Rebarreling a REM 17 to a 223 AI, Pros and Cons

Jeffcaldwell

New member
Guys I'm thinking of re-barreling a Rem 700 action "chambered in .17 Rem" to a .223AI. Everything looks fine but I have a concern about overall lenght. The 17 is about 2.150 OAL with a 26 grn HP, and the 223AI is out at 2.250 or more with 69grn bullets. An don't be shy about what you think of my caliber choice.... Later Jeff
 
It will work .
I've got parts on order for one myself.

My current .223 rem is built on a .17rem.
Short action is short action, as long as the bolt face is correct, makes no diff. Might have to alter the mag box,not a big deal.
 
Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeIt will work .
I've got parts on order for one myself.

My current .223 rem is built on a .17rem.
Short action is short action, as long as the bolt face is correct, makes no diff. Might have to alter the mag box,not a big deal.

Saying all 700 short actions are the same is not exactly true. While they are the same length, Remington 700 .221 Fireball actions have different feedrails and the ejector is in a different position on the bolt face, which can and usually does lead to feeding and ejection issues with longer and heavier cases. Having said that, a .17 Remington action should work perfectly fine for a .223AI conversion.
 
I have a Remington 700 BDL in .17Remington. Just tried my 2.272" COL .223 ammo in the magazine and it fits just fine.

I didn't experiment to see what the max would be, but what I have fits. I see no reason it shouldn't feed just fine.

Fitch
 
You know what, Jeff? As someone who owns .17 Remington AND .223 rifles AND a .223 AI rifle I kind of hate to see you part with that .17 caliber. OK, I will admit it and there is no doubt that the .223 Ackley is a superior all around cartridge than any .17 caliber out there, but it is such a nifty little cartridge I would hate to see you give it up. I mean if it is just an old Rem 700 action that was originally chambered in .17 Rem that be one thing, but I kinda hope that you are not going to cannibalize one gun to make another one out of it. I would rather see you pick up an old Savage or Stevens .223 myself to make an AI out of. Might you have room in your safe for both of them?
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I have to agree with Rustydust on this one. The .17 is such an awesome coyote gun with 25 or 30gr bullets. with good shot placement, it will still kill out to 250+ yards. Call them any closer than that and it's game over. Are you going w/ the 223AI for the velocity increase, or what is your primary motivation?
 
i agree with the others. why cannibalize a perfectly good gun? sell it and get what you want, or keep it and build one out of a cheap stevens. but then again i'm a purist. i like things stock......
 
YUP! I love my .17 Remington (Lilja/Sako) and my .223s (factory) and my Swift (factory). Don't know much about the .223 AI. Probably pretty cool.

To me the real value in what you are thinking of doing with be the increased quality of a top notch custom barrel. Hopefully more accurate and lower maintenance.
 
I'd do it. There's nothing sacred about the .17Rem, especially when it's a factory Remington barrel. The .223AI will surprise you with it's performance. However it might not feed properly at first.....some people have posted no problems and others have. Mine wouldn't feed as an AI but it wasn't hard to fix with a few minor tweaks. Don't alter the feed rails.

The .223AI gets remarkable performance from a relatively small increase in powder capacity....with lighter bullets. The velocity advantage over std. .223 becomes less as bullet weight increases. You mention 69gr bullets, the Sierra? Be aware that the Sierra 69 has a poor BC for it's weight and can't be shot fast enough from a .223 case to make up for it. With the 69 Sierra, you'll have more wind drift and a ton more bullet drop than 50's or 40's going as fast as they do from this cartridge. If you're shooting varmints, it would be a very poor choice.
 
You wont regret the new chamber. I went out today with my "mostly done" 223AI just to Fireform some more brass. I shot off bipods using 80gr SMKs. Im quite pleased with how it shoots with fireforming loads. I expect much better accuracy after I start load development. The groups Im getting are just fine for all the hunting Im interested in though. Will spend a few days in a PD town this spring and get the rest of these +3000 rounds fireformed and screw a new barrel onto the action. PDs be very scared!!!! The first couple groups were a little scattered prolly because the molly hadnt coated the entire barrel yet.

223AI80grSMK.jpg
 
Thanks guys for all the in put.. I'ts a .17 std. Remington barrel thats been shot hard for two genrations of my family and now it's time for a new barrel. Besides I hate putting powder in those tiny little cases. Later Jeff
 
Thanks guys for all the in put.. I'ts a .17 std. Remington barrel thats been shot hard for two genrations of my family and now it's time for a new barrel. Besides I hate putting powder in those tiny little cases. Later Jeff
 
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