Are there still 'smiths that line (or reline, whatever the correct terminology is) barrels? Here is the situation, tell me if it makes sense, and where a fella would go to have it done.

My father-in-law has an old '94 Winchester he picked up here awhile back from an old buddy of his. It is all there, cosmetically pretty rough, but functional. I ran the serial number and it showed that it was manufactured in 1916. It was drilled and tapped for a tang sight at one point, and that fact coupled with the condition I seriously doubt there is any collector value. The bore is gone. He was wondering about the possibility of having the barrel relined so that it could become shootable again, but retain the outward appearace of the old barrel. He has plenty of other rifles, but the historical aspect of putting it back in working condition intrigues him. What would the costs/possibilites of this be?

I'm assuming its in .30-30?
I wouldn't think you could reline a centerfire rifle cartridge.

You might be able to have it rebored and rifled to .32-40 or .38-55 though. Both are historically correct cartridges for that arm.

I am not the final authority, but I have only seen it done on rimfires. I have an old 1906 that was relined 40 years ago.

I've only seen relining for rimfire and low pressure rds. The 30-30 wouldn't fall in that category. Like Rusty sated best bet is to rebore to something larger.

$300-400 is a lot to spend to just turn a rough nonshooter to a shooter.

Has he shot it yet? I've seen some "gone" barrels shoot surprisingly well.

Barrel is 30 WCF. When I say the bore is gone, I'm really not kidding. There are places the rifleing has practically dissappeared.

Through google, I am getting some hits, I think it can be done. I am off to do more research.

Wasn't there a specific cartridge developed to allow those shot out 30-30 barrels to be re-bored?

Something like a 32 "Whatever" or "Somesuch" if I recall from Catridges of the World? 32 Winchester Special?

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
Wasn't there a specific cartridge developed to allow those shot out 30-30 barrels to be re-bored?

Something like a 32 "Whatever" or "Somesuch" if I recall from Catridges of the World? 32 Winchester Special?

The 32 Special was not specifically developed to allow shot out 30-30 barrels to be rebored. But it might just work. It's a .321" bore, 1-16 twist.

The reason the 32 Special came about is a whole 'nother story.

They definitely make liners:

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/...ubID=142&styleID=483

Now whether or not it will be safe to do in 30/30 you should probably call and ask them.

I have an old 22 that I'm planning on doing someday (not too high on the priority list at the moment) and have read where you can start drilling at the breech and stop a fraction of an inch before the drill passes out the muzzle so you have the unblemished muzzle on the repair.

Anyway, probably best to give those guys a call and if a 30/30 is too much they might have a suggestion on a lower pressure cartridge that can be made to work.

Well. it can be done. I have talked to one gunsmith who will do it. Now he just has to decide if it is worth the money to do it.

The guy I talked to at Track of the Wolf could not tell me though, they just sell the liners...

I have leads on a couple other gunsmiths that may do it as well, but have not got a chance to speak to them yet.

Find a used barrel. Numrich may have them or search the net. M94 barrels aren't that rare.

i too suggest rebore to 38-55

FWIW my brother relined some rifles to 25-20.

quote:

I have an old 22 that I'm planning on doing someday (not too high on the priority list at the moment) and have read where you can start drilling at the breech and stop a fraction of an inch before the drill passes out the muzzle so you have the unblemished muzzle on the repair.

No! Asking for trouble! In UK whenever it was done it was bored all the way through and the liner inserted (hammered in) from the muzzle end to come flush with the breech. It was then chambered and "headspaced".

Why? Because it is easier to do it that way rather than trying to measure an exact length, get it wrong, then have to get the liner out (near impossible) or cut it flush with the rear of the barrel surrounded by the action.

You then cut off and if wanted to re-profile the front end to original muzzle shape.

Relining to CF is done all the time. I did my first CF reline in 1976, a high wall Winchester 32-40 lined to 223 Rem. I still have that old relined 223 bbl and it'll still shoot under an inch but it's ugly so I rebarreled it about 10 years ago.

However, relining an 1894 can be an iffy thing if the owner is a handloader. The 1894 thread tenon is small and so the liner will be thin over the chamber area. IMO factory loads would be OK if the liner was made of modern barrel steel and installed properly, but hot handloads could easily bulge even a properly-lined 1894.
Regards, Joe

Dennis Olson successfully relines hi power rifles and, for example, has done at least one military Krag back to the original .30-40. Whether he could do a 94 back to .30-30 I don't know. Email him, dgolson@plainsmt.net

Yes. The problem with re-lining is that the liner itself MUST be of a certain minimum thickness.

Apparently! As if it is too thin it will "bulge" inside the tube it has been put into. As the fit will never be without even the smallest of "gap" between the outside of one and the inside of the other.

Sounds a bit odd but we British found this out by using removable barrel liners to go down standard bore 303 barrels.

The cartridge Ackley spoke of for 30/30 rebore
was a 35/30. The easiest cheapest was is another
barrel. It isn't a collector anyway.
Good luck!

Every model 94 in 38-55 that I or my friends have ever seen were excess headspace. Too big for a model 94. These were all old, original M94's. I don't know how the ones made in the 1990's in 38-55 are holding up. My one friend used to have half a dozen 38-55 barrels in his shop from excess headspace early m94's.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
i too suggest rebore to 38-55

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
Every model 94 in 38-55 that I or my friends have ever seen were excess headspace. Too big for a model 94. These were all old, original M94's. I don't know how the ones made in the 1990's in 38-55 are holding up. My one friend used to have half a dozen 38-55 barrels in his shop from excess headspace early m94's

It's true that all or almost all older 1894s in 38-55 (up to ~WW1) have excessive headspace. However IMO this condition doesn't result from the cartridge's excessive 'power' vs the 'power' of the 30-30, 32 Special, 32-40 and 25-35, but rather to a factory error of some sort.

IMO that is.

The 'power' of most of the 1894 cartridges is approximately the same and so I can't see what difference would cause the supposed setback. Sure, the recoil is greater with the larger cartridges, but this is primarily a function of bullet weight and not pressure or recoil as such.

At any rate I will eagerly and cheerfully buy all your friend's old takeoff 38-55 bbls 'cause I know how to cure the problem. Seriously, please ask him about any barrels he may have for sale, I'd really appreciate it!
Regards, Joe

I'll see if any are around. He builds a lot of single shots on various rolling and falling block receivers and uses what ever barrels are on hand. He at one time had at least two 38-55 M94 barrels that were brand spanking new old stock, and I mean old stock! pre 1930's etc.

I build lots of single shots myself, maybe we can swap some items if he's interested.
Regards, Joe