Changing a SA .473 to a WSM

[youngtrout]

Hello, I have a SA remington action, .473 bolt face,,, currently the action is wearing a 7-08 barrel,,,,,,,

I'm wondering what it would take to modify this action to one of the WSM chamberings, most likely a 270WSM, or a 7WSM.

I know the bolt face will be opened up but I'm more concerned about the feed rails, I'm just tossing this around, I have not had the chance to handle a WSM offering from remington, I dont know what they had to do to the machining process to get the WSM's to chamber.

If anyone has gone through this, I would love to hear the process!!

Or if it should be done on a 5 year old rem. (concerning dimensions, not integrity)

thanks for any info!

 

[youngtrout]

anybody? I cant have been the first to think about this, I'll keep searching as well, might come across the info

 

[BountyHunter]

I will tell you not to waste your money doing all that.

You can sell the action alone for $350, you can buy a 300 WSM SPS for around $450

Better yet, buy a Stiller Predator action for $650, no truing, tweaking etc and all Rem parts fit. Ready to go and will be worth $650 when done versus truing tweaking a rem for $650 or more and it be worth only $350 or 400 the moment the smith hands it to you.

Two years ago I decided to prove this to myself again, why not a good deal to work with the Rems. Bought an off shelf WSM SPS and wanted to see if I could get 3/4" consistent in the plastic stock other than trigger job.

Extractor broke on 3rd shot, riveted, so gun sat in warranty shop for 2 months, ordered Bruce Baer 2.5 lb butternut thumbhole in meantime. Stock finished bedded gun with factory barrel, best groups were still in 1.5" range. Ok, on the shelf #4 Lilja now and chambered along with truing rcvr and lapping lugs. Very little work with loads and now under .5 consistent from improvised rests.

Go to MO for deer hunting last month and now 2nd shot confirming zero, second riveted extractor broke. Lots of fun hunting while carrying a long cleaning rod to extract the cases.

New bolt coming from Dave Kiff with flutes and Sako extractor for $160, REm bolt going back to Rem to be fixed again and then sold.

Yea it will shot now, but still rough Rem action. Once again confirmed that was my last Rem build. Too **** much money for inferior product compared to new Rem clone actions that are head and shoulders above trued Rem and cheaper long term.

BH

 

[Sighter]

Wow, I have not delved into the WSM realm, but that horror story helps cure any cravings Bounty Hunter.

Looks like two options, a sale on the SA 473 is easy, man everyone wants those for 308 builds clearing the way for a pick up on a WSM or open up the 473 and go directly to a Sako extractor.

Good luck, man I love gun "projects" almost as much as shooting them.

 

[Wild_Bill]

rechamber to 7mm WSM

Hi rechamber the existing barrel to 7mm WSM and have the boltface opened for mag and fit a Sako extractor.

The SPS actions in the black finish are just crap. they are made to larger specs than the stainless or blued actions. I would not use any SPS black finish for a custom build. as for extractor problems you won't have any with the Sako.

If you can have a Wyats mag box fitted aswell.

I have a Rem model7 in 7mm Rem SAUM and with a trigger tune and limbsaver barrel deresornator it shoots sub 1/2" groups. if your barrel is ok just have it rechambered to 7mm WSM and do the bolt mod and go for it.

Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[BountyHunter]

SPS actions are exactly the same dimensionally as all other 700 actions.

Absolutely zero difference except finish.

Call Remington to confirm. Remington will tell you that the SPS is in reality the old ADL action, only with different finish.

Does not make sense for a mftr to go to the expense of redesigning a line with set of new tooling to lessen the dimensional tolerance for the SPS when they already have actions that will work. Absolutely no economic purpose! Just vary the finish, that is the real expense anyway in this process.

Remington uses same actions and barrels, just different grade of finish.

Price a bolt face opening and price of a Sako install. $200 or more?

Then look at truing, etc not to mention standard 700 actions have to have other action mods to work with the WSM and when all done it will be worth $400 at best on a good day.

If you are set on modifying your current action, the go to Pacific Tool and Guage, buy a new bolt for the WSM with the Sako type extractor correctly placed. I have one on the way fluted for $160, that is less than a gunsmith will charge you to mod yours.

