Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

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Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by in2anity » 05 Feb 2018, 8:22 pm

Here's the latest addition, a pretty tidy sportco martini in 22lr destined for RMS:

IMG_6853.jpg
Sportco martini 22lr with Leuie
IMG_6853.jpg (348.91 KiB) Viewed 2994 times


Shoots pretty well, about 25mm at 50m with SK Plus; minute of turkey if you're doing your part. Had it drilled and tapped for a rail and the trigger lightened. Threw on a EFR leuie (btw jeeze they're bloody nice scopes).

However what concerns me about this rifle is the crown; check it out:

IMG_6855.jpg
Should I be worried?
IMG_6855.jpg (244.02 KiB) Viewed 2994 times


There's a decent scrape on the edge, looks to have been dropped on concrete. Considering the rifle's current accuracy (and its age), how negatively do you guys think such an (edge) scratch could affect accuracy?

In2.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by Supaduke » 05 Feb 2018, 8:36 pm

Hard to say, plenty of brand new rifles doing 25mm at 50m. Without knowing what your rifle shot like before you owned it , might be a case of recrown and then at least you will know. Eliminate a variable as it were.
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by Wombat » 05 Feb 2018, 8:36 pm

Not much. The bore is ok (well it looks ok in the photo).
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by eddahenry » 05 Feb 2018, 8:37 pm

its the edge that the riffling meets thats the real issue and seeing as this one is quite recessed it should be fine
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by Apollo » 05 Feb 2018, 8:56 pm

Yes, it's mostly the edge of the crown to the bore. It doesn't look too bad in the photo but it needs a trained eye to spot any fault. One way to test is to run a cotton bud into the bore and when it comes out see if any strands attach to the edge. Test all the way around.

If you are worried about it, get a Pro to check it out for you.

Not too sure if it will work on that type of crown but on a clean target crown after a few shots you can see a pattern form on the crown from each part of the rifling and it should be a very even pattern, if one leg is a lot different then something is wrong with the crown. Should look a bit like a beaut even star pattern.
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by in2anity » 05 Feb 2018, 8:57 pm

Wombat wrote:Not much. The bore is ok (well it looks ok in the photo).


Yeah it appears to be, another angle:

9D87D126-445B-418A-92AF-5A0FD02B094C.jpeg
Angle #2
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At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by Wombat » 05 Feb 2018, 9:14 pm

It has had a few drops, a target crown could be cut to clean up the barrel- it'd look a lot nicer, but I dont reckon it'd shoot much differently.
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by pomemax » 05 Feb 2018, 10:44 pm

Sorry my OCD would kick in, I would strip the rifle re crown it and re blue it but as wombat said it may just shoot the same
you don,t have to strip it it to re crown a barrel
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/10072 ... 18-219-236
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by straightshooter » 06 Feb 2018, 7:07 am

You have a conventional sporter crown and it looks like it has served exactly the purpose it is designed for.
Your rifle shoots OK so why worry.
BUT
If your martini hasn't had the receiver drilled so it can be cleaned from the breech then there may be another problem lurking that results from cleaning from the front. This is a greater problem with centerfires and not so much with rimfires.
Obtain a good magnifier and carefully inspect just inside the edge of the transition from crown to inside the barrel in good light.
If you can see evidence of cleaning rod wear then the barrel MIGHT benefit from a recrown, but don't expect miracles.
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Re: Recent Acquisition / Barrel Recrown Question

Post by in2anity » 06 Feb 2018, 7:43 am

Cheers fellas; really appreciate your feedback. Think I'd be chasing my tail if we try and accurize it further; shoots pretty well for a 50yr old rifle.
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