M71 browning gunsmith CHAMBER CAST

is your chamber - and cartridge case - clean, and free from any lubrication when you are firing?
 
Here's my cast....not the best I know....but help me read this thing.....to me it shows no throat at all really. The rifling starts right at the end of the neck, and the neck is .003" under sized....shouldn't there be a small amount of area with no rifling? Isn't that the throat?


There's your answer right there. Pretty hard to seat the ogive any distance from the lands when the lands start at the case mouth. That chamber needs to be recut.
 
I would expect so. It looks loke they forgot to use the finishing reamer when they made the rifle. Probably a Friday afternoon.
 
Got to fire a round of factory 250 tonight...primers look exactly like my reloads

250gr. factory? I have an old part box but but reluctant to shoot them as that's all I have.



About the only factory loads I've been able to come across is new Winchester 200gr and those I got from Mark at Omineca Source For Sports in Vanderhoof. As far as I've been able to find out, 200gr is all Winchester is supposedly making at the moment. I would dearly love to get my hands on some of their old 250gr Silvertip bullets even but apparently they aren't available either. For reloads, I have Hornady Interlock 200gr FP and Barnes originals Flat Nose in both 220gr & 250gr. Oh, and some cast in 230gr and 262gr. Definately enough to keep me going but I do like those old 250gr Silvertips.
:redface:Sorry, didn't mean to side track the thread but as I've said, the 250gr Silvertips are something I'd like to get my hands on.



As mentioned previously, I have a original Winchester deluxe. My handloads are at or just under max and haven't seen any indications of preasure above acceptable.
In your case, as has been suggested by others, I'd contact Browning for their reaction and solution. It would be interesting to hear their response but I believe they'd come through for you as they have a decent reputation for quality.
 
I was lucky and found a gunsmith near home here that has an original Winchester 71. He's got a few boxes of factory 250's. He's shot off most, but he gave me one to try so we had a bench mark to go from. He figures if the gun does that with factory loads, then it's no big deal that it does it with reloads.....still bugs me as I know it's not working like a good gun should .....I think I'm going to have Mason Reamers build me a neck/throat reamer and run it in the chamber
 
Last edited:
I was lucky and found a gunsmith near home here that has an original Winchester 71. He's got a boat load of old 250, just like the box you have....in fact I think he's shot off most, but he gave me one to try so we had a bench mark to go from. He figures if the gun does that with factory loads, then it's no big deal that it does it with reloads.....still bugs me as I know it's not working like a good gun should .....I think I'm going to have Mason Reamers build me a neck/throat reamer and run it in the chamber

I'd be content to just be able to access the 250gr bullets alone. However, do you know if he'd be willing to part with a few boxes and if so,PM me as to how much.
 
Fired up the chronograph this evening.

210 grain LBT lead boolit. Wheel weight air cooled. 50/50 lube. gaschecked.
50 grain IMR 4895. CCI 200 primer. W/W cases.

6 rounds fired: I had a low of 2282 fps, a high of 2328 fps, and an average of 2308 fps.

There's a light mark on the primer where the ejector is cut out of the bolt face, but nothing extreme.

I was reading my notes, and I have to keep reminding myself that when I load up a batch of ammo, I have to remember to not load the boolit out too long, or I have trouble chambering a round.

How much to recut the leade on your rifle? I've been thinking it might have to be an option of my gun, too.
 
Back
Top Bottom