chamber unknown

[nilebartram]

I received a rifle Ruger 77(centerfire) from a late relative. I and other relatives have no ideal what the rifle is chambered for. What is the best way to find this out. nilebartram

 

[jds holler]

My old tang safety types say on the barrel - left side just in front of the receiver.

If not an it has no Ruger logo and such on the barrel, you've got a custom and would probably be wise to cast the chamber. jd

 

[Shawnba67]

Cerrosafe casting. Its under $20 and melts at around 200 degrees. Its pretty easy to use/work with. Melt it pour it into a plugged off chamber, let it cool then out comes a measurable little casting.
I have used melted crayons in same way with relatively good results. Any hard wax would work but if you've kids you've broken crayons too.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

You could look around at his ammo stash and possibly deduce it that way too

 

[Bc'z]

You could also use calipers to measure bore diameter at the muzzle to narrow down caliber.

 

[butchlambert]

You could also use calipers to measure bore diameter at the muzzle to narrow down caliber.

Lands or grooves?

 

[spclark]

Lands or grooves?

Tricky either way if there’s 3 or 5 of either....

I’d cast it myself, once I got motivated to pull the barrel off so’s it’s an easy approach. Chamber casting a barreled action’s not something I’d approach casually.

 

[Bc'z]

Lands or grooves?

Grooves would be groovy.

 

[nilebartram]

I am gonna pull the barrel and try Cerrosafe casting. No writing on barrel, his wife gave everything away. Thanks, nilebartram

 

[lancexxx]

cerosafe

 

[Shawnba67]

I am gonna pull the barrel and try Cerrosafe casting. No writing on barrel, his wife gave everything away. Thanks, nilebartram

So what was it?

 

[coldboreshot]

I received a rifle Ruger 77(centerfire) from a late relative. I and other relatives have no ideal what the rifle is chambered for. What is the best way to find this out. nilebartram

If you have a serial number, call Ruger and give them the number. It should be in their mfg log and indicate what caliber the rifle was done in.

 

[coldboreshot]

I had purchased a used Remington which had been blue-printed and re-barreled. Even though the caliber stayed the same I still wanted to know how old the receiver was. They told me the year of mfg and which caliber.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If you have a serial number, call Ruger and give them the number. It should be in their mfg log and indicate what caliber the rifle was done in.

Evidently it has been changed out due to not having writing on there. Ruger would be no help

 

[coldboreshot]

If Im not mistaken I believe mfg's put the rifle serial numbers on the actions. It can be referenced back to which caliber that particular rifle was chambered. At least thats how Remington does it where I found my used purchase was built in 1962 and originally chambered in 300winmag. Now if this particular Ruger rifle's barrel had been previously rebarreled by a gunsmith and not the mfg, thats a different circumstance. By mfg regulation, a gunsmith is required to indicate caliber on a new barrel. What harm in it in contacting mfg. At least that might be a starting point.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If Im not mistaken I believe mfg's put the rifle serial numbers on the actions. It can be referenced back to which caliber that particular rifle was chambered. At least thats how Remington does it where I found my used purchase was built in 1962 and originally chambered in 300winmag. Now if this particular Ruger rifle's barrel had been previously rebarreled by a gunsmith and not the mfg, thats a different circumstance. By mfg regulation, a gunsmith is required to indicate caliber on a new barrel. What harm in it in contacting mfg. At least that might be a starting point.

The mfg will be able to tell him what it was chambered in when it left the factory. Its a crapshoot if the replacement barrel is the same caliber- which is not required to be caliber marked by a gunsmith btw. A mfr has to mark them and theres depth requirements on that mark, but a gunsmith doesnt have to

 

[Bill K]

Serial number should be on the reciever, maybe if you can not see it on the side, then on the bottom, after you take it out of the stock.
With the serial number Ruger can tell you what it was or is, when it left the factory.
The other easy way is cerosafe the chamber, or have a gunsmith do it and measure, either way you will find out what caliber it is. Two easy ways to find out, and the cost for either will not be that much.

 

[muleman69]

Cerrosafe casting. Its under $20 and melts at around 200 degrees. Its pretty easy to use/work with. Melt it pour it into a plugged off chamber, let it cool then out comes a measurable little casting.
I have used melted crayons in same way with relatively good results. Any hard wax would work but if you've kids you've broken crayons too.

What do you plug barrel with and where in barrel is best?

 

[coldboreshot]

The mfg will be able to tell him what it was chambered in when it left the factory. Its a crapshoot if the replacement barrel is the same caliber- which is not required to be caliber marked by a gunsmith btw. A mfr has to mark them and theres depth requirements on that mark, but a gunsmith doesnt have to

Interesting, perhaps I should forward the number to the gunsmith who rebarrels my rifles. He might have a different opinion. However you are correct about the degree of engraving. Thats what he explained to me.
My apologies to "nilebartram", it appears we have hijacked this thread.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Interesting, perhaps I should forward the number to the gunsmith who rebarrels my rifles. He might have a different opinion. However you are correct about the degree of engraving. Thats what he explained to me.
My apologies to "nilebartram", it appears we have hijacked this thread.

some gunsmiths like me will not send one out not marked, and since this is usually the case some get to thinking its a law instead of just best practice. Its alot of money to get set up to engrave (even more to engrave to specs of a mfr- .025 deep) so we’re going to use it