those tasks, I ended up with more business than I wanted. That said, I think I'll use my remaining Husqvarna actions for 6.5 x 55 custom guns...I even have a few in-the-white 24" carbine factory barrels on hand. I replace the bolt handle with a TIG-welded custom teardrop handle, install a 1-piece Redfield scope mount, cut off the bolt safety/vertical cocking piece (this lightens the firing pin/cocking piece and improves lock time), install an OEM bolt shroud and Timney trigger w/safety, re-shape the trigger housing, replace the barrel if needed (24"-26" Shilen or factory Gustafs/Husky free floated, pillar or glass bedded depending on intended use) plus a few other tweaks before steel-bedding the action in a walnut or Bell Carbelite stock (I left the butt uncompleted so I could customize the drop and LOP to customer preference). I used to mirror-polish the metal and have them hot-blued, but the EPA has shut down my bluers so I now use Dicropan IM hot water blue or DuraKote in my garage, or can have a local guy Parkerize 'em. The end result is a light quick-handling rifle, a target trigger w/instant lock time, a stock married to your body and the near-unrivalled medium-to-long-range accuracy of the 140gr Spitzer BT 6.5mm Swedish cartridge (Swedes were used in Olympic Games shooting/skiing events into the early 60's before they switched to .22 rimfire). I've built five custom Swedes and all but one fired one-hole groups at 100 yards. In my active smithing days I had no problem finding buyers for my custom Swedes, and began getting word-of-mouth referrals from all over. Without an FFL I can't build more for resale, though I can sell guns from my personal collection without restriction. I'll sell a 6.5mm or two and use the bucks to pick up a Rem. 700 or Win. M70 in .308 rather than get into a tail-wagging-the-dog situation...I'd best stick with what I know. Since I have a rebuilding formula that works very well and I've done it enough times to eliminate all guesswork, why mess with a good thing? Y'know how these forums are...sometimes I can't help thinking out loud. Thanks for your input, Dave