Anybody converted a Rem .17 to a Fireball lately?

V

VaniB

New member
I'm eyballing and thinking of buying a old Rem 700 BDL .17 cal for the conversion to a fireball. ( actually a 20 Fireball...AKA 20 Vartarg)

Anybody know if Remington is still selling the parts, and if it's a fairly easy and reliable conversion to do?

I suppose I can call Remington about parts availability, but I've never talked with them at Remington and I am not expecting them to be real helpful with me on the topic of non-factory/non-authorized conversions. Figured I'd check with you guys first.
 
May be an odd question but don't you just need a barrel? Should be the same bolt face right.
 
In case anybody, or any one of the 125 viewers that checked in here care to know:

I spoke with Remington. While trying to be helpful, the guy knew a whole lot less then the fine bunch of guys at Saubier's Small caliber forums. In fact the Remington guy had no personal expertise or knowledge on the topic, and could only refer to his printed info drawings to speculate.
While assumptions are easy to make, the wrong one could result in my being out hundreds of dollars in a rifle that I can't use.

The Saubier's forum guys believe that ejector had to be relocated in the bolt face for the fireball case to be ejected. It is different then that of the 222 or 17 Rem bolt. (At least that's what the Sabier's guys say, while the Remington guy had no clue and wanted to dispute it) As well, it seems that while the fireball case follower might be the same as with a 222 Rem, it is differen't then a .17 case. Then there's the issue of a spacer block magazine which might be different too. ("might".....?)


So the bottome line is, if you want a fireball cartridge in your Remington 700, but desire a differen't stock... then you still need to buy a fireball action....and put a different stock on it. Not a cheap endeavor.

Hmmm....nobody else here knew anything? Well, glad I was able to help some.
 
Why do you need to change the ejector? and how is it diferent? The follower/magazine would be different because of length but still might work.
 
MRL said:
Why do you need to change the ejector? and how is it diferent? The follower/magazine would be different because of length but still might work.
Click to expand...

The fireball case is shorter then the 222. 17. or 223. I witnessed first hand when extracting a fireball case from out of my 223 chamber that the case would not fall out of the rifle. It just gets released by the extractor and sits there, so you have to reach in and pull it out. I can see this is caused by the case not being long enough to contact the walls of the receiver. The forum guys tell me that changing the position of the ejector has allowed the case to contact the top of the receiver so the spring tension of the ejector pops it out when it reaches the receiver opening.

Don't know if this was described accurately to me, but it makes sense from what I'm seeing with my own 223 rifle.

BTW, they also tell me that while the extraction functioning of the Rem 700 in a fireball chambering works, it is not the most reliable. They say you have to operate the bolt in a slower and more deliberate manner then compared to other cases. As I do not expect instances of charging squirrels requiring rushed chambering of rounds, this is acceptable to me.
 
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I have 17 that was converted to a 6X223 and does the same thing.
 
MRL said:
I have 17 that was converted to a 6X223 and does the same thing.
Click to expand...


You mean not throw the case out of the chamber?.... or, not function properly unless you move the bolt slow and deliberate?

BTW, thanks for showing up. It's nice having somebody to talk to on this deserted island.
 
XP-100 may have the answer

VaniB said:
The fireball case is shorter then the 222. 17. or 223. I witnessed first hand when extracting a fireball case from out of my 223 chamber that the case would not fall out of the rifle. It just gets released by the extractor and sits there, so you have to reach in and pull it out. I can see this is caused by the case not being long enough to contact the walls of the receiver. .
Click to expand...
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ask yourself : how come it does eject the short case in the XP-100 pistol action and you may find the answer.

Shoot better
Peter
 
It pulls the case from the chamber and drops it on the follower which is fine with me, since it is used as a single shot anyway. I don't need a repeating varmit rifle,
 
The ejector pin will have to be replaced with a longer one . The problem is with that short case during extraction . The case drops off the extractor because the case is angled more to the bolt face.

Do a search on making Rem Br cases feed properly in Remington short actions.
http://www.bryantcustom.com/articles/6BRMagazine.htm

Glenn:D
 
Stonewall said:
The ejector pin will have to be replaced with a longer one . The problem is with that short case during extraction . The case drops off the extractor because the case is angled more to the bolt face.

Do a search on making Rem Br cases feed properly in Remington short actions.
http://www.bryantcustom.com/articles/6BRMagazine.htm

Glenn:D
Click to expand...

Is it really that easy?

Because if I could buy an old Rem 700 222 and leave the magazine and everything else alone in it except to change out the existing ejector for a longer ejector, I'd be willing to try it.

I haven't taken the bolt apart in awhile and don't remember what the ejector pin looks like. But, I wonder if it's something I could fabricate myself with piano steel wire and a dremel tool?
 
The shank of a proper sized drill bit works to make small pins in a hurry and is quite easy to find.

Glenn:D
 
longer ejector pin fix

What a good friend did on his 221 f.b. was to file a bit deeper in the ejector pin notch so that it protruded up in the bolt face more.Don't know but he said it ejected better for him??
 
terry byler said:
What a good friend did on his 221 f.b. was to file a bit deeper in the ejector pin notch so that it protruded up in the bolt face more.Don't know but he said it ejected better for him??
Click to expand...


You know, when I read that last night, I had no clue what you meant. This morning I now read it again and understood it instantly! Amazing what a good night's rest and a cup of coffee in the morning can do fo one. :D

Thanks, I'll check into that simple approach too.
 
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