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I have a drilling with no maker or seller marks that I can find. Nitro proof in script so not proofed in suhl, Mabe Zeller Malhis? 16x16 over 6.58rSauer .proofed with steel jacket.I rubbed marks with chalk click on picture and expand . Any clue about maker?. Also ammo hard to find if someone has a store of 6.5 58R Sauer they can spare.

GMCS,
No clue as to maker. You are correct that it is 6.5x58R S&S. The 16 in a circle means it has 65mm( 2 1/2-2 9/16")16 ga. chambers. The crown W means that barrel is choked, but amount of constriction not given. The crown G means that barrel was proofed for a single projectile(bullet). The crown U is the mark for a View proof, performed after definitive proof, which amounts to a detailed inspection, including verification of dimensions. It was proofed in September 1926( 9,26). The numbers under the date are the ledger number. The ledger number, along with "Nitro" written in script, confirms the gun was proofed( and likely made in or near) in Zella-Mehlis rather than Suhl, as you thought. I don't know of any current source of commercial ammo. This cartridge is largely a hand loading exercise and a fairly complicated one at that. Cases are difficult to make and bullets are usually smaller than available .264" diameter. If you can find custom loaded ammo, it is likely to be expensive, as would cases.
Mike

Thank you Skeettx and Mike. I have a partial box of rifle ammo and have ordered another couple more. If I find some dies I will feel lucky

What might be those Os on the left side of the fore & aft lugs? Any maker's marks on the water-table or standing breech?


Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Could these be the right dies? 15th down. Dave has a lot of oddball stuff if a fella just looks.



http://www.ch4d.com/products/dies/caliber-list?page=7

Yes and they can modify the expander ball to match the chamber cast
Thank you sharps4590

Ellenbr the marks on the side of lugs are 0 they are well stamped. There is a mark near the tube joints. R__0 or something close. Possibly the tube set builder?. I may take it to the southern sxs and see if anyone at the German gun collectors table can make anything out of them.

BTW, the crown S above the crown W is the proof mark for "shot".
Mike

Doesn't hurt to check the groove diameter. My Heeren turned out to be .264 and loves 120 grain Sierras.

Doesn't Oskar have a drilling in this chambering? Maybe he could chime in...

I've been gone. Yes I have one also, it is one of my favorite coyote hunting weapons and very accurate. Mine has a .260 groove diameter, it will shoot .257 bullets but I'm leery of blow-by ruining a irreplaceable barrel. C&H supplied my dies and made me a bullet swaging die to take .264's down to .260. Brass is a bit of a problem in my rifle, regular 6.5x58R Sauer Bertram brass is too thin in the neck and brittle, I have to keep annealing it to keep it from splitting. I have much better luck with Norma 9.3x72R brass and forming it to 6.5x58RS. My chamber is generous enough that I don't even have to ream it.

L-R 243, 6.5x58RS, 9.3x72R


200 yards with the 75gr V-Max .257 bullet


It works well.




Mine is Suhl proofed and was made for Wilkes, I believe a retailer, actual maker unknown.

Oskar,
I advocate using original length( 2.125-2.130") 38-55 cases for 6.5x58R S&S, but don't have a rifle to try them in. I was curious if those necks would be thick enough to hold a .260" ( or .257"), by sizing w/o expander. Have you tried this? Can you?
Mike

For me it is easier to form from 9.3x72R than the 38-55 as I have to turn the face of the rim or the rifle won't close(38-55 Rim is too thick).

To use the .257 bullets I can get away with just sizing the 9.3x72R formed brass in the 6.5x58R die. With the Bertram brass I have to neck size them in a 250 Sav die.

I need to run them through the 250 Sav die with a 260 expander ball for the .260 bullets it is a little undersized for the proper neck tension. In the 6.5 die they won't size down enough for the .260 expander ball to even touch the neck.

Oskar,
Every rifle is different and every handloader is different. I have a couple 9.3x72Rs and an 8x72R, so I'm hesitant to shorten long cases if I can use shorter, available cases. Once I get the lathe set up, with appropriate stops, it is no problem to thin and turn rims. I haven't been able to find a good 6.5x58R at a price I can afford. I didn't want one, until I read of your experiences with yours.
Mike

If I had a lathe I might go with the 38-55 brass also.

I am thinking a mini-mill for making claw mount rings. They make some combo rigs that might be just right for case work also.

Oskar,
A lathe is a requirement of life. One would open up so many more options for you. A mini-mill would be helpful also. I have not been impressed with the combination machines I have seen. I especially don't like the ones with the mill at the headstock. One with the mill midway of the bed might be OK, but I have no experience with them. Keep your eyes open for a used machine, sometimes you can get a good deal. If you find one get all the tooling with it that you can.
Mike

I'm 72 now and my dad was a machinist, until he passed I never needed the machines, I worked in the shop with him and did all the hand fitting so I'm pretty good with files and he did the big stuff.

Low rings I did for my JP Sauer with just a hacksaw, files, calipers and mics. it took almost two months of fooling with it, but as you can see it turned out ok.



Original 6x48mm scope on it.



Just lowering the scope and going from a 6x to 1.5x changed the whole characteristics of the drilling going from a weapon more suited to hunting from a blind to a fast handling hunting rifle, not much different than a DGR.

Good show, I pretty sure I remember when you did it.
Mike

I did a chamber cast and got a .264 bore > the gun came with some .264 lead round nosed 120 grain loads in new Bertrum brass cases. I got some new Bertrum brass loaded with 120 Sierra grain soft points and test fired them at the local Marine base range, the gun shot both pretty good but the Sierra 120 grain soft points were the clear winner .there are no scope bases on this Drilling so the open sight is the way I will shoot it. This is an excellent shooter and I plan on taking it this year on a Delmarva Sika Elk hunt my buddy and I do each year, I had been using a combination cape gun in 9.3x72R and 16 ga.

simicgunner,
I suggest you check the energy the 6.5x58R can transmit to the animal before you decide to use it. It is good for Roe, passable for Whitetail, but Sika?
Mike

Mike a large Sika Buck on the Chincoteague refuge is 90 pounds most go 50 to 80 pounds. These little deer are small due to their diet. They are outstanding eating. The hunt is a culling hunt each year to keep them in control on the refuge. I have killed them with a 16 gage shotgun and 1 oz #3 buck-shot hand loaded in low pressure 2 1/2 hulls. Shooting distance is usually 50 yards or less. I would not use a gun that cannot make an ethical kill. People have used a 25-35 Winchester, are they pretty close in ballistics?

simcgunner,
What threw me was them being called Sika Elk in the first post. At less than 90 pounds, they are smaller than even our small Alabama Whitetail. In that case, 6.5x58R will work with a careful shot. It is about equal to 6.5x52R, which is the 25-35 loaded to slightly lower pressure. Good luck, it seems like you have everything well in hand. Be sure and post a photo for us to get jealous over.
Mike

Most people call them sika deer but they are actually an elk just small. you get a pretty good intro to them at check in at the refuge center.