Is it safe to shoot?

[Modeler]

Last year I picked up an unknown bolt-action rifle at a pawn shop on the coast. After getting home and doing some research it turned out to be a small-ring Spanish Mauser in 7x57. Further inspection revealed rust and pitting in the top of the barrel under the wooden barrel shroud.



It's been a year now and I still haven't shot it. Is it safe to shoot? The maximum depth of the rust and pitting is around 1/8"; it seems like it would be safe but I'm just not sure. Does anyone have any expertise about such things?

trainsktg, I'm looking at you

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[coop44]

7x57 isn't a super high pressure cartridge. If the headspace is good, and the bore clean and clear, I would.

 

[Nwcid]

From the pic some of that pitting looks awful deep.....

Might try the first few shots, if it checks out like coop suggests, put it in a rest and use a string to fire it......

 

[saxon]

if it was 1/8" deep it would almost be through to the boar, the picture looks more like about a 1/32 if that i had a bruno mauser taht looked about the same under the hand guard when i got it and it shot fine,,,,, but i would have it looked at cleaned up good etc before i shot it

 

[Modeler]

Here are a couple more photos:

The two deepest pits are the round one right in the center and the oblong one just up and to the right. Maximum 1/8" deep:



Here's a side view. The oblong pit is just below the far left side of the screwdriver rack in the background:

 

[saxon]

yup get that checked

 

[Velzey]

Nope dont shoot that! I was thinking it may be ok being way up from the chamber and hi pressure area..but the close pics, ughhhh that deep. And better be safe than sorry. barrels are cheap, body parts are not!

 

[Modeler]

Damn.

 

[Velzey]

Barrels for those can be found for under $50! I bought three or four a few years ago and may still have one, I will look around.

 

[Modeler]

Barrels for those can be found for under $50! I bought three or four a few years ago and may still have one, I will look around.

That'd be great, thanks! I looked on Gunbroker, the only thing I found was a receiver/barrel for $99; that receiver was rusted as bad as the barrel on mine!

 

[coop44]

if it was 1/8" deep it would almost be through to the boar....

Whats a wild pig have to do with it?

seriously, clean out the rust in the deepest spots with a drill tip, use a wire feed cheapo flux core welder and fill the hole. Heck I've seen recievers fixed that way.

gunpartscorp.com probably has barrels.

 

[mjbskwim]

I'd put a heavy cloth over the action and wear a welding glove and set it off.
Or the string method.
I'd have to try it once

 

[The B]

I'd put a heavy cloth over the action and wear a welding glove and set it off.
Or the string method.
I'd have to try it once

I WANT to know if it'll blow.

 

[Modeler]

I WANT to know if it'll blow.

Let's get together later this week and you can try it out

 

[trainsktg]

Hmmm. I have no advice to offer in this case. I would be concerned too. Did you check with the folks over at Gunboards?

Keith

 

[Spitpatch]

My father's method for test-firing "questionable" guns was to lash them to a used car tire on the ground, hide behind the pickup truck about 15 yards away, and pull the trigger with a string. The rubber tire serves to absorb recoil much like a human body, and protects the gun from flying away (as might happen with it on a conventional rest of some sort).

Dad always figured five shots of a standard load for the caliber was a sufficient safety test. No guns or humans (or pickup trucks) damaged in multiple tryouts over the years, and I've employed the method with success as well.

Advice toward obtaining a replacement barrel is also to be favorably considered.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I'd weld it inoperable & put it over the mantel or in a corner for display. No need to find out you should not have fired it!!! Just sayin...

 

[Spitpatch]

These were the excellent guns of fine quality and caliber that dominated over what Americans were sent into battle with against the Cubans and Spaniards in the war that resulted in Teddy Roosevelt's "crowded hour". Indeed, the venerated Springfield owes its very Genesis to these guns.

I believe in the general integrity enough that I would give it a chance on the "testing tire", rather than write it off and weld it inserviceable. If nothing else, the action is quite a desirable one upon which to build an economical "shade tree" custom gun. We currently enjoy a wealth of manufacturers and suppliers that allow even the average Joe to construct a very fine rifle with minimal expense paid to smiths for work necessary for the end product. Fine barrels are available at gentle expense, good stocks are ready to install and shoot, and other accoutrements are available in an assortment our Grandfathers could not dream of when they were sporterizing Mausers and Springfields after "dubya dubya eye eye".

Do not mistake: I am not making a case that building such a gun will be cheaper than a store-bought "econo-bolt" from MegaLoMart. I am saying that the final built product will be a much better gun, and the builder will have the pride of construction and lessons learned in the doing.