doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com 6.5 Creedmoor

I have a sporter done on a 1903 Greek action to 256 Gibbs Magnum cartridge.
From what I've found (and I believe everything I read on the internet), the cartridge is based on the 6.5 Swede.
Another proprietary cartridge, and probably not unlike some of the other more modern short 6.5's mentioned above.
Gibbs probably had a machine set up just to do the magazine rotor cuts for the conversion.

Not that it can't be done and hasn't been done, but the number of failed and now project '03M/S caliber conversion guns I've seen far outnumbers the successful conversions.
The successes are usually taken at the word of the seller/owner. Not much of a chance to try before you buy at a shop or show.
The 05,08 & '10 M/S conversions seem to work out much better as the magazine spool cuts are so much closer to the conversion caliber size .

There's really nothing wrong with the original chambering. It's an old one and that seems to bother more than few people. It doesn't hint at a magnum status either,,another black mark in some circles.

A set of 6.5x54 dies is easy to get. Buy a couple hundred new cases, scrounge some older stuff trolling the shows forever, or even make them from 220Swift like I do.

6.5 Mannlicher Rimmed is a nice round too for an early Mannlicher or a singleshot.

I haven't really searched to find what I need to cobble cases and rounds together for the 256Gibbs Magnum yet. It won't be as easy as the original caliber though.
RCBS probably has special order stuff for just under $200 or something like that. I'm thinking a less expensive route!
Meanwhile, it's kind of nice to look at.

Many years ago, worked with a gunsmith that converted several Mannlicher actions to 257 Roberts. He called them Dutch Mannlicher's that he bought surplus. Marked with an open cross in a border and Y:1903/14 on the receiver ring. He modified the magazine spool with a Dremel tool. Modification seemed to work real well.
Chuck

Those were Steyr mfg'd Greek Military contract rifle actions.
The Cross in a Border is the marking for the country of Greece.
Y is 'Model' 1903
(19)/14 was the contract year of the batch of rifles bought from Steyr. There were a few small changes in this contract that brought the /14 marking. Earlier contracts were just marked Y1903.
The actual year of mfg was on the left side rail.

Breda (Italy) made some for Greece in the 1920's and are marked on the ring as such. I think the contract date is 1927.
Y1903/14/27 on the ring if I have it right.

Dutch Mannlichers are Model 1895 'Old Model' Mannlicher with the straight line feed using the en-bloc 5 rd clip and the 6.5x53R cartridge.

Both make very nice sporters..The Steyr products favored over the Breda made M/S actions.

Craig "if" he still has them.The man I got the action from had Dies,Ammo and brass.Let me kmnow if interested and I will check. Whitey

Thanks, Whitey, I think if they are available, I may change my mind, let me know!
Best,
Craig

Craig he sold the dies and brass already. Whitey

Here is a Styer I had converted to 7mm IHSMA which is based on the 300 savage case. Prderson did the barrel and chamber. I did action and the stock Tim Lyon Smith did the checkering. It feeds reliably and very acurate. Scope is Balvar 8 on B&L mount. You can do it it just takes timel
Tom

Thanks tomc, how much work did you have to do on the fingers to get it to feed properly?
Best,
Craig

Craig
I do not understand what you are referring to as fingers. This rifle was originaly a 1903 6.5 MS. Built it into a 6mm INT. Dont remember having to modify anything as the ctgs are similiar. Then it went to.
http://www.cutrifle.com/links.html
to be converted to 7mm IHSMA which uses the same case. I dont think dan did anything to the action other than put a 10twist 7mm barrel in it. As a 6mm the stock was a fagan thumbhole, It looked pretty wild. I have shaped it to where it fits me perfectly and that is where it will stay. I think it would look better with decent sights on it other than the scope. A ramp front and some sourt of receiver sight. If need be I could probably do more detailed pics through email.
Tom

tomc, I have been told that if the cartridge was changed, you had to have the fingers in the rotary mag re-contoured to match the new cartridge. If not, you get feeding problems.
Best,
Craig