[5744]

I am sure there are many folks that will tell you to NEVER cut up an older Winchster.

Think that's BUNK!

There are a ton of well used, unpretty 69a's out there that need a way to have some new life brought into them.

Think your idea of taking one of your rougher ones, and adding a new twist to it is a great one, think my only concern, does not the 69a have an integrated feed ramp cut from the breech end of the barrel? That might cause a complication or two.

 

[Alaninga]

it can be done I believe,,,,,,

the special drill is not what I would start the hole with. I would "bore" with a firmly mounted boring tool in the lathe tool holder,,,to get an accurate start at the breech end because it does have a 'ramp'. Then when past the ramp and into a full nose cut,,use the special liner drill I have.
17Mach II,,here I come.
I have also milled grooves in an old 69A before,,,you could not tell it was not factory!
Alan in GA.

 

[Jolly Bill]

Alan,

Sounds like a neat project.

I would like to offer a word of caution that you somehow mark the gun with the new caliber so that someday down the road, after you sold it, turned it over or whatever, no one will not attempt to load and fire a .22LR cartridge in it.

A .22 bullet may have a hard time trying to get down that .17 caliber hole.

Enjoy both the converting and the shooting.

Respectfully - Jolly Bill

 

[Alaninga]

good idea,,,I think that's law,,,,

that a rifle of any sort be stamped with actual caliber.

 

[Blazer037]

Yea, that's a good idea - but I think you'd have to be the "the Hulk" to get a .22 chambered in a .17HM2 .

I have a Savage/Anschutz 164 that I want to re-line to .17HM2 - just don't have the tools yet.

 

[Jolly Bill]

I believe the Hornady .17HM2 is a .22LR necked down to .17. That being the case, a .22LR would chamber quite easily in a .17HM2.

Ditto for the Hornady .17HMR being a necked down .22WMR to .17.

Is that correct?

If so, a .22LR marked barrel/gun sleeved to .17HM2 could be risky.

Respectfully, Bill.

 

[Alaninga]

I believe,,,,,

that only the 22 Short would chamber,,still bad thing to do. I would not leave the Winchester barrel marked with the 'previous' chambering. Easy to mill out and restamp. Once relined,,,I'm not too worried about "origionality" of the Winchester 69A. I'm still thinking of this project....and if a CZ 452 were to pop up at a good price it could put the Win 69A back in the "restoration" slot like several others I have.
I am 54 years old,,have owned hundreds of firearms,,but always thought the 69 and 69A were super practical 22 rifles, and worthy of any restoration they might need. I haven't counted recently,,but I think I have 8 of them. Some are in 95% plus condition,,othes will be fun shop projects whenever I get to them. There are 2 Win 56's in 22 SHORT [only] in the safe also, waiting for some restoration. Also have a Win 75 Sporter I picked up a few months ago, with some SUPER wood grain. Someone had sanded the stock, but enough of the checkering remains for a friend of mine skilled in checkering,,to be able to 'accurately recut' the exact same location and restore to even better than origional checkering [sharper points,,defined lines, etc]. It has Weaver scope bases,,the front drilled and tapped to the barrel as was 'accepted' back in the 50s'. At least is is true to centerline,,what with some fine old bolt 22s being POORLY drilled and tapped for scope bases. This Win 75 Sporter has been altered enough that any finishing I may do will not 'hurt' the collectability,,as the 'collectablity' has already been pretty much done in by a previous owner. The bore is excellent, the metal is perfect,,front sight hood 'still there', so this 75 sporter will be a really fun project to 'make right'. If a previous owner had not cut the forend for a black forend tip, I would attempt to restore the rifle to 'origional'. With the forend walnut missing, this stock will have to keep it's added black forend. It had white line spacers added to the buttplate, pistol grip, and at the black forend attachment joint, but at least these were easy enough to remove. Two sets of eyes are necessary for the forend white spacer to be removed,,,,one set on each side guiding a coping saw blade down the middle of the spacer as it is cut. The remaining white spacer material can then be ground off, and the black forend reattached to the stock. The origional buttplate and pistol grip cap are thankfully still there.
Alan in GA.

