Send it to me and I'll fire it!
Send it to me and I'll fire it!
"A man with a tractor and a chain saw has no excuses, nor does he need any"
Me. "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" Emerson "Consistency is the darling of those that stack wood or cast bullets" Me.
I would too, in Hatcher's notebook the General tells of turning down an 03 barrel until it was only 1/16" thick over the chamber area, actually about where the neck/shoulder junction would be, and that held with three service rounds. A 75,000psi proof round blew it out though. This Krag barrel, though deeply pitted has a lot more thickness than 1/16" left. Having said that, I believe however that the Krag barrel is a softer steel than other rifle barrels. I see a lot of reports of ringed chambers or barrels on the web, one of them mine, caused by using too much of compressible filler.
Last edited by madsenshooter; 06-12-2013 at 02:03.
"I have sworn upon the Altar of God, eternity hostility upon all forms of tyranny over the minds of man." - Thomas Jefferson
I had an 1892 with a barrel about like that one that I shot a fair amount. Unfortunately the bore in mine was marginal at best. It had been sporterized and I wish I still had it with what I know now. Funny thing is, I never thought to question the safety of firing it.
God looks after drunkards and fools.
Last edited by Mark Daiute; 06-12-2013 at 02:53.
"A man with a tractor and a chain saw has no excuses, nor does he need any"
Me. "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" Emerson "Consistency is the darling of those that stack wood or cast bullets" Me.
This question comes up in the British Militaria Forum a lot with old Martinis and Sniders. Are the pits deeper than a sight dovetail? Would you shoot a barrel with a dovetail cut in it?
I'll start out with those light loads I mentioned earlier and go from there.
"We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
--C.S. Lewis
As mentioned, I've seen more than a few sporter krags with dovetail cuts for sporting sights deeper than pitting, I wouldn't give it a thought.
I wondered, if perhaps the corrosion and pitting might have weakened the barrel. Always best to be careful in situations like these.
"We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst."
--C.S. Lewis
If you have Hatcher's Notebook, he tells of turning a 1903 Springfield barrel down to 1/8" wall thickness and firing it with both regular and high pressure cartridges with no ill effects. He turned the barrel down to 1/16"over the chamber and fired it with regular service loads with no ill effects. He then fired a 75,000 pound proof load in it, and it blew a chunk out of the chamber area. A pretty good indication of the strength of military barrels.