What's new
What's new

Custom manufacture 22lr

Krelyea

Plastic
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Hey folks, I’ve got a question that may seem totally out in left field but I’d like know if any one attempt to join me on the adventure.
What I’m looking to do is construct a 22lr trainer of my Savage Model 10FLCP-SR w/ 24” varnmit barrel. I’d like to use the short action receiver and maintain to full length bolt throw ( so as to not to grow accustomed to the 22lr throw).
First would this be possible, if so (I know it will be high) what kind of pricing would I be looking at?
 
If you are looking for accuracy, you would probably have to replace the .224" barrel with a .222" rimfire barrel. I would also expect the bolt would have to be converted to a two piece bolt with a non-rotating head to deal with the small cartridge.
 
Hey folks, I’ve got a question that may seem totally out in left field but I’d like know if any one attempt to join me on the adventure.
What I’m looking to do is construct a 22lr trainer of my Savage Model 10FLCP-SR w/ 24” varnmit barrel. I’d like to use the short action receiver and maintain to full length bolt throw ( so as to not to grow accustomed to the 22lr throw).
First would this be possible, if so (I know it will be high) what kind of pricing would I be looking at?

WHY!! 10 characters
 
Lol. Yes it can be done. I have finished 2 fully operational 223 conversion for the AI rifles. Started in March this year and worked on it on and off. That conversion is estimated to retail for 2000. Converting your savage would be more, close to 5k. Why? Because of the time, parts, fitting and it will be very hard to find someone that has the skill set needed to complete. You need a lot more than a machinist or a gunsmith.
Buy a Vudoo or a converted 40 x or build your own.
 
Can it be done? Certainly! Will it be worth it? That's the better question.

What exactly are you expecting to gain from this? The obvious answer is cheap practice with your full-size rifle. I get it. That said... the Savage 10FLCP-SR you mention is a 308 caliber rifle. This will not be a drop-in conversion. You will need a different barrel, a different bolt that will need an off-center firing pin because 22LR is rimfire, not centerfire, and you'll have to figure out some way to feed rounds into the chamber.

Well, I suppose you could use a centerfire bolt if you had the bore offset the correct distance to bring the edge of a 22LR in line with the center of the bolt/action. You'd still need the barrel and feed mechanism.

By the time you do all this, you could have bought several 22 rifles and a nice pile of ammunition.

Not to discourage you, but this is not a simple or easy task, and when the time comes for it to part company with you (aka, you give up shooting for one reason or another, and it will happen to us all eventually) it will be like a custom rifle. No one but you will appreciate it like you will, and more importantly, no one will value it like you would. You could easily spend $500-1000 or more on this conversion and when done... it may be worth $50-100. A good 22 rifle will hold it's value more.

That's my take on this, YMMV.

Rick
 
It's my understanding that (at least the old) 40x rimfire set up were Rem actions the merely had slightly offset receiver nose threads so the pin in the center of bolt would hit the rim of the cartridge when the barrel was threaded in per normal. (It would have had to have a modified bolt face and extractor obviously.) Setting up the barrel in your Savage short action would not be much trouble for a basic machinist. A man could order a full diameter unturned barrel blank and machine the shank and threads eccentric enough to make the centerfire bolt hit the rim of the round, and the barrel would be profiled to match the lines of the receiver correctly. Beyond that, a machinist could make an threaded insert to go into the receiver threads, then thread the inside of the insert off center to create offset pin strike of a standard/concentric shanked/threaded barrel also.

It's the bolt head where the trouble, higher skill and fatter wallet would be required.

Unless your pocket are so deep you can tuck them into the top of your ankle high socks...I recommend you go the route I did.

I got my centerfire competition (F-class, PRS, Extreme long range, ELR hunting) rifle set up exactly like I wanted it.

Then I built me a CZ 22LR in as exact a reproduction of my center-fire rifle as I could.

They both are in the same Manners stock, with the same scope, same stock pocket, same bipods...and I use the same rear bag.

The two are more than identical enough that the loads of training and practice time on my 22 trainer directly translates right over to my center-fire rifle, with no translation required from driving one rifle as opposed to the other.

I did that, oh 10 years ago? And looking back, honestly...the only thing that really matters when moving from a 22 trainer to your center-fire really is to have the same exact scope. When a man is in a hurry wether from the timer on the stage or the trophy animal is about to step behind cover...you need to know how your scope and reticle works, blind folded hanging upside down form the monkey bars: subconscious mental automation when it comes to manipulating the scope or using the graduated reticle. 2nd to that having identical scopes, the same bipod so a man could consistently learn just how much to pre-load that make of bipod, and the same rear bag for familiarity in just how to squeeze it would be helpful seconds, yes. But the rifles, in my decade of experience now don't have to be all that identical for training to relate between the two.

Best,
TM
 








 
Back
Top