So how do you save any money and then end up with a lesser quality product?

Buy the Predator, Wyatts box, custom barrel and have top notch rig when done.

The game has totally changed today with the availability of quality customs that are an economic savings for the customer and gunsmiths who make their living selling this accurizing/heavy mods concept are looking out after their best interest now, not yours.

Money wise accurizing stock Remingtons is still dumb and not cost effective when compared to the new 700 clone customs and value. No way it works in your favor.

Sighter,

I love the WSM and would recommend it highly for a standard long range rifle out to 1k. Easy to reload, cheap components, no fireforming, 2-3x barrel life, can run bullets up to 210 at good velocities. Not a 338 but 98% of most game killed and posted here are really under 800 anyway.

It is just that the game has totally changed with the availability of quality, economical custom actions that need zero work. NO JUSTIFIABLE NEED TO DO THAT ANYMORE!

There is absolutely zero need (from the customers perspective) to spend $200-600 modifying a Remington action now when he can sell it and for $300 more, buy a custom ready to go, that is better, higher tolerances and worth 100% more when done. Your gunsmith will not be happy, but you will!

I have not seen anyone crunch the numbers to prove accurizing a Rem is the way to go economy wise, much less reliability and accuracy.

Go to any smiths site and price the following:

Lapping lugs
open bolt face
install sako
true front receiver
recut threads
true recoil lug or replace (then fix headspace issues after)
modify rails
bush the bolt

Now what if your barrel like my last one just will not shoot?

You must do ALL of the items above to equal the Predator or other clones and when done, and then bottom line is that max sale value is $400.

DUMB DUMB DUMB, but your smith is happy.

Think about this, it should cut your smith delivery time well over 50% due to less inhouse machining. That alone is worth it in many cases.

BH

 

[linksmechanic]

Why does he have to accurize the action? I have 2 rems that shoot under 1/2" out of the box. Just rechamber and open up the bolt. No big deal. If it doesn't shoot then sell it, no big deal.

 

[sj-pratt]

Remingtons junk?

I think it would be nice if everyone used Jerry's actions and Remingtons became throwaways, then I wouldn't have to pay as much and they would be easier to find when I wanted to start a new project.

 

[BountyHunter]

Not junk at all, just in many cases not an "economically" sound decision to use as the basis of a custom build particularily if it has to be mod to WSM (ie rails work))

Add the price/sale value of the Rem action to all the mods you want done and see what the smith is going to charge you. If that total runs over $650-700, then why not buy something that will be worth 2x the modified Rem when you get done and will be better?

Let me give you a good example. Here is posted prices from a long range smith and they are normal and very fair. Absolutely nothing out of line for the work.

Used Rem action $350-400 (that is its market value)
install sako extractor $125
lap lugs $50
Flute bolt $75
Open bolt face $50

Now we have $300 of mods in a WSM fluted bolt that I just ordered from PTG for $160 AND mine is sized for my action with an extended bolt handle which would be another $50-100 from the smith. Now add another $275 for any smith to bush that bolt to the same standard mine is or one from a custom action, but most will pass on this due to expense so lets not count that and just say the custom will be tighter as a given.

Now we have $650-700 in the Rem action and bolt, or $900 if we want it bushed and sized where it is similar and we have not even mod's the standard action rails for a WSM or trued the front of the rcvr, we hope the threads do not need recutting etc.

Sell the action and buy the custom, cut your build time in half due to less machining by the smith, save money and have better gun that is worth more.

BH

 

[sj-pratt]

Whats Good Enough

BOUNTY HUNTER

I use 700 actions mostly because I do my own smithing and when I add all the extra cost of bottom metal and triggers that I need to go with a custom action it makes the cost a little higher than making do with a Rem.
If I buy
action 750
trigger 200
barrel 400
stock 450
metal 150
Thats real close to 2000 with no smithing
I quess the cost of custom is getting to high for the working man.

 

[BountyHunter]

Sj-pratt

IF you can do all your own smithing, then a Rem is economically viable, as you save $600-1000 in labor.

However, as you point out the working man still has to pay the labor for converting a Rem which all the more makes the custom the way to go.

BH

 

[sj-pratt]

BU

Point well made
Have a nice day

Steve