C96 bolo relining or rebarrel

[mccaslyn]

Hello I recently got a bolo c96 and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for a reline or rebarrel to 9mm .30 Mauser is just to expensive these days. I know lugerman does this but was wondering some opinions on his work or if anyone knows another source with a reasonable turn around time that does good work. thanks guys.

[Major Tom]

I enjoy my 30 luger caliber. I bought 200 new brass casings and about 700 .309 bullets for it a couple years ago. I load Bullseye powder for it. I also bought commercial loaded ammo got it too. It is not any more expensive to reload for than any other caliber, but with the ammo and reloading componets hitting sky high costs it is expensive today.

[conehammer]

I'd think twice about getting it relined to 9mm. Just MHO. witha supply of Starline brass, appropriate bullets and the usual primer, powder you can reload quite reasonably. I use Lyman molds for years to cast hard lead bullets that worked great. I used to shoot my first broomhandle every weekend for years. Hardly every had a feed issue. All of the 9mm versions I've had, to my knowledge originals all were finicky. I'd stay with the original 7,63mm if it were me.

It is your pistol so do what works for you but consider the original round.

Jerry

[mccaslyn]

Well would you even reline it to 30 perhaps? It pretty much keyholes and I'd obviously like to have it shoot straight or just save the money and buy stuff to reload? I do currently reload 9 and 38\357

[sheepherder]

Just IMHO but the 30 Mauser barrel is too thin to reline. During WW I, the Germans re-barreled the C96 to 9mm. Their method was similar to the pics below. (In the third pic, you can just barely see the join line, which happens to be where the C96 barrel 'step' is located).

Also IMHO, the 'Bolo" is not worth re-barreling. Trade/sell it for a decent C96, in 30 or 9mm.

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by mccaslyn

Well would you even reline it to 30 perhaps? It pretty much keyholes and I'd obviously like to have it shoot straight or just save the money and buy stuff to reload? I do currently reload 9 and 38\357

I don't know if Redman's is still in the broomhandle relining business or not- but they were the only one left doing it since a few years.

No sensible way to reline a .30 to 9mm; as Rich says, the barrel is just too thin.

When .30's were converted to 9mm during the heyday of imports, they were bored and re-rifled; not relined.

The method shown by Rich is a good way, but likely to be too costly today.

[mccaslyn]

Hm alright lugerman offers the service for a reline of either 9mm or 30 but we'll see I may just shoot it for what it is sparingly

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by mccaslyn

Hm alright lugerman offers the service for a reline of either 9mm or 30 but we'll see I may just shoot it for what it is sparingly

You may be surprised; some of these old sewerpipes shoot surprisingly accurately...

[mccaslyn]

Oh well It cycles perfect I've shot maybe 100 rounds but it keyholes at 5 yards pretty bad lol

[Kiwi]

Keyholes are nice for uninvited house guests

[DonVoigt]

Originally Posted by mccaslyn

Hm alright lugerman offers the service for a reline of either 9mm or 30 but we'll see I may just shoot it for what it is sparingly

Yes, but just because it is "offered" doesn't make it a good idea! JMHO

Relining an occasional shooter does not make much sense to me, and I'd be interested to know what the cost of a LM reline is.

[mccaslyn]

Approx 230$ or so. So you think I'd be better off either buying a Mauser with better rifling or just getting 230$ worth of ammo lol

[schutzen-jager]

i had one rebored to 9mmP + shot it regularly for decades without any problems -

[DonVoigt]

"Re-boring" has been done for years and to probably 1000's of imports- no doubt it works; but
the question was about "re-lining" to 9mm.

Does anyone still do "re-boring" to 9mm ?

Maccaslyn,
Up to you - will you shoot it enough to be "worth" it to you?
The $230 sounds like a real bargain price for the work involved!

[schutzen-jager]

most reputable barrel makers can rebore , rifle , + rechamber one - gunsmith in FL. that done mine passed on + i do not know if anyone took over his business - Keng's in Atlanta + Federal Ordnance used to do them - Keng's is still in business -

[mccaslyn]

this is true don honestly i cant say that its something ill shoot more then a handful of times a year at most. I will have to think on it if i decide to do it ill definately post here to let you know how process went