WSM in a small shank????

[jumpalot]

The local Sportsman's Warehouse is selling the Stevens really cheap right now. I was thinking of picking up a short action and converting to a 300 WSM. I know Savage had created a large shank receiver for the WSM cartridges so I wasn't sure if you could do a WSM in a small shank. If so, what do I need to change? Barrel, bolt head, magazine, anything else?
Thanks for the help.

[tammons]

I think they made factory WSM small shank barrels for a year or two.
You can have one made.

You need to change the bolt head and I think the firing pin assembly too.

[geargrinder]

You'd be better off getting the Stevens in a long action magnum caliber.

There are a few benefits.

You won't have to swap bolt heads or firing pins.
You'll be able to seat long bullets and still use the magazine.
The centerfeed magazine will feed them very well.

I've done it. I have a 300wsm Hart, 300wsm Krieger, and a 7mmwsm Shilen. All of them are small shank and on long actions.

[efm77]

Yes it can be done. You could also have a gunsmith ream out and re-thread the front of the receiver to accept the large shank barrels as well as some people have done. Never heard of any problems with WSM's or RUM's on small shanks but some people like having the little bit of extra steel around the chamber that the large shank creates.

[ThorBird]

I built a single shot 7 WSM on a small shank. You need to have a long action magnum bolt head modified for the short action. For a repeater, I like the idea of building a long action.

[nova1194]

Will they feed from a staggered magazine ?
This post caught my eye because I have a couple mgnum actions laying around, one is a 116 stainless with a blind stagger feed and the other is a DBM with the large claw style extractor, and I have been wanting to try a 300 WSM for a while .

Mike

[tammons]

They make a factory short action Magnum bolt head IE on a WSM so you dont need to mod a long action magnum bolt head to get it to work on a short action.

[geargrinder]

Will they feed from a staggered magazine ?
This post caught my eye because I have a couple mgnum actions laying around, one is a 116 stainless with a blind stagger feed and the other is a DBM with the large claw style extractor, and I have been wanting to try a 300 WSM for a while .

Mike


Yes, they will feed. Mine feed very well. But, the centerfeeds, I worry about less.

[geargrinder]

They make a factory short action Magnum bolt head IE on a WSM so you dont need to mod a long action magnum bolt head to get it to work on a short action.




True, but you need the firing pin assembly from the SA WSM as well.

[tammons]

Mentioned that earlier.

I was just responding to someone above that mentioned you needed to machine a long action
magnum bolt head, but a factory SA bolt head is available.

[Blue Avenger]

used to be you had to machine one as the short mags were controlled round feed. They have stopped making CRF guns. WSMs are now push feed.

[sinman]

Don't forget you can make a Lg shank wsm barrel a small shank fairly easy.