Comments

1. On November 11, 2020 at 2:24 am, Georgiaboy61 said:

   It’s an informative video, but at around the 10:00 mark, the presenter makes a couple of statements which could be considered errors, or to be charitable, deserve some clarification.

   First, Mr. Spomer states that the two cartridges being compared, the 6.5 Creedmoor and the 6.5×55/Swedish Mauser, go “about the same speed,” and goes on to say that although the older cartridge has more powder space, it is “not designed to take as much pressure.” He then states that the standard pressure for the 6.5 CM is “62,000 psi” whereas the standard pressure for the 6.5×55 is “only 56,000.”

   The presenter glosses over some important information here. First, the older 6.5×55 is a long-action case, whereas the 6.5 Creedmoor is a short-action case.
   As Spomer states, the more-modern design of the Hornady 6.5 CM case makes up for this somewhat by having a longer neck so that the long-for-caliber .264 bullets don’t impinge upon power space in the body of the case. However, that being said, the 6.5×55 still enjoys a significant volume advantage, one which can be exploited by the skilled hand-loader, if he so chooses.

   Because the 130-year old 6.5×55 is an “old” design, there are a great many surplus military rifles – in particular Swedish Mausers – out in the marketplace, including some being used by collectors in the U.S. and North America.

   Although Swedish steel tended to be excellent, modern reloading manuals almost invariably reduce potential maximum loads by as much as 30% in order to assure that these old rifles can be fired safely. This is done not only for legal/liability reasons of risk-reduction, but because the quality of old surplus arms can vary a great deal from pristine to very hard-used.

   The other side of that coin is that if one wants a modern rifle chambered in 6.5×55, they are quite easily found from such manufacturers as CZ, Mauser, FN, and other companies. These are engineered to be safe with modern, high-pressure hunting loads for the 6.5×55. When paired with such a rifle, the full potential of Swedish Mauser cartridge can be exploited more-fully, provided the ammunition is made using high-quality components. Slow-burning powders not available until fairly recently also add to its potential.

   To the point here, the 6.5×55 – when loaded to its full modern potential and when used in a modern rifle designed for high-pressure hunting or target loads – can do much of what the 6.5 Creedmoor can do, and even some things that it can’t.

   The comparison is apt, because it is probable that one of the reasons that the 6.5×55 did not catch on here in the Americas to the extent that it did in Europe, was because of the introduction of the .270 Winchester in the 1920s. In the realm of hunting, there is really very little the 6.5×55 can do that the .270 cannot. The European cartridge offers less recoil, but that’s about it.

   Although 6.5 CM, .260 Remington and the like are more-common among LR target shooters, more folks equipped with rifles in 6.5×55 are starting to show up. The venerable Swedish-Norwegian design still has some useful life to it after all.

2. On November 13, 2020 at 4:17 pm, =TW= said:

   ^^ Some (well, many) years ago I was notified of newly arrived milsurp rifles at my LGS. Among them were several Swedish Mauser rifles and carbines in excellent condition. The craftsmanship of those rifles was impressive.
   I already owned a Spanish Mauser so I passed on the Swedes.
   Purchased a lovely RockOla M1 Carbine instead.

3. On November 15, 2020 at 1:18 pm, =TW= said:

   *Interrupted while making previous comment.*
   I am partial to Carbines, and particularly liked the short variant w/ turned-down bolt.
   The workmanship on those I handled was remarkable, superior to my Spanish Mauser.
   Since then, I have wanted to acquire a Swedish Mauser but the opportunity never arose.

   Good videos at Forgotten Weapons and C&Rsenal.

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