Sako 85 Short action rebarrel

[JohnnyB85]

I have a short action Sako 85 that I would like to rechamber. It started its life as a 243 but I would like to rebarrel and chamber it in 30 SAUM. My question is about the bolt face dimentions. The case head diameter of the 243 is 0.473 inch and the 30SAUM is 0.534 inch diameter. Would anyone know if this is doable preferably without modifying the locking lug inside dimentions or the extractor.
Regards
JB

 

[stonecreek]

Best to ask the gunsmith who will do the job. The bolt face modification is likely a non-issue, but other considerations like magazine/feeding may cause some smiths to run backward on such a project.

 

[JohnnyB85]

Best to ask the gunsmith who will do the job. The bolt face modification is likely a non-issue, but other considerations like magazine/feeding may cause some smiths to run backward on such a project.

I'd like to know if it is doable as the lead time here in Australia for reloading dies, a Bartlein barrel, cases and chambering reamers (I like to own the reamers for my comp guns) from the USA will be at least 3-4 months probably more. I am hoping someone has already done it so I don't have to reinvent the wheel

 

[P04R]

I would definitely try to find 85/SM action for this build. From the looks the SAUM, or 300 Rem. SA Ultra Mag, as CIP so elegantly calls it, is so close to 300 WSM I would expect the SM action to work without modification. Probably some adjustment to the magazine feed lips is needed.

If you insist on using a S size action you are probably building a single shot rifle. I doubt the magazine could ever work reliably. But to answer your question you could swap the extractor for a TRG extractor and it would give you about +2 mm of case head diameter 12 => 14, which is in the ballpark. Grabbed a picture off the web for illustration, the thick boy is the TRG claw.

 

[JohnnyB85]

I would definitely try to find 85/SM action for this build. From the looks the SAUM, or 300 Rem. SA Ultra Mag, as CIP so elegantly calls it, is so close to 300 WSM I would expect the SM action to work without modification. Probably some adjustment to the magazine feed lips is needed.

If you insist on using a S size action you are probably building a single shot rifle. I doubt the magazine could ever work reliably. But to answer your question you could swap the extractor for a TRG extractor and it would give you about +2 mm of case head diameter 12 => 14, which is in the ballpark. Grabbed a picture off the web for illustration, the thick boy is the TRG claw.

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Thanks heaps, I recently received notification from the local police that they recovered my Sako 85 243 Improved 30 that was stolen nearly 2 years ago. In the meantime I replaced it with and identical one that has been rechambered and had bedding work done on it so I will shortly have 2 of them and want to rechamber one to 30 cal but not 308 as I want something with a 30 degree shoulder. My first choice is for 30 TC but it is impossible to get brass, ammo, dies or reamers here in australia. 300 SAUM is avalable but being based on the 404 Jeffries case the case head is .061 larger. I am fairly confident I can deal with the magazine.

 

[stonecreek]

I will shortly have 2 of them and want to rechamber one to 30 cal but not 308 as I want something with a 30 degree shoulder.

Sounds like you need a .300 Savage -- the cartridge which NATO should have adopted rather than re-invent the wheel with the .308. It has a 30-ish degree shoulder and in comparisons I've made of various makes of brass its powder capacity is less than one grain short of the .308. In fact, I've found some commercial .300 brass that exceeds the capacity of some military .308 brass. Loaded to identical pressures the performance of the two cartridges is identical.