Convert Savage 111 in 223 Rem to 243 or 260?

[223kev]

Hello all,

I've been on here a year or so looking through posts about conversions and I'm getting excited and closer to doing it but need a little help. I have a model 111 in 223 with the 5.062 spacing. I'm not sure what cal. to go to but am leaning towards the 243 Win. or 260 Rem. My biggest question as of right now is with the magazine box cutout. The top of the action appears to be the long action cutout but the bottom where the magazine box fits looks to only be machined for a short action but I'm not sure if it works with all short actions or only specific ones. The magazine box is approximately 3.35 inches and appears to have a spacer behind where the magazine follower would go. Can a conversion be done on this to one of the 2 calibers of interest?

This may be my first of many questions about this if I can move forward with it and thank you all in advance!

[s3silver]

Your stock will work for all standard short action cartridges. I'm pretty sure your 223 magazine will not work with the 243/ 260 case. The mag walls will probably be too narrow plus the follower is too narrow. You might be able to modify it by bending the walls and lip wider and changing out the follower. In the end it's probably easier to just buy a new one.

[223kev]

Thanks for the information s3silver!

[geargrinder]

I've got one of these as well. Mine usually is relegated to single shot duty with a single shot follower. It's currently a 28 Nosler.

You've got a couple options.

You could bend the small little tabs and remove the spacer in the magazine and replace the follower with a longer follower. As noted above, you may need to work with the feed lips a little.

Or, you could replace the mag box and follower. These magazines are getting a little tougher to find since the change to centerfeed magazines.

Or, you could run it single shot and convert it to any short or long action round you want.

Or, you could inlet the stock for a CDI bottom metal. They make a long action bottom metal that takes short action aics magazines.

Or, you could could rig a centerfeed magazine into your stock. One time I made a small plate for the floor of the magazine and then fixed the assembly into the mag box inlet of the stock with a small blob of epoxy putty.

Just a few of the options I thought of off the top of my head.

[223kev]

Thanks for the reply. I thought this might be an easy and cheap conversion but it sounds like more research is in the works.

[Cajun48]

Not trying to start anything, just a FYI. 223 rem is a short action cartridge. Therefore you have a savage 11 (short action) not a 111 (long action)
offered in both the Model 11 short action and the Model 111 standard-length action.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/28/gun-test-savage-model-11/#ixzz4W5EekkS4

[geargrinder]

Nope, between 1988 and 1998 Savage built everything on a long action.

The short actions were on a long action but the mag opening was short action length and used short action length magazines. I have a LH 110 that started life as a 308. It's currently a single shot 28 Nosler.

[scooterf79]

What geargrinder said....if it's the 5in spacing it's a long action with a short action box. They did this before SA came out. I have one one in 22-250....my first Savage....well, nows it's a 6BR.
Scooter