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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Poor Accuracy In Swedish Mauser


drgoose

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Again this is my first project and I am doing it with a local gunsmith that kind of lets me work in his shop and learn from what he is doing. So this is a M96 that got put on a Ram-Line Stock and the action has been bedded all the way up the beginning of the barrel, after that it is free floating. The barrel has dark groves but good rifling without obvious rust.

 

I have shot the rifle 2 times, both with 20 rounds each in 5 shot groups and both times the first group was about 3 inches, the second group was about 1 inch in diameter and then they got progressively larger until the last one looked like a shotgun pattern. The way I am reading this is that the barrel being so thin is very temperature sensitive and I am afraid that there will be no solution to this problem other than changing the barrel or not letting it get hot. My gunsmith has also the theory that because the barrel is so long and thin it is vibrating a lot and that it might be worth a try to bed the whole barrel. I am not conviced of that and I am kind of leaning towards just taking the barrel off and putting on a new one.

 

Any ideas? Thanks

 

Mauser1.jpg

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Could be a couple things going on here. If your groups continue to deteriorate, check the barrel for copper build up in the muzzle area, and that build up can toss bullets all over the place. You didn't indicate what ammo you were using, but the fast twist milspec barrels do prefer the longer heavier bullets. If the barrel heats up, try spacing your 5 shot groups farther apart to allow some cooling.

I've never cared for Ramline stocks because they are very flexible in the forend, and if you support the rifle over bags, even with the barrel floated, the flex may allow the stock to touch the barrel at different points, depending on the hold. Swede barrels are coveted for their accuracy potential, but conditions need to be right for that accuracy.

 

 

Spiris

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Again this is my first project and I am doing it with a local gunsmith that kind of lets me work in his shop and learn from what he is doing. So this is a M96 that got put on a Ram-Line Stock and the action has been bedded all the way up the beginning of the barrel, after that it is free floating. The barrel has dark groves but good rifling without obvious rust.

 

I have shot the rifle 2 times, both with 20 rounds each in 5 shot groups and both times the first group was about 3 inches, the second group was about 1 inch in diameter and then they got progressively larger until the last one looked like a shotgun pattern. The way I am reading this is that the barrel being so thin is very temperature sensitive and I am afraid that there will be no solution to this problem other than changing the barrel or not letting it get hot. My gunsmith has also the theory that because the barrel is so long and thin it is vibrating a lot and that it might be worth a try to bed the whole barrel. I am not conviced of that and I am kind of leaning towards just taking the barrel off and putting on a new one.

 

Any ideas? Thanks

 

Mauser1.jpg

 

Try this:

If you still have the old stock, put the barreled receiver back in the stock being careful to tighten the screws. turns on the top....four turns on the bottom till tight. Take that to the range and fire for groups.

If the groups tighten, you will know that it is the stock.

 

karl

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Long Skinny barrels are definitely more prone to heat walking than short stiff barrels. But that does not explain why second group would be a 60 % improvement over first. Harmonics may be the gremlin if that barrel doesn't care for the load you feed it.

 

Could be any one of or all of several contributing factors. Is barrel floated clear enough with weight of rifle resting on fore end?

 

Or it could be that your particular barrel just doesn't like being floated. Try putting a few layers of matchbook covers under barrel at end of fore end to give slight upward pressure.

 

IMO replacing barrel is last resort after process of elimination has ruled out all of the other gremlins that can be working against you.

 

JM2c

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Could be a couple things going on here. If your groups continue to deteriorate, check the barrel for copper build up in the muzzle area, and that build up can toss bullets all over the place. You didn't indicate what ammo you were using, but the fast twist milspec barrels do prefer the longer heavier bullets. If the barrel heats up, try spacing your 5 shot groups farther apart to allow some cooling.

I've never cared for Ramline stocks because they are very flexible in the forend, and if you support the rifle over bags, even with the barrel floated, the flex may allow the stock to touch the barrel at different points, depending on the hold. Swede barrels are coveted for their accuracy potential, but conditions need to be right for that accuracy.

 

 

Spiris

 

I was using winchester brass, federal match primers, 33.7 gr of varget and sierra match kings 142 grains with COAL 3.03. Which stocks do you like to use, trying to avoid the 400 dollar ones.

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So I put the action back in the original stock and after inletting the trigger and the bolt I went to the range. I fired 5 groups at 100 yards with the same point of aim (center of diamond) and again the groups basically walked "down" aproximatedly 3-4 inches between the first and last target. I think I am going to pull the barrel and put a new one. (The added benefit is that it will be the first barrel I hand chamber).

 

Targets.jpg

 

After I measured the targets they are all around 1.2 MOA which I guess is not bad for the original barrel with a military trigger, but still the walking of the groups is VERY annoying.

 

Target1.jpg

 

Target2.jpg

 

Target3.jpg

 

Target4.jpg

 

Target5.jpg

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Pull the bands and the handguard off if you tring to see if it is a stock unduced pressure issue. You will get a closer indacation of what is going on. Tighen the guard screws and then loosen them one at a time and see if anything moves. If it does the stock is inducing pressure on the barrel.

Don

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For a 100 meters those are not bad groups.

Note that the groups are tight for a milsup.

It may be the scope. If you can remove it and fire a string with iron sights from the sandbags.

If you don't have the sights any more, try another scope.

most of my problems came from the scope.

I am aLmost sure it is a scope issue.

 

If that is not it.

 

Try firing a group.

Wait 5 minutes..fire another and see if the group moves.

if it does sand the barrel grove in the stock till it is free floating and shoot again.

karl

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Like tanglewood said, seat the bullets out more. Those groups arn't bad, remember you describe the bore as being dark; don't expect groups in the .2-.4 range. Walking of the groups is due to heat and flex in the barrel. What is the length of that monster?

 

Ditch Varget, go with something slower such as Re-19, IMR 4350 or even 4831. Re-19 has been the powder for my 6.5.

 

Brenden

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