Way Way back in the mists of time, well the 1990's I had a brief love affair with a French personage. This was a model of 1936 7.5 x 54 mm MAS. It was lovely and simple even with a trigger pull measured in days rather than pounds, it was a superb battle rifle that didn't get the chance it needed.
7.62 x 51 mm NATO was 30 years later than this magnificent cartridge. I loaded up 6.5 x 55 Swedish cases that I had necked out by 1mm with 48 grains of IMR 4895 and a 148 grain Nato MG ball bullet and away it would go at the correct sight settings to appear in the bull out beyond 400 yards. 2700 feet per second was on the chrono when we finished testing.
Sadly we parted company, I needed to fund something else in my life (a mortgage I think) and I sold all of my military bolt action service rifles, My P14, Ross M1910, SMLE No1 MkV and the MAS 36.
Of all of those I liked the Mas the most, simple effective and with a great cartridge.
I decided to keep an option for the round alive on my certificate and arranged to keep a slot open for a 30 calibre rifle with a 55mm case. The Swedish case whilst 1mm longer then the French 54mm case fitted well, maybe it shrank slightly in length when expanded or maybe (more likely) the military chambers were generous to say the least.
Ok it seems an odd chambering to call it but Rigby Anglicised the 7x57 Mauser by naming it the .275 Rigby so why not!
So eventually a donor rifle was found, in this case a reasonably scarce Remington 700 ADL in 6.5 Swedish (means no changes required to the bolt) for a good (cheap) price and it was sent off with the rifles designated to become .280's to a Riflesmith.
Ok Its Riflecraft again but at the time in for a penny, in for a pound.
I specified a lightweight sporter barrel, screw cut for 1/2" unf and left about 4 rounds so they would measure for the reamer and use for proof.
Oh foolish me. Whilst I was about to pull the plug on the .280 project PTG did eventually send the reamer.
I authorised the work and paid the balance.
Oh foolish me.
I waited at home for my satin stainless sporter weight barrelled rifle to arrive. It did and as I unwrapped the shorter than expected package to find that they had sent it stripped not assembled (more later) and that the package had been jumped on by at least two parcel force employees on the way.
As I unwrapped the bubble wrap I found this;
I tried but ended up sending the rifle back. Why did I give up? Well they couldn't have shipped the rifle assembled (parcelfarce would probably have broken the stock anyway) because the oversized fat barrel that was fitted wouldn't fit in the beautiful slim sporter stock that the donor rifle came from.
So I couldnt test it, the barrel was shiny (almost in the white) but at least the screw cut muzzle was the correct thread this time. I couldn't test the trigger but I could test the chamber by dropping in the ammo or at least drill rounds I had made.
Well I tried, the drill rounds went in about 3/4's of the way and that was it, live rounds too wouldn't chamber even some of the factory ammo I had left wouldn't chamber.
So I asked. I have yet to receive a satisfactory answer as to why the reamer is smaller than the test I ammo I provided for measuring and proofing. I have no idea how they proofed it, frankly I'm not even convinced they did.
Another trip up there this time to collect the rifle with replacement trigger fitted and the barrel channel reamed so it would assemble.
Frankly it was a dog to pull the trigger on. It has taken a year and a half of frustrating work to get the trigger bedded in and I'm not convinced yet it still pulls a steady pull within an ounce or two of the same weight each time.
I may yet have to spend another £200 later on to put in a drop in unit.
As for ammo, well back to basics, I fired off a handful of 6.5 x 55 Swedish factory loads to fire form them. That meant I had the right material to start with. I loaded up some 150 grain fmj .30 calibre bullets and found some 130 grain hollow points and loaded up some test rounds with 48 grains of IMR 4895. In theory I was back where I was in the 1990's but with a great sporting rifle fitted with a nice 8x56 Schmidt and Bender.
Its a very good looking rifle but by god it weighs something awful and its very unbalanced. That said I have yet to test it on game yet as I cant guarantee that the thing will shoot properly.
I have however been able to test the ammo I loaded. Hmm, that tight chamber means I get better MV for the same loading, 48 grains of IMR 4895 pushes 150 grain bullets along at 2900 feet per second. Its becoming a barrel burner. Which if it does burn out the chamber may mean I can chamber the original ammo or get a new barrel and get it chambered properly.
When I queried the overtight chamber the smith accused me of blowing out my Swedish cases to almost a 308 case dimension.
When I pointed out that it was immaterial, the reamer should have been made to cut a chamber to chamber the sample cartridges I delivered. This was the only chamber reamer Pacific Tool and Gauge delivered to our smith that year, you might think they would get it right, that the smith would check and the proof house would ask? No nothing they are all cunts the lot of them, lying bastards who failed to deliver the services paid for.
Next time I'm going to pay through the nose for a decent smith!
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