A prior owner of my Husky 8x57 had an idiot drill and tap for scope mounts, with the result that one hole was drilled all the way through the receiver and down the breech end of the barrel.

There is a perfect #6 screw size half circle out of the edge of the chamber, slightly off top dead center. When I compare it to safety breeched Mausers like the model 48 or things with an extractor cut into the chamber like the Pattern 14 Enfield, it doesn't look like the recess is any deeper into the chamber, and of course it is much smaller in area.

I fired ~100 rounds of surplus ammo through it before I noticed it; based on this and the above comparison to M48 / P14 breeching, I suspect it is entirely safe to shoot. What do you think?

Todd

Half of a #6 screw hole should be okay. Keep an eye on your brass and keep the headspace snug.

Thanks for the reply; I thought as much.

I have examined all of my S&B brass, which was fired only through this rifle, and some hot 1942 Turk surplus which also went through it. There are no marks of any kind on the web / case head area of the brass. Headspace also checked out very good on this rifle. I am only planning to take it for the family deer hunt this year before rebarreling with an L-W 8x57 barrel.

Thanks,
Todd

I saw a "sporterized" SMLE in the RSA that had one of the scope mount holes drilled through the receiver and the barrel into the chamber. The owner was wondering why the bolt worked fine when chambering a fresh cartridge but was so hard to work when extracting the fired case, and why the emptys had holes in them...

Could also set the barrel back to clean up that half circle.

Another good suggestion Doug. To carry it one step further though, I was just going to replace the barrel with a new one while I have it off...

Ditto the stock. Basically it will be a generic FN in 8x57 when I am done, as all the Husky markings are on the barrel.

Todd