Rebore Savage 99

[smokinbarrel]

I recently acquired an old take down 99 in 250-3000, it is a 22" barrel built in 1922. Seller said it had a good bore but it is rusted for about 8" ahead of chamber. It is the old 1-14" twist. I don't think it would clean up at 6.5 but .270 should. My idea is to simply neck up the 250 case, not changing anything other than neck diameter, ream the barrel and rifle it 1-10" I would use 90-100 grain bullets. There are established wildcats in this area, but I'm not looking for high velocity, just accuracy and to keep the job simple so just the neck would have to be milled out in chamber, no headspace to deal with.
Is there anyone in this country who could do the reaming and rifling? I have cut chambers myself, I have old books that tell you how to make the tools and cut the rifling by hand, but it sounds like a lengthy and arduous exercise.

 

[Potashminer]

To maybe help with the process?? I had recently acquired a rifle - so was originally 8x57, I understand - intent was to ream out the rusted bore and re-rifle / re-chamber to .338x57 of some sort. Bore reaming did not clean out all the pits, so was re-done to .350" - .358" to be the groove to groove size. At that point was determined not enough barrel wall left to rifle it. So that was what I got - an 8x57 chamber with a smooth bore reamed through to .350". So, pretty much "hostage" to your barrel guy as far as reaming to clean metal, then rifling, then throating. Good luck - I would doubt that would be the first done that way??

I would be very interested to hear if possible for a home guy to ream out a barrel to "top of lands" quality, and then rifle it, to "grooves" