My girlfriend's father (sounds like a soap opera already) handed over a sporterized M17 to me because it no longer shoots straight. Pressing the issue, I find that it hadn't been cleaned in 30+ years. So, a score of patches and a bunch of sweet's later, i discover a badly pitted bore. It looks sandblasted. You can hardly discern the 2-groove rifling, and even the groove count's not certain. So...

How does one cheaply get this thing shooting again? It's kind of a cool rifle, but he doesn't have all the money inthe world. Surplus barrel? Where? Etc.

Thanks,
Jerry

Jerry,
Sounds like you might have bitten into one. If it was me, I would do the cleaning, then sweets it to clean it for copper, then go buy 2 boxes of 30-06 (i am assuming here)and goto the range. If it group 2 inches, give it back, if it PATTERNS like a 410 with buckshot, it's new barrel time. Surplus barrels used to go for 75 and another 75 to mount it. But it wont be blued the same. It's a money pit, unless you can sell him on a milspec finish
jeffe

They came with five groove barrels. At least the one I had did.

I would not shoot it until you can count the groves! You did not mention a brass brush. I don't rely on chemicals. I use a brush.

If you clean it out it may shoot well again. If it has pits it will just foul up faster, that's all.

Gun Parts Corporation sells new in-the-white barrels for $109.95.

The barrel in my 6.5X257 Japanese Type 38 looks like a mile of bad saphalt with rifling, but will hold 1.5 inches with a good load (4831 and Hornady 129 RN or spire point).

For the 50-100 yard shots I get here, deer don't seem to notice.

Really clean the barrel, shoot the gun and see how it performs!

Then consider the options.
LouisB
Just opinions of course!

Could it be a WW II rebarrel ? 2 grooves ?

My 1917 .30-06 was "sporterized" in the early 1950's and still shoots 1.5" groups with 180 grain bullets. I've found that it likes them loaded out really long, 3.340", even though factory ammo is generally quite a bit shorter.

It's not a tackdriver, but it shoots plenty good enough for hunting. Interesting that this rifle has been an ongoing family project for 50 years now.

Clean it, shoot it, and see what happens. Maybe you'll be good to go! Regards, Guy

Or see if you can sell him on a 505 Gibbs re-barrel.

Thanks, gentlemen.

I cleaned using my technique reserved for very dirty barrels: couple of patches w/ ed's red, bronze brush with ed's red, patch dry, patch ed's red, patch dry, nylon brush with lots of Sweets (final brush pass: push brush out bore, pour a bit of sweets into bore (will run down rod), turn rifle muzzle down, pull brush slowly out), swab out the goop 20 minutes later, ed's red on a patch, dry patch, ed's red on a patch, dry out and inspect. Repeated this, and got lots of blue goop both times. Down to what appears to be SSPC SP-10 sandblasted white steel. It's pretty ugly.

Looking from the breech end, you can see a spin, and barely make out two grooves and lands. Bore end w/ flashlight- you can barely make out some profile of rifling. No shine on any portion of barrel.

I think that i'll do a big scrub with a tight patch and some JB's to try to knock down the high parts, and then give it a whirl. If she goes straight, I'll see how many shots it takes for accuracy to go away (probably 5 or 6!), and keep that in mind for the rest of that rifle's travels.

Thanks,
Jerry

If it's as bad as you describe it then whatever it is in the bore might be a safety problem by restricting the bullet and creating dangerous pressures.

It's better to be carefull. Try sluging the bore with a lead round ball. Don't get it stuck either. Do a little at a time.

Watch what you say about the bore. Men don't like to be told they screwed up a rifle.

A worn out, rusty, pitted, bore is bigger than normal and dont cause pressure problems......the problem is that too much pressure escapes.

Two groove P-17 barrels used to be $2 each from Sarco, but that was a long time ago.

As long as the receiver was made in the USA, the receiver threads are indexed for interchangability. Usually it's a half hour job to change a barrel....but Eddeystones will sometimes break a receiver ring taking the barrel off. They're better cut and bored if he rifle has sentimental value.

Or you could have it rebored to .338-06 or .35 Whelen.

Seriously shoot it before you bother, it just may work well enough to not be worth the money.