Testing Sabotloader's 700ML Conversion

[TNHagies]

Mike asked if I wanted to test out his new conversion and of course I jumped at the opportunity as we had already been talking back and forth about the project and I had been watching the results closely. It came in the mail yesterday so while the wife was at her bible study I decided to do a quick test.

I wanted something to accurately compare the blowback of both conversions so I decided to make a ‘weather shroud’ out of printer paper to catch all the dirt. It worked pretty well.





The first thing I did was test to see how the primers fit. Unfortunately, I only had 3 different types of primers left to compare.

The Winchesters fit perfectly in my opinion. I was able to get a piece of paper between the primer and the bolt face but that was it. The STS which is what I have been using most in the 700ML lately did not fit quite as tight but still very acceptable.




I started out shooting one primer with each brand using the Cabela’s conversion. It was about what I have come to expect from this conversion. Dirty and a good bit of blowback. In fact 3 times the paper shroud turned to confetti.





So then I cleaned up the nipple and breech, switched out the bolts and ran the same sequence through Sabotloader’s conversion.




Clearly A LOT cleaner. I unrolled the paper for a better understanding. You can see the strips numbered for each shot. Oddly enough, they became cleaner the more I shot. I can only assume this was from the buildup in the gaps which sealed them off.





Additionally, the sound was also different. With the Cabela’s version it was a crack like a .22. However, with the new conversion it was more of a sound like the old tater guns we used to make out of pvc. This clearly tells me the energy and heat from the primer is being directed down the barrel as opposed to back out the breach area.

Lastly I put in a clean shroud and fired 5 Kleanbores one right after the other. Couldn’t ask for much more than that.





I had brought my primer remover with me however; I never had to use it. All the primers came out by just popping them out with a fingernail. The primers were struck very solidly and remained perfectly intact.Saturday I will be headed to the range to see how it performs with several different loads. I’ll let you know how it shoots. Right now, I'm quite impressed.

[Semisane]

Excellent report TN. Those results are impressive. Congratulations Sabotloader. Your work really paid off.

[sabotloader]

TNHagies

Glad it made to your house OK...

The Winchesters fit perfectly in my opinion. I was able to get a piece of paper between the primer and the bolt face but that was it.

That is exactly why I needed other folks to test the modification. For me with a Winchester primer W209, the modification pushes against the the primer - do not think you could get a piece of paper in there. But again the tolerances do vary from gun to gun. The real proof should come when you shoot it. The Winchester primers I have are the longest at .299/.300 and the STS measuring .295/.296

[Breechplug]

Nice report and excellant job on the conversion Mike, your work really paid off! Now I cant wait to see how the ML groups.........
(BP)

[Nolehoe]

Is this a conversion Sabotloader engineered himself or bought and modified or what?

[sabotloader]

Nolehoe

It is a bolt conversion in conjuction with the old Cabelas/Canadian 209 conversion. TNHagies was nice enough to test it in his Remm 700 for me. I had already tested it in the two Rem's that I have.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...converson.html