Cooey 60, would like your opinion please

HuskyDude

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In late Nov 2018 I purchase a older Cooey Model 60.
After receiving, I started to clean it.
Pushed a patch down the barrel, noticed normal friction but then the patched jumped forward, with less friction then normal again.
My first thought was a bulged barrel. Told the previous owner, and took it to a local gunsmith.
He looked at it (without a bore scope) said " It's a .22, I would just shoot it and see if it affects the accuracy."
So I did. It shot fine. End of story...I thought.
At the beginning of this month like others, I purchased one of those Teslong 0.2inch Rifle Bore Scope off Amazon.
Today examined the barrel with the bore scope and was surprised at what I found.
Took a wire brush to clean up the outside, and made this vid.
Thinking I should retire the rifle...

 
I wouldn't shoot that anymore myself. I have a bulged barrel revolver and I shoot it all the time but since that looks like it's cracked right through... I'd pass.
 
I'm curious to learn how that happened... blockage probably.

As to the future of this barrel: SAAMI lists MAP of 24000psi for 22lr, but what's a standard velocity 40gr ead bullet going to impart 12k MAP? The crack is 14" from the chamber? If it was mine and had sentimental value, I'd probably use it only periodically with standard velocity and monitor the crack for growth. Otherwise... I doubt there would ever be a catastrophic failure in normal use but it's cracked, there isn't much point in spending much time restoring it.
 
That crack is something I have never seen or heard about . As said before , bulges are no problem to shoot. I do not think
anyone is going to recommend that you go ahead & shoot it , especially publicly , because of liability issues . My question
is : If it was shot any amount would any problem come up ? I do not know what would happen . Nothing or barrel splitting ?
It would be nice to have a remote & safe containment for the rifle & shoot it many times , just to see what would happen.
 
I purchased a old Winchester single shot and found an "easy spot" pushing a rag thru.
Bulged bawrill it had.
Now I run me mitts up and down a ker-pow before I buy in if in 3D.

That is some kind of wunderbar you have there.
Cracked bawrill.
Full awf h20 and froze?

Wall hangar regardless.
 
Take it somewhere that allows you to fire it from behind some kind of barricade (ie., in a rest, fired with a string, at a backstop/bullet trap). Wrap a white cloth around the barrel where the crack is - tape it down.
Fire a couple of rounds through it. Gas burns on the cloth? retire the rifle. No sign of gas leaking sideways through the cracks? Hmm. Probably still best to retire the rifle.
But you'll know one way or the other if those are "through" cracks.
I think that's what I'd do - it may be dangerous to try this so you do what you feel you're willing to risk.
 
The rifle has already been fired (last spring) with about 20 rounds through it.
That's after I took it in and had it sorta checked.
I never had a bore camera till a few weeks ago.
Once the inside crack was discovered I took my mini grinder with a wire brush to the outside of barrel, removed the blueing and found the outside crack.
It was not visible till after I wire brushed it. I didn't see it nor did the smith last year...Yes we both wear glasses.
Has anyone here taken a Cooey Barrel off or are they press fitted???
Not sure it's worth fiddling with a $150 rifle unless I find another inexpensive replacement barrel.
 
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Take it somewhere that allows you to fire it from behind some kind of barricade (ie., in a rest, fired with a string, at a backstop/bullet trap). Wrap a white cloth around the barrel where the crack is - tape it down.
Fire a couple of rounds through it. Gas burns on the cloth? retire the rifle. No sign of gas leaking sideways through the cracks? Hmm. Probably still best to retire the rifle.
But you'll know one way or the other if those are "through" cracks.
I think that's what I'd do - it may be dangerous to try this so you do what you feel you're willing to risk.

The rifle has already been fired (last spring) with about 20 rounds through it.
That's after I took it in and had it sorta checked.
I never had a bore camera till a few weeks ago.
Once the inside crack was discovered I took my mini grinder with a wire brush to the outside of barrel, removed the blueing and found the outside crack.
It was not visible till after I wire brushed it. I didn't see it nor did the smith last year...Yes we both wear glasses.
Has anyone one here taken a Cooey Barrel off or are the a press fit???
Not sure it's worth fiddling with a $150 rifle unless I find another inexpensive replacement barrel.

I would do as AikiNut suggests and tape a cloth over the barrel and shoot it. If the cloth is clean (no gasses are escaping) then I'd just continue to use the rifle as if it didn't have an issue. Because the crack wasn't visible until after you took a wire wheel to it, I wouldn't be surprised if its not leaking gas. However, If gasses are escaping through the crack its probably not a bad idea to shelf the rifle.

A new barrel probably isn't worth it, keep the rifle for parts and buy another cooey if you like the platform. IF you can find a barrel, it'll probably cost more than a cheap rifle.


*THIS IS NOT ADVICE AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU OR ANYONE ELSE DOES WITH THIS INFO*

Personally, I would just shoot the #### out of it, especially if the cloth test shows no gases escaping. You've already put 20rds through it and didn't even notice it. The pressure is going to be pretty low at 14" of barrel length, I would be absolutely amazed if anything catastrophic happened. Chances are the only thing you MIGHT do is grow the crack.

Another option would be to get someone to run a bead of weld down the length of the crack and sand it. Bubba? Absolutely. But considering the current situation, who cares.
 
I don't know how Cooey made their barrels, but I have seen some other cheap .22s that had a seam rinning down the full length of the barrel. They may have started with bar-stock, and forged the barrels around a mandrel.

Bottom line; it's a flipping .22, not a 9000 ludicris magnum. You could block the barrel, and shoot it until it was full, and it would not bulge until you tried to press the bullets out with a press.

The inside looks likke manufacturiing marks; and looks almost new.

Why do you think a fouled .22 barrel often shoots better than a super clean one? Because the fowling makes it slick and smooth.

Shoot it and enjoy it; it's not going to blow up and kill everyone in a 10km radius; it's just going to keep shooting FFS.
 
The moment the pressure goes off is on firing at the chamber area , 14inches ahead of the chamber there is less pressure as bullet exits barrel model 60 dime a dozen if you want to spend. Little money have a gun smith shorten and crown at 14 in as long as 26 in overall length is 26in no worries
 
I have seen a Cooey 60 barrel with a crack and a piece blown out of the side. I suspect the barrels are made of free machining leaded steel. LaLed, 12L14, etc. Tends to brittleness.
Can't see the need to shoot a rifle with a cracked barrel.
Cooey 60 barrels are pressed and pinned. Might be possible to replace the barrel with a take-off. Be worth trying. Wouldn't spend much money on the project, though.
 
As the crack is lengthwise, the chances of catastrophic failure are nil. I suppose there is risk of injury to your hand or someone's eye if it starts to spit out gas or debris. If it were your one and only rifle, I'd say put a thin steel sleeve on the outside, but is it even worth the bother? I wouldn't weld it. That could introduce some further unknowns.

Is the crack located out in the open, or between the barrel and the stock?
 
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