sabotloader

Went to the machine shop today and Dave had the two new bushing built for my conversion project.

The thought of the project is in combination with the Canadian 209 Coversion - to turn the gun into a clean gun.

The first modification is to turn the end of the existing hammer into a firing pin.

Second we had to remove some metal from the front face of the bolt to allow room for the bushing. The bushing is drilled in the center to allow the hammer a route to the primer. The face of the bushing now acts as a bolt face holding the primer in the Nipple and preventing blow back pressure from reK****ing the action.

After installing the .088 bushing we fired 15 primers, using several different brands, in the shop. There was a hint of blow back on the receiver wall and a very little smooge on the bolt face. No material was found on the hammer spring or the scope sitting above the nipple.

I am hoping to get to the farm with-in the next day or two do some shooting. I plan on shooting T7 and BH from this rifle.

Here is a picture of the most recent work.

Semisane

Neat Sabotloader. I admire tinkerers and that is first class tinkering.

TNHagies

That is a work of art. I look forward to your range report.

tjj

Very nice work SL. The folks I know who have that rifle boast about their accuracy. And gripe about the blowback. It looks like thats not gonna be an issue for you.

gregrn43

Can the factory conversion kit still be bought? I have a black stock blued barrel that I would like to convert over.

sabotloader

gregrn43

I am not sure that a factory conversion can still be purchased, but it is such a poor conversion I would suggest the Canadian Conversion - which can still be purchased.

There is also a second conversion being made in Canada by Precision Rifle and it is being sold be Cabelas.... The only problem is if you buy the PR conversion you will not be able to purchase additional breech plugs for it.

Screwbolts

Hi Sabot Loader,

Nice work! I have a friends SS 700 in the shop right now and intend to do a similar conversion as you, but I am going to fit a 25 ACP shell holder to the front of the bolt. The shell holder will hold a 209 primer just like the savage bolt. This will allow for primer removal without any special tools, just like the Savage. I will be modifying the firing pin similar to yours . I will need to put a bushing into the shell holder also to support the primer and the end of the firing pin. I have toyed with the Idea of pulling the barrel off and setting the breech plug deeper to keep everything in the front ring as a weather shield but to be honest. the barrel on this particular 700 has been neglected so why go to the work. Well It is a learning project. I will learn on this donner gun. And Then when I do others, or my own I will already have the project figured out.

sabotloader

Screwbolts

My goal was to stay inexpensive as I could in materials and labor for this conversion. The other thing I do not want to handle bare 209 primers when loading. In the weather that I hunt in using a capper really works well for me + you can use the same capper as an extractor and again for me I really do not mind doing that. I am never going to be a speed loader anyway.

I/we are thinking this conversion done by a machinist in his shop is going to be in the $60 area max. I do not expect a great demand or maybe none - except me because the 700ml is so old most peole have moved by and beyond the 700. But I really like the gun and what it can do.

Hope to shoot it again tomorrow - I really wanted to shoot it today but somebody scheduled a doctors appointment right in the middle of the day... what the heck was I thinking....

TNHagies

He'll have at least one customer

sabotloader

I was unable to get out to the farm this morning to shoot so this afternoon I took the gun out in the shop and shot 10 primers just for drill.

This is a picture of the breech area after shooting the primers... It does show some soot and primer residue but nothing like what I might expect....