need some advice from the pros

[henke4310]

My Grandpa gave me his old savage 340c 222 and i have a interesting plan for this but i dont know if its even possable. First of all ill have to find someone to build me a stock for this jem. Second i dont know if you can get aftermarket barrels for this or if id have to have that make aswell (might get expencive haha) But anyway i would like to turn this into a eye catching 17-222. Think it would be fun to shoot and would really like to take it out with the boys and show off grandpas weapon . . . . just looking to see if this is at all possable
any advice would be awesome
thanks guys

 

[swiftdriver]

A savage 340 is a great little rifle. It sounds like you are planning on building a custom rifle using your grandpas rifle, but when you are finished you will have a new rifle with grandpa's action. Now to answer your questions. A custom stock can be built for just about anything,for a price. Good walnut stocks can cost thousands, Composite stocks can cost almost as much. I dont know of any semi-custom stock builders inleting for the 340, You could check with Richards Microfit stocks, if you can reach them. We can fit a barrel to almost any action, if it is safe to chamber the cartridge in that action. You should probably plan on spending 250-300 on the barrel plus another 150 minimum on the barrel fitting. I haven't even said anything about all those other small things that add up so fast, like blueing, trigger, scope mount ect. I hope I am not discouraging you, but I see people every week with a dream and little idea of the costs involved. May I propose another solution? The 222 is a fantastic cartridge, how about keeping the factory barrel, refinishing the factory stock ( a great project for a do it yourselfer ) , and having the metal refinished. You would end up with a great little rifle. What ever you choose good luck and good hunting.

 

[Loner]

Any company with a duplicator can inlet the stock off your existing stock.

 

[henke4310]

i know a little bit about what kind of money is going to be involved iv got my self one custom and another getting built and that does dont scare me to much. And it will still be the gun that grandpa gave me it will just get used more and look amazing. But do you personally think the 340 is capable 17-222 or should i be researching different options? I just liked the fact that the 222 was still part of it and that i just added my personal touch.
thanks a ton for the help

 

[swiftdriver]

The 17-222 should be no problem, even feed from your mag.

 

[shortgrass]

Any company with a duplicator can inlet the stock off your existing stock.

Some damage will occur to your original stocks exterior finish (because of the stylis that 'rides' the pattern). It probably won't be "drop in". The 17-222 operates at the same chamber pressures as the .222 Rem. Why not 17-223? Do you live in an area with consistant light winds?

 

[henke4310]

no i live in north dakota lol so wind is usually nasty but i have a hmr and iv had alot of fun with that whats so much better about the 17-223?

 

[J E Custom]

My recommendation would be to just clean it up and shoot it. After you change the barrel and the
stock it wont be your grandfathers rifle any more.

If you want a custom rifle, build yourself one and keep the old rifle as near as it was but still
safe and functional.

The 222 is a great little round a can be very accurate and fun to shoot.

As a grandfather myself I love to see my kids enjoy some of my old rifles and hope they
take care of them and leave them as they are. (Just sentimental I guess.

You can find a don er rifle and build what you want for a couple of hundred dollars more than
you can strip your granddaddy's rifle and change it.

I have "Restored" many rifles to as near as original as possible and the customers were glad
I talked them out of a total rebuild .

I have also Customized old rifles and there owners have later said they loved the way it shoots
but they wished they had left it alone or just gone through it.

Most old rifles have never been cleaned properly and can benefit greatly from a good cleaning.

When I was a kid I never cleaned my rifles except to wipe the outside down with oil, and later
in life I would run a swab through the bore with some Hoppe's #9 and remove the dirt and
powder fouling and I was done.

It was not until I started match shooting that I learned the value of a good cleaning.

So IMO clean it up and enjoy it for what it is/was "Your grandfathers rifle". and after you build
your custom rifle you can let him shoot it if he is still able.

J E CUSTOM

 

[shortgrass]

I kinda' agree with JE. And, if you know what the wind will do to a .17 cal., why bother? But, it's your rifle to do as you wish with it. Availability would be the main reason to go with .223 instead of .222. When you get into the 'not so common' wildcats, be prepared to buy the reamer. And, I'm no fan of "Richards Micro-Fit". Pretty wood won't make up for poor workmanship.

 

[henke4310]

17s are just fun haha and i have his 22 and 12 guage and those i fixed up and made them look pretty and there over the fire place and i just want one that i can have fun shooting every once it a while. It would still be no mater how you look at it still be the gun my grandpa gave me it would just look different just like the 22 and the 12 gauge haha. But anyway i would like to know some web pages for stocks. I want a walnut stock but want it to have a unique look to it if you know what i mean. Also what would the price tag be on a reamer for a 17-222. I will be Having Nathan Dagly (SSG) doing the work and i know he dosent have the reamer so i would just buy it and let him have it.
thanks for the help so far everyone