M-1 to 5.7 Johnson
You M-1 experts please grit your teeth before you read further:
I'm considering converting an M-888 Isreal Arms, which I purchased new and found to be inadequet for my taste. I'm attempting to salvage it as at least a longer range small to medium sized pest control firearm. This change is alledgedly a piece of cake, by all advertisments (which makes me suspisious). My questions are as follows:
1) What exactly am I reaming w/this fairly expensive reamer (The "Chamber"? I assume the .30 portion) and can it be done by an unexperienced gunsmith (Me). Why isn't it done at the factory? Doesn't make sense to me.
2) The go, no go, field, head spacers, which do I need and can I set it myself? I can think but have limited experience in gun converstion. None with head spacing.
3) Should I just take the whole mess to a gunsmith and let him do it. What are the chances of him having the reamer and head spacers? What would you charge for a first rate converstion?
4) For those of you who have done this change, is it worth the estimated $250.00 it will cost me. Do accuracy and rangea increase noticeably? Have you experienced any "quirks" which seem to arise like magazine feed problems,jamming, spring changes necessary, etc. Are you pleased with the outcome? Would you do it over given the option?
Thank You for your valued time in helping the blind. I really am in the dark on this, and can find lttle info. on the actual converstion steps anywhere, and believe me I've looked, before I asked.
Dave
I'm considering converting an M-888 Isreal Arms, which I purchased new and found to be inadequet for my taste. I'm attempting to salvage it as at least a longer range small to medium sized pest control firearm. This change is alledgedly a piece of cake, by all advertisments (which makes me suspisious). My questions are as follows:
1) What exactly am I reaming w/this fairly expensive reamer (The "Chamber"? I assume the .30 portion) and can it be done by an unexperienced gunsmith (Me). Why isn't it done at the factory? Doesn't make sense to me.
2) The go, no go, field, head spacers, which do I need and can I set it myself? I can think but have limited experience in gun converstion. None with head spacing.
3) Should I just take the whole mess to a gunsmith and let him do it. What are the chances of him having the reamer and head spacers? What would you charge for a first rate converstion?
4) For those of you who have done this change, is it worth the estimated $250.00 it will cost me. Do accuracy and rangea increase noticeably? Have you experienced any "quirks" which seem to arise like magazine feed problems,jamming, spring changes necessary, etc. Are you pleased with the outcome? Would you do it over given the option?
Thank You for your valued time in helping the blind. I really am in the dark on this, and can find lttle info. on the actual converstion steps anywhere, and believe me I've looked, before I asked.
Dave
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No offense sir, your carbine has to be rebarreled rather then rechambered. No way can you convert to 5.7 from .30 caliber any other way. Take it to a competent gunsmith, it's going to cost you some bucks for a new barrel anyway. 0 -
I can tell that you have "read up" a little on rebarrelling, and understand that a new barrel will have to be installed to accomodate the .22 cal. bullet of the 5.7 mm cartridge. You will need a chambering reamer and headspace gauges, but I would advise against trying it with no prior experience. Of course, everyone that has experience did their first job at one time or another and gained experience; but part of my caution is that you apparently have no one to stand looking over your shoulder to guide you through it, and once you acquire the necessary tools you'll most likely never use them again. Probably better to take it to a gunsmith. This is a worthwhile conversion if you are fond of the carbine and wish to continue with that design, and the 5.7mm cartridge is a good one for what it is. However, balancing out the cost of ammo and performance you might be better off to sell the carbine and acquire a semi-auto .223 Rem. 0 -
I've done a couple of these way back when it was popular. One guy loved it and the other had me put the .30 barrel back on 
). They don't feed as well. You have to form your brass and usually ream the necks. THen you have to chase it down when you shoot it. The 30 carb isn't a particularly accurate rifle and seems to shoot better in the orig caliber thyan the 5.7. There were at least 2 calibers that were 22/30 carbine conversions. If I was going to convert one, I'd come up with my own in a 6mm or 25 cal with a more tapered shoulder to use the 60 grain bullets.
Greg S.0 -
But, you can currently buy 5.7mm Johnson barrels from Gun Parts Corp. So, if you going to convert to a less-than-completely-satisfactory wildcat, you might as well convert to the least expensive one.
"Expensive fun isn't always fun, but it's always expensive."
Neal0
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