6mm Ackley

jnjm · December 23, 2009, 01:18 PM

My grandfather said he purchased this gun from Ackley (?). Don't know whether to believe that or not. He has since passed away and I have been the proud receipient of the 6mm. It is in excellent condition. Not been handled often. Assume it's probably about 50 years old. There are a couple of fire formed Remington .236 brass along with it. My problem is this: I know nothing of the Ackley. Where does one go to begin a search. Gun smith? Here or where? Any info one might offer this dummy will be greatly appreciated. TIA

Tamara · December 23, 2009, 01:25 PM

".236 Remington"? Huh. That sounds like commercial 6mm Lee Navy brass, which makes the brass alone about 75 years old.

What does the rifle look like? Is it maybe a Remington-Lee? Do you have pics?

Scorch · December 23, 2009, 02:13 PM

There is a book called "Wildcat Cartridges" available though Krause Publishing that can answer a lot of questions about different cartridges. Ackley became well-known for "improving" cartridges (expanding case capacity by straightening case taper and steeper case shoulder angle).

Keep in mind that it may also be a standard factory round. "6mm" before 1964 typically meant 6mm Lee Navy, since there were very few other 6mm cartridges to be found anywhere, much like "7mm" used to refer to 7X57 but now is typically used to refer to 7mm Remington Magnum. There is a 6mm Ackley based on an improved 6mm Lee Navy, but PO Ackley was prone to attaching very similar names to very different cartridges (22 Ackley Magnum, 228 Ackley Magnum; 25 Ackley, 25 Ackley Krag; etc).

The 236 Remington brass is a dead giveaway. There are other wildcats around using 220 Swift brass necked up to 6mm. Since they use the Swift semi-rimmed case, they are strictly speaking not 6mm Lee Navy Improved.

Like many gunsmiths, PO Ackley did many rebarreling jobs, and many customers did not want wildcat chambers. PO Ackley always stamped his name right by the chambering stamp, and a lot of people over the years have assumed that because his name was on a rifle barrel, that it must be chambered for an improved cartridge, when in fact the rifle may have been chambered for just a standard factory chambering.

Quote:

My problem is this: I know nothing of the Ackley

PO Ackley's books can likely be found at your local library. They are very interesting reading for gun fanatics, probably pretty boring for non-gun lovers. In it you will find descriptions of many cartridges Ackley modified and designed. You will also find a lot of information about gunsmithing and a lot of mythology that has been passed down over the years.

PetahW · December 23, 2009, 07:07 PM

Parker O. Ackley was a Colorado gunsmith & author, among other things - who did LOTS of custom work during the early-1950's through the mid-1970's.

He - or his shop, rather - rebored a .243 Winchester Model 100 semi-auto to .358" for me in 1971 that worked very well.

IIRC, he was either THE founder, or one of the major factors in establishing the Trinity School of Gunsmithing.

I would wager that your 6mm Ackley is a blown-out wildcat based on the 6mm Remington commercial round - which was originally a direct competitor to the .243 Winchester that was introduced after the .308 (1955).
The 6mm Remington uses/used the same basic brass as the 7x57 Mauser, IIRC - and was chambered in many other commercial rifles.

.

Tamara · December 23, 2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PetahW

I would wager that your 6mm Ackley is a blown-out wildcat based on the 6mm Remington commercial round...

Hmmm. The fact that the brass sports ".236 Rem." headstamps makes me doubt that, as 6mm (née .244) Remington was based on the .257 Roberts case, while the .236 is the commercial name for 6mm Lee Navy.

Jim Watson · December 23, 2009, 10:38 PM

There are separate listings in some of the cartridge collector and custom ammo sites for .236 Remingon Lee and 6mm/236 Lee Navy. But they did that a lot in those days.

It is going to take some pictures of the actual gun and brass.

jnjm · January 2, 2010, 03:17 PM

Thanks to all for your kind replies. Now comes the new ground. I have reloaded pistol ammo for quite some time, but this rifle stuff is new ground for me. Since my original post, I have spent many many hours surfing the net to read all that I could digest about the 6mm AI. Decided upon the following for my choice of ammo: Fireformed Remington 6mm, 50gr IMR-4831, 87gn Hornady VMAX and CCI-BR primers (?). However I am confused by the different CCI primers mentioned in many posts on the net. What am I looking to purchase, a CCI-200 Large Rifle primer, a CCI-BR or a CCI-BR2?

PetahW · January 2, 2010, 03:35 PM

I would use CCI 200's, as the other are for specialty benchrest/target cartridges, AFAIK.

.

December 23, 2009, 01:18 PM	#1
jnjm Junior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 2	6mm Ackley My grandfather said he purchased this gun from Ackley (?). Don't know whether to believe that or not. He has since passed away and I have been the proud receipient of the 6mm. It is in excellent condition. Not been handled often. Assume it's probably about 50 years old. There are a couple of fire formed Remington .236 brass along with it. My problem is this: I know nothing of the Ackley. Where does one go to begin a search. Gun smith? Here or where? Any info one might offer this dummy will be greatly appreciated. TIA

December 23, 2009, 01:25 PM	#2
Tamara Moderator Emeritus Join Date: March 11, 2000 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 16,002	".236 Remington"? Huh. That sounds like commercial 6mm Lee Navy brass, which makes the brass alone about 75 years old. What does the rifle look like? Is it maybe a Remington-Lee? Do you have pics? __________________ MOLON LABE! 2% Unobtainium, 98% Hypetanium. The Arms Room: An Online Museum.

December 23, 2009, 07:07 PM	#4
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	Parker O. Ackley was a Colorado gunsmith & author, among other things - who did LOTS of custom work during the early-1950's through the mid-1970's. He - or his shop, rather - rebored a .243 Winchester Model 100 semi-auto to .358" for me in 1971 that worked very well. IIRC, he was either THE founder, or one of the major factors in establishing the Trinity School of Gunsmithing. I would wager that your 6mm Ackley is a blown-out wildcat based on the 6mm Remington commercial round - which was originally a direct competitor to the .243 Winchester that was introduced after the .308 (1955). The 6mm Remington uses/used the same basic brass as the 7x57 Mauser, IIRC - and was chambered in many other commercial rifles. . Last edited by PetahW; December 23, 2009 at 07:15 PM.

December 23, 2009, 10:38 PM	#6
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	There are separate listings in some of the cartridge collector and custom ammo sites for .236 Remingon Lee and 6mm/236 Lee Navy. But they did that a lot in those days. It is going to take some pictures of the actual gun and brass.

January 2, 2010, 03:17 PM	#7
jnjm Junior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 2	Thanks to all for your kind replies. Now comes the new ground. I have reloaded pistol ammo for quite some time, but this rifle stuff is new ground for me. Since my original post, I have spent many many hours surfing the net to read all that I could digest about the 6mm AI. Decided upon the following for my choice of ammo: Fireformed Remington 6mm, 50gr IMR-4831, 87gn Hornady VMAX and CCI-BR primers (?). However I am confused by the different CCI primers mentioned in many posts on the net. What am I looking to purchase, a CCI-200 Large Rifle primer, a CCI-BR or a CCI-BR2?

January 2, 2010, 03:35 PM	#8
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	I would use CCI 200's, as the other are for specialty benchrest/target cartridges, AFAIK. .