Rimmed Bolt Action ?

SoonerBoomer

I know that there are bolt action shotguns and bolt action rifles that fire rimmed cartridges like the 22 Hornet.
Why not a bolt action chambered in 50 Alaskan ?

iwannausername

Why not? I'm planning on getting a 45acp barrel for my spanish mauser...

SoonerBoomer

Arguing On The Internet Is Like The Special Olympics: If You Win, You're Still Retarded.

Mossbergboogie

It is sufficently plausable that one already exists.

ern98

Are you asking why you can't go buy one off the shelf made by a major manufacturer like Savage or Remington? Or are you asking what action you can use to build a custom rifle in this caliber? If custom then all you need is a Siamese Mauser 98 action and you should be set. The Siamese shot a rimmed cased cartridge and is regularly converted to 45/70++P. I would expect that it would handle the 50 alaskan with no problems other then getting the feeding right. If you want a major manufacturer to build and stock them, well then it becomes a matter of demand and supply. If there isn't enough demand then you can't really expect them to supply such.

nononsense

SoonerBoomer,

"Why not a bolt action chambered in 50 Alaskan ?"

I'm all for cartridge and action conversions but this one is not necessary.

I can think of two reasons that are equally important:

1) Lack of market support for the cartridge.

2) The cost of the action size needed to accommodate the rim size of the cartridge.

There's not a lot that you can do about the first one except to start a campaign to push the popularity of the .50 Alaskan to the point where one of the majors decides to take the risk and bring something to market.

The second is limited by your wallet and the talent of your gunsmith. There just aren't very many actions with bolts that have enough diameter that will work safely with the 0.610" diameter rim and those that will work, cost substantially more than the common size actions. Weatherby and Ruger both make one and they run about 2 to 3 times more than a Remington. A Remington will work but it's a dicey conversion because there is so little left of the outside edge of the bolt nose and the extractor selection is tenuous at best. A Mauser can be converted but there is the same problem with the bolt nose. One benefit though is the claw extractor. The Sako TGR-S actions will work but those are getting real hard to find and are more expensive than they were before. I've seen some new customs that will work but again, the cost is way up there.

The action is only the beginning. The entire magazine and follower will have to be designed to allow these cartridges to feed and function. The rails will need attention like just about every other feature on the underside and inside of the action. You might get away with less work if the action will feed the .378 Weatherby or something similar but the follower will have to be shortened as will the magazine. This goes on and on just like the cost. The return will be significantly less in my opinion. Most folks opt for a single shot like a Ruger or pay some fairly large dollars to get an M71 converted which is ridiculous in my opinion based on what one costs these days.

I'd find something that will take the .378 Weatherby and rebarrel for the .510 Wells Express and have something much better and far easier and cheaper in the long run. Ask IShute, he shoots one.

Best.

SoonerBoomer

Thanks ern, I well understand SSE, I just don't know enough about the actual mechanics or gunsmithing part of it to understand what has to be done or overcome to make it work right. My 1st choice for now would be a Ruger 77. Would turning the rim down slightly make a difference? Would a better solution be to belt a Jeffery case? What is the difference between the bolt faces on bolt vs lever?