Any doubt get it checked out

[Blink]

I turned in an enfield 1917 (remington) in 300win to a local smith to be checked out and minor work done. THey checked it out and went to test fire it and the barrel blew up. They dont know what happened, but the smith says it is really ported now and the rear sight is missing.

Good thing I didnt just go off to the range and start cranking off rounds. Lesson learned and pay the chump change and get the guns checked out.

There not charging me for anything so thats good.

Just a reminder.

Joel

 

[Murphy]

Split the Barrel...

Split the Barrel...

Blink,

No offense but this sounds fishy. Did the Smith by any chance flute the barrel or drill holes for sights or a muzzle brake? Just curious. Some barrel makers don't flute or port barrels for that reason. May have been a bit thin in the first place. Is the smith replacing the barrel? Good luck with it.

Murphy

 

[Blink]

Murphy,
I stopped by there tonight to look at it. Its an aftermarket bbl (unknown brand) and it looks like when the original builder drilled for the rear sight they went all the way through. naturally blew the site off and the bbl looked cracked. I'm probably just gonna hold onto the action for a later project. As for how or what actually happened I'm not sure, thats what they told me. I thought it would be worse than what it really was but I guess it coulda been worse.

I got it from an old timer from up north and he got it from another old timer. who knows when the work was done.

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

Murphy,
looks like when the original builder drilled for the rear sight they went all the way through.

I have seen old military rifles with civilian sights that had this same condition. I would make checking it a priority!! I'm sure drilling through the barrel was more common than one would think in those military conversions..... If I were to buy an old "sporter" it would be one of the first things I would check (before the deal was done!)......
I remember the first one that came into my buddies shop.... after the first one, they all got checked!! And the sad part is that isn't the only scary condition you find poking around.......

reuben....

 

[George]

yikes

yikes

Well, who says, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"! It's surprising that who ever had the gun before, after the "modification", didn't blow the screw out- likely they would have used full pressure factory ammo or maybe they knew something? Ported at the wrong end now. One way to look at it is that, in the end, that may have been the best possible outcome. No one was hurt, an expensive scope wasn't ruined and a serious flaw was discovered - and - still have an action to build a rifle on.

 

[Blink]

Your right on that george. the reason it was never shot was that it was rebarreled but the bolt face was never opened for a magnum. I think the man died before finishing it. The guy I got it from redid the stock (does excellent work) but not good with the machining of parts. so I picked it up for cheap.