Rebarreling a Springfield '03

18 December 2006, 18:36

My neighbor has an older Springfield '03 sporter with a totally shot-out and dark bore. I have access to several (free) new Springfield barrels, which are still in the armory wrap.

I don't have action wrenches, reamers or gauges, but I was curious as to what is involved in rebarreling a Springfield with a "new" military barrel? Are the barrels short-chambered? Is the extractor cut already cut? How much should a gunsmith charge to remove

18 December 2006, 18:53

Toomany Tools

Usually, after-market new Springfield barrels don't have extractor cuts. I just did one of these using a customer-supplied barrel from Montana Rifle Co that was pre-threaded and short-chambered. If you came to me and all you wanted done was unscrew the barrel I'd do it for $40 which is my minimum charge but installing the new barrel, setting headspace and cutting extractor slot would be another $70 and if the barrel wasn't threaded add another $50 and another $40 if I have to cut the entire chamber.

18 December 2006, 19:27

ireload2

The commonly available barrels are 1903-A3 barrels. They are threaded, chambered, they have the extractor notch cut and include the front sight base. They are parkerized. Let a good gunsmith install it in case the headspace needs to be adjusted with a reamer.

18 December 2006, 20:07

belaw

quote:
Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
Usually, new Springfield barrels don't have extractor cuts. I just did one of these using a customer-supplied barrel from Montana Rifle Co that was pre-threaded and short-chambered. If you came to me and all you wanted done was unscrew the barrel I'd do it for $40 which is my minimum charge but installing the new barrel, setting headspace and cutting extractor slot would be another $70 and if the barrel wasn't threaded add another $50 and another $40 if I have to cut the entire chamber.

I may not have been clear, but I'm talking about a NOS military barrel.

quote:
Originally posted by ireload2:
The commonly available barrels are 1903-A3 barrels. They are threaded, chambered, they have the extractor notch cut and include the front sight base. They are parkerized. Let a good gunsmith install it in case the headspace needs to be adjusted with a reamer.

I may be reading too much into what you said, but is the chamber fully cut? I guess an armory can just swap out bolts until it finds one that mates up with a particular barrel, but I don't have that luxury.

18 December 2006, 21:10

fyj

Installing a pre-threaded barrel with an extractor cut and front sight already in place can at times be a bit more tedious depending on how the threads time out in the receiver. I wouldnâ€™t count on everything just lining right up perfectly when the barrel is torqued down.

18 December 2006, 21:17

Idared

belaw

If the action is still full military and it is a replacement military barrel there is often a good chace it will install rather easily as far as headspacing and lining up the extractor groove is concerned. If one or the other has been altered in any way all bets are off. Every military barrel I have ever seen was fully chambered with a witness mark on the shank to line up with a mark on the front receiver ring.

19 December 2006, 05:28

Bill Meyer

I just did one the other day. If the barrel and receiver have not been modified the barrel should screw on , usually will have use a lot of tork to get it lined up properly. I don't like to use this much pressure so I faced to barrel shank off a few thousandths. Most barrels will need to be finished reamered, the Ordnance repair facilities had special reamers to finish ream by hand. I prefer to use depth mikes, guages and finish ream before installation, just like a regular installation. Bill