 

[gunnut69]

A hint-- to remove the tip use a fine tooth hacksaw with the set ground out of the teeth. Saw in from the edge and rotate the stock so the teeth coming out are slways exiting the stock in the barrel channel. The saw will most often follow the white material..but should it wander the exit will be in the barrel channel. no harm-no foul.. Most of the spacers were plastic and cut readily..The lack of set in the teeth tned to make the saw follow the cut a bit better..

 

[Jolly Bill]

Alinga,

8 Winchester model 69's. That's a lot more than your share. Good thing there's no limit.

I've just got 1 M69A - a late one with the grooved receiver in about 95% condition.

I just put a Weaver V22 - 3 to 6 variable with the duplex crosshairs on the gun yesterday. I have the original box for the Weaver. The price label says it came from Neisner's for $18.00. I paid 20 bucks for it 2 months ago.

Hope to take the gun out in the back yard today to see how it shoots with the new scope.

Also looking to buy a model 75 "Sporting". I posted a message about the grooved receiver on the gun which was made in 1951. I thought a little early for the grooved receiver.

Got a reply from Asa that Winchester started adding the grooved receiver around serial number 60000. That's good to know.

Gunnut69 - thanks for sharing your suggestions about removing the black fore end tip or other saw projects to minimize saw slot width.

Hope everybody has a Great Father's Day.

Jolly Bill

 

[454ho]

dusting off the cobwebs

**** OLD THREAD ALERT ****

I found this with a search for 17hm2. Was wondering if you ever attempted/completed this project. If so, how did it turn out? If not, why? I am thinking of doing the same... relining a vintage rifle and chambering it 17hm2

 

[Alaninga]

old thread? that's because.......

.....I'm now an old geezer! lol.

I decided that I did not have any 69As that qualified as 'project' guns....was looking for a 'bad bore' in one.

I did finally use the Redman liner to reline a Chinese bolt rifle to 17M2. It's a clone of the CZ 452/Brno 22 clip fed rifle.
It has been completed with the exception of the extrator relief in the barrel face not being quite close enough to the chamber......the remedy being to just dismount the barrel again [easy enough after the first time] and touch/deepen the extraction groove a bit more with a file. I have to eject an empty case with a cleaning rod from the muzzle about once every 10 shots as it is now.
Shoots about 3/4" at 50 yards on an indoor range. It has had only about 30 rounds through the barrel.....not enough for 'break in' that I've found some 17 bores need. I need to run some JB thru and get it back to the range.....something that will be done here very soon.
Geezer project just about finished. Accuracy still to be determined!! I need to run about 50 or 100 rounds through this bore before final verdict.!

Who's following this? If enough are interested I'll get off my can and get back 'to it'!

 

[454ho]

Thanks Alan. I found a 69A 'parts gun' that might be a viable donor candidate for a 17hm2 conversion. Was hoping to find someone that had actually done one before.

 

[HectorFuego]

I think it's a cool idea. Especially if you have one with a "bad" bore. If you do it, keep us posted on the progress, and be sure to give us an in-depth range report.

Brownells has everything you need to get it done, but it's a fairly expensive set of tools for a one-time conversion. Of course they are re-useable, so if you could do 3 or 4, it would not be too bad. IIRC the liners are not that expensive.

Hector

 

[Alaninga]

possible candidate for 17M2'ing.....Win 68...

I have a Winchester 68. I cut the barrel back to about 21" because of a bad spot in the bore. Bore now is perfect.
Origional peep sight was missing when purchased, has/had a Marbles open sight that worked well.
Option 1) mill dovetail at front of barrel and fit blade open sight, refit Marbles to rear dovetail and make a "Boy's Rifle" of sorts.
Option 2) D&T scope base to rear, reline bore to 17M2 and have....well...what would I have?!
Option 3).....same as option 1 because it sounds closer to keeping the "Winchester" in this "Winchester" rifle!

Can't quite get used to the idea of ANY old Winchester 22 being anything else.

Also, I have a walnut/blued Ruger 77/22 that would a better project base...yeah..the Win 68 is going to become a "Boy's Rifle" and left in .22 S, L, and L. Rifle. Maybe my 8 year old Grandson's if he wants it. Now to decide what front open sight blade to mount to be used with an open rear. I don't like the location of the factory peep on a 68....I've had several and they just don't float my boat....the peep is too FAR from this shooter's eye!