JBelk in another thread said:

quote:

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I'll garon-damn-tee you if the 80% of out of square actions were returned to the offending company for correction, in two years we'd see a TREMENDOUS increase in quality of firearms. The dealers are the ones that're dropping the ball. When a gun is wrong the dealer should insist it be fixed for HIS customer, or discontinue handling that brand.

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My question is how does one determine, before they buy it, whether or not a rifle's action is "Square"?

Toomanytools---

The way most people see something that's really out of whack is in mounting the scope.

If you bores sight the old fashion way, down the barrel and keep track of the scope adjustments from center it gives a very good indication of how straight the action is in the barrel threads. It does nothing at all for about a hundred other problems, but at least it's something that can be seen and measured from the outside........and not denied or explained away. If the scope doesn't point the same way as the barrel there IS a problem with something.

2many tools. That's an oxymoron! First damn thing you do, See where the scope points in relation to barrel. It was always fun back in the nasty days when a certain scope maker sued to stop the others from having centered X hairs and the owner wanted to know ( in the court of last resort) if it was possible to bend the scope or sumpin 'cause it was a real hassle looking through cross hairs near outside the scope during rain and sleet weather. These worthies could not come to believe that the makers of "The Rifleman's Rifle" could skew drill the mounting holes or cant the barrel off toward Hank Weaver's south 40 and have the guts to ship it. 3 rings did it ,too, but there weren't as many of them out there. It happens, and if gross, seeable from the OUTside. Uh..Trust, but verify??

Toomany Tools,

Since the objective in truing an action is to provide one uninterrupted axis from one end of the gun to the other, one quick way to check for potential alignment trouble would be to make up a "snug" fitting, short "bore guide" type device that you would insert in the rear of the bolt tunnel with a precision centered hole of about .125 diameter through it for which to align with the muzzle.

This "guide" is used as an aperture for which to project a reflected pattern down the guns bore when viewed from the muzzle end of the gun.

With a clean bore and this aperture in place you can then look through the muzzle end and view the "target" pattern that is cast in the bore. This "target" image can tell a skilled eye a lot of things.

For instance it can tell if the barrel is bent, it can tell if there is any bind on an action, if there is any pressure against a barrel and from what direction the pressure is being exerted. With the barreled action out of the stock, it can tell you if the "axis" is in close alignment from one end to the other. If you know what you are looking for, it can help you diagnose many problems involving the "critical axis" of the weapon.

This "alignment check" can be quickly performed at the gun store or "gun show" before you walk out having shelled out good money for the gun.

In lieu of this special "bore guide", you can simply remove the firing pin from the bolt and reinsert and close the bolt and then peer down the bore while aiming the gun at a light colored wall. You will see the "target" image but it will not be nearly as accurate as would be provided with the "snug fitting" perfectly centered guide.

Since I don't recommend ever putting anything in the muzzle end of the bore, I will avoid sharing the bore sighter/scope exam for similar trouble.


Good luck,

Malm

Woooops! I knew I forgot something...

When you do look down the bore like I said, you will see the image of a "target". The "target's center" or "bulls eye" should be "perfectly centered" in the bore and all surrounding rings should be perfectly concentric around the "bulls eye". It is the relationship between of each of these rings and the "bulls eye" that will speak volumes as to health of the axis/barrel/bedding/etc.

Malm