[207driver]

I inherited a 1895 M94 from a cousin years ago that I put away and forgot. It has all matching numbers, but unfortunately he decided to "sporterize"--I believe the correct term is "bubba"--the stock so several pieces are gone. Last year I pulled it out of storage and did an inspection, clean-up and trial shooting. No real groups with jacketed rounds, well, maybe 30 MOA, and the 140gr lead pills came out nearly sideways. They keyholed the target at 25 yards.

The bore is dark and somewhat rough and a bit larger than I would like, which will explain the keyholed slugs. I did find a "new", unused barrel that I want to swap in. My question is this: Can you determine short chambering from visual checks, ie, 20 thou or so, or is it normally much smaller, 3-5 thou. A new case seems to bottom at the right point judging by where the case extraction ring and barrel face end up. Rough measurements have the same free case amount protruding from the old barrel.

I ask because...I was quoted (budgetary of course) $200 to $350 to re-barrel, the latter if it is short chambered. This seems a bit high to me, but I haven't had any work like this done before. It seems that a military weapon would be set up with spares to allow an armory a pretty simple spin off--spin on, go-nogo headspace test and back in the field.

I like the 6.5X55 cartridge history and all, and would like to do some load development, but I can almost get a new Savage 10 for that.

Am I all wet? Is this a more labor intensive proceedure than it seems?

Thanks 207driver

[Highpower]

Originally Posted by 207driver

Am I all wet? Is this a more labor intensive proceedure than it seems?

Thanks 207driver

I believe most short chambered barrels are in the neighborhood .010 - .015" shy when they are rough chambered. But I'm not a gunsmith so don't take that to the bank.

Labor is only part of the equation though. Material cost, tooling cost, the time and expense of getting the education to be able to do the job - and do it correctly have to be considered as well.

An armory will be extremely well equipped of course and considering the volume they have to deal with, they are going to employ the most efficient way of doing the job - whatever that is. Simply spinning on another barrel and having it line up and headspace properly is a long shot in most cases. If it doesn't work out, they can simply keep trying different barrels until they find one that works out. Which is fine, when you have a warehouse FULL of barrels to pick from. I don't think too many gunsmiths have that option available to them outside of the military.

At minimum, to do the job yourself if you were so inclined - you would need a barrel vice and receiver wrench to change the barrel out. This is assuming you don't have to do any lathe work to get the barrel to fit and clock to the receiver correctly. (Sight alignment, extractor cut position, etc.)

Finishing the chamber could be accomplished with a "pull-through" reamer, cutting fluid and a set of headspace gages. Spend some time at Brownells web site and look up the cost of those tools, and you'll get a better idea of how much the job might be worth to you then. Just one opinion.

[207driver]

At minimum, to do the job yourself if you were so inclined - you would need a barrel vice and receiver wrench to change the barrel out. This is assuming you don't have to do any lathe work to get the barrel to fit and clock to the receiver correctly. (Sight alignment, extractor cut position, etc.)

Thanks, Hipower,

No indexing required, the sights are sweated on so that simplifies the work.

I realize that for safety sake you can't beat work done by and expert, but I guess I was hit by sticker shock when the quote came in at 2 to 3X what I expected. Yes, I could probably get those tools and struggle through the swap and hopefully get it to come in with just a lapping of the bolt lugs. Will I--no, probably not, too many things that I am not totally familiar with to go wrong, and I am the one behind that chamber when it goes bang.

It does look like the chamber is not short cut though if like you say they are usually .10-.15 short.

But the guy down the street has all the tools and expertise, so suck it up and go for it.

[jpattersonnh]

Sarco has original M94 barrels..

Mauser Rifle Parts

[207driver]

Thanks,
I have a "new" barrel--never been on an action. I am hoping it will improve the 30+MOA that the original gives.