Built a 7.62 x39....Pretty cool, but need a better Magazine

[teebirdhyzer]

My father-in-law has built up a pretty good stash of 7.62x39 ammo, and has been bugging me for several months to build him "one of those Savages" like I shoot. He always enjoys shooting my rifles with me, and I even got him to purchase a .22mag Savage last year that has become his main truck/walking rifle. I've been wanting to build myself a light rifle in .260 for deer hunting, so as the base for his build I purchased him a model 11xp package with the nikon scope and DBM in .260 Rem. I traded him a .308 take off barrel I had for his .260 barrel, and had both barrels cut and recrowned to 20" (one for my deer rifle build, and the .308 for his). Then I found a chamber adapter sleeve online to allow the 7.62x39 rounds to work in the .308 barrel...this was a little bit of a maverick idea to me, but it has actually worked out quite well. I sent the bolt of to SSS to have a PPC bolt head installed so the rounds would extract and eject.
So far, everything works really well and the accuracy is actually much better than we expected. With milsurp russian steel case 122grain ammo (the only kind we've tried so far), it shoots 1.5 to 2inch groups at 100yds. This is with the factory nikon package scope that came with the gun. Really the only issue I have is that the rounds will not cycle correctly out of the .308 mag. I was wondering if maybe a .22-250 mag may work better? or perhaps Savage would sell me one for the 7.62x39, though I have not called them to ask. If anyone has made this work, I would like to hear what you did to get your magazine to function properly.
thanks guys

[rimfirekyle]

Good Luck! Sounds like a fun rifle

[placek59]

First off, it does sound like fun,-- but I would be concerned about the bullets in the milsurp being .311 diameter instead of .308 !! Might want to check on that.
Second, all you would probably have to change is the follower to try something different to see if it works. The guys that have 6.5 grendels built on savages should have some ideas too as they are based on that case too...

[teebirdhyzer]

thanks guys. placek59...yes I think the milsurp stuff is .311, but I have not read anywhere of this causing any issues in a .308 barrel. I'm sure it slightly increases pressures, but I don't think enough to cause troubles. Hopefully a grendel owner will chime in and let me know what they use.

[thomae]

Savage makes a 7.62x39 magazine for their Scout rifle. You should be able to purchase one from Savage. It is a centerfeed mag that fits into the standard short action. It has a spacer at the rear so it can accomodate the shorter cartridges.

[MrMajestic]

Savage makes a 7.62x39 magazine for their Scout rifle. You should be able to purchase one from Savage. It is a centerfeed mag that fits into the standard short action. It has a spacer at the rear so it can accommodate the shorter cartridges.

I run a Grendel chambered barrel on a 10 CFM originally chambered for the 7.62X39. The factory mag feeds great and allows cartridges to be loaded "in the lands" with positive feeding. I'm at 2.365" COL and have more room if needed.