Getting barrel re-rifled?

[slick814]

Hey guys -

I've discovered a problem with my good ol' Savage .250-3000.

After probelms with a new scope I had put on it, I brought the gun & scope back to the gunsmith, traded for another scope, and asked him to fire it a few times after he boresighted it.

He called with the bad news of "the rifling on this gun is worn out"...This is someone that my family has trusted with multiple guns over the years, so I know that it's not some snow job, but it's had a lot of rounds put through it over the years, and has always (up to the last year, anyway) been extremely accurate & reliable through 2 generations of use.

Is there any way to get the barrel re-rifled/grooved? I don't need to have it done by this season, but would like to have it next year for sure, and don't want to give up using it forever, as it was a gift from a Great Uncle who was giving up hunting as I was starting out.

[Gissert]

What the gunsmith probably found was barrel erosion just forward of the chamber. In laymans terms, it is what is known as being "shot out." I do not know of a way to refurbish an eroded barrel.

If it is a bolt gun, you could probably put a new barrel on it without too much difficulty. Levers might be more difficult.

Regardless, rebarreling a gun is a job for the gunsmith.

[Jackpine Rob]

Your only option would be a new barrel, and that would destroy once and for all the value that was diminished when the gun was drilled and tapped for scope mounts. You might want to check out the value first before you attempt any major operations.

If it were me, I'd hang it up over the fireplace and get a new shooter.

[CrappieJohn]

Jackpine speaks some very strong words of wisdom here. If it were me, I'd have the gunsmith clean it up internally and then retire it....without the scope. Put the scope on a new bolt and start a new tradition with it.

I shot my first center-fire deer with one like your's over forty years ago and that gun is tucked nicely away to talk about and admire. The inherant value of the gun is one thing, but the tales that go with it give it a special value. Save it.

[lars0926]

I'd turn it into a fishing rod. A couple of eyeholes and a reel mounted on the butt and yer good to go. Plus, with all that extra weight you'll give the real "guns" a good work out.

[slick814]

Jackpine & Crappie -

Fortunately or unfortunately, the gun had a scope on it when it was given to me. All that had to be done to mount the new scope was some minor adjusting to the mounts that were already there.

I guess in many ways I can see your points, and to have it for memories is an option. I've got my 7mm Mag to use for myself, not to mention a 30-06 & a 30-30, so I'm covered as far as deer rifles go.

Thing is, my 12 year old daughter is showing interest in hunting now. It would be a perfect gun for her to use. Not a lot of kick, decent weight, and then if you throw in the family tradition of it, I'd like for her to be able to use it and maybe hand it down to her kids some day. The gunsmith basically said that the grooves have worn down to the point where the bullet doesn't get enough spin to stay accurate when being shot. He also said it can be fixed, so I was hoping that maybe I could find someone close to me here in Anoka that might give me a second opinion as to what it would involve. Not something I'd ever try to do on my own, it's a job for a professional, but I believe that being able to pass it on to the next generation of hunter in my family is more important than the monetary value of the gun itself. Believe me, there are enough guns that are worth more money in our family's collection that I either own or will own in time than this one. It's one that has almost always been in use for us, and I'm hoping to keep it that way.

[Guest]

Check with Ahlmans in Morristowm,Mn. as they are great and if it can be fixed they would be able to do the job.

[slick814]

That's #2 for Ahlman's. A guy at work said to take it there too. Guess I'll make the drive to Morristown after the season winds down.

Thanks Lee HarveyY