Barrel Beware

[hogpatrol]

A fellow hunter was on a quest for a Savage long action to build a 6.5-284. He found a 30-06 on gunbroker at a good price. Got it and it looked good, nice bluing, unmolested wood stock with pillars,
bore "bright and shiny" as advertised. We stripped the barrel. I gave it a good cleaning and this is how 75% of the bore looked afterwards, surface of the moon. I can only surmise this rifle was rarely used and stored somewhere exposed to the elements. Caveat Emptor.

 

[XTR]

How does it shoot?

 

[Ggmac]

So how does it shoot ? 30-06 = hunting gun , hunting gun = outdoors , outdoors = ? .
It doesn't look that bad , new Borescope ?

 

[FatBoy]

If the barrel is coming off anyway, why does it matter?

FWIW, I have 3" of pitting at the end of my 788 243win barrel and it's easily a .5moa rifle withe 95gr NBTs. Only thing that holds it back is me trying get to drive a 6#, skinny stocked rifle.

 

[hogpatrol]

He figured he could get something out of the barrel to defray the cost of the needed action and stock. I sell stuff here and told him I would never put it up for sale, anywhere. Almost the entire barrel is pitted. The post is just to make others aware that when ad copy says "bright and shiny", it's not necessarily the real condition, hence the Caveat Emptor.

 

[hogpatrol]

So how does it shoot ? 30-06 = hunting gun , hunting gun = outdoors , outdoors = ? .
It doesn't look that bad , new Borescope ?

Gary, I've had the borescope for a while. Hunting outdoors, yes. Leave it outside, no.

 

[Cool Tool]

Gary, I've had the borescope for a while. Hunting outdoors, yes. Leave it outside, no.

How much did the guy pay for this rifle.

 

[hogpatrol]

How much did the guy pay for this rifle.

Three hundred fifty.

 

[dickn52]

My savage barrel has the cut/cuff marks but not the pitting and it's less than 100 rounds through it.

 

[Cool Tool]

Three hundred fifty.

Sounds like a fair price bore scopes are the worst thing you can look threw the rifle in question is probably a good shooter give it a try an see.

 

[hpshooter]

The real proof of the barrel is the target. Bore scopes are great tools for finding carbon rings and throat erosion but are not a good indicator over all of how well the barrel will shoot.

I have a Winchester M1 with the original barrel, it is so rough that I almost sent it back to the DCM 34 years ago when I got it knowing that I would not stand much of a chance getting another Winchester with the original barrel I kept it. All of this was visible with a dental mirror pre bore scope days. The muzzle had the counter bore re-crown that was used in the day. With a bore scope it is as rough as the surface of the moon from the throat to the crown. Conventional wisdom would have sent it to the tomato stake farm. A month ago I shot a 94 with 5 X's in rapid prone on the 200 yard reduced target with it.

Like you I would be reluctant to sell the barrel you are referring to to a stranger. Would not have a problem offering it to a shooting friend for a bargain basement price with the proviso that they could pay me or return it after they shot it.

 

[snert]

I have a K hornet barrel that has pits in it that look like boogers. And I mean good ones! Shockingly it will still smoke a PD at 250 yards.

 

[Catfur]

Never look down a barrel unless there is something wrong.

 

[snowpro440]

That might just be the best shooter that you can buy....Shoot it and see what happens !
The old saying "Never judge a book by its cover might apply here "

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Dont look bad for a factory barrel really. I own worse, looks like tank tracks all the way down, shoots 3/4 moa with irons. Pitting is not just from rust, sometimes its in the steel. It may have looked that way from the factory.

 

[5spd]

I have in my safe a Savage 30-06 that rode in a ranchers trucks for 20 years, never cleaned & maybe shot 40x and the inside of the bbl looks like a crater pit the entire length, but it still prints at .540-1.110" @ 100 yds. I'm not changing it for now.

 

[Jim Hankins]

The most consistantly accurate rifle I have ever owned was a Savage 110 sillouette .223 with a bbl. that made the op's look like a mirror.Shot lots of 1/2" groups at 200 yards.Sold to a coworker 20 years ago and am still trying to get it back.

 

[jpx2rk]

I have a NIB (I've not put any rounds thru it yet) Cabela's Model 12 FV and cleaned it up to put a scope on it the other day. I used a Lyman borescope (new toy) to look at this barrel to use the new toy and being curious at the same time. My NIB barrel looks very similar to the pics the OP posted up. I even noticed some copper streaks (orange color) in spots as well.

I'll admit I was a bit disappointed in what I saw, but I haven't shot a single round thru it yet, so it will be interesting to see how it shoots once I get scope on and get the range.

I've a Model 12 FV in 204R NIB as well under the bed, kinda afraid to look at that one now.

 

[GerryM]

I have a winchester 223 varmint with a early hammer forged barrel thats just as rough.
It looked pretty close to the same as yours. I thought it would never shoot well.
It was a surprise to see it shoot as well as it did.
Bullets were grouping in 1/2 inch at 100. To keep it shooting I have to iosso the bore often.

 

[hogpatrol]

Ok guys, 16 replies on here on how this barrel might be a hummer. I'm putting it up for adoption, you pay 30 bucks which should cover shipping charges. Comes with the nut and the lug. Anyone want to belly up to the bar? This will be posted in the barrel, stock, forum. First I'll take it has it.