204 problem

[Shaggy357]

Throat erosion is normally the culprit. Sometime a simple adjustment to OAL will suffice to reclaim accuracy. Many times tho if you increase OAL, you cannot fit in the magazine....to gleen another 1000 shots or so out of your gun, a magazine follower to support single shot use is well worth the $20 you spend.

 

[edw]

Just got back from inspecting my barrel with the gunsmiths boroscope. Yea, the throat is pretty burnt and eroded. Now do I have him cut my barrel and ream it for $100 or go for a new barrel for $325? A cut back barrel may or may not last or be that accurate especially since it's a factory barrel. I have the go nogo gages so I'm thinking new.

 

[msinc]

Well, it's up to you, but I have had good results setting back the shoulder and doing a rechamber. I mean, yes the bore can wear some, but usually not that bad. At least not to the point that setting it back and getting past that burned throat don't accomplish anything. If the bore itself looked good and had no tight spots and previously the rifle shot 1/2 minute then the new $300 plus dollar barrel is libel to not do any better, if as good. I have learned several times that throwing money at a new pipe don't necessarily equate to an automatic accuracy fix.
Make no mistake, the 204 is a throat burner. I have a borescope and watch my barrels carefully. I also shoot alot and when I had a 204 I noticed that the throat in mine {Pac-Nor stainless super match} started to scorch at just 300 rounds. It still shot fine because it was just the beginnings of a burned out barrel, but I had to adjust seating depth to maintain accuracy. I did a rechamber soon after and got rid of the rifle. It was not abused at all, that is to say I didn't take it to the range on a real hot day and crank one after another out of it with the barrel sweltering hot. This really was pretty normal varmint shooting. In fact, if I thought I could have gotten 2000 rounds out of it I would have kept it!!!

 

[edw]

I thought about it over night and I decided to do both. I found a new Shilen and its on the way and Ill have the old barrel cut back. Cant get better than that.

 

[pacificman]

Seems many of us were right about the throat on your barrel.
Thanks for keeping us informed. Now you can get some more use out of
your old barrel then eventually spin on the new one. I would be curious as
to how many rounds you get out of your old barrel after set-back. I have always
just bought a new barrel and have never re-chambered throat on old ones.

 

[edw]

This way a bunch of Chucks will go down before I need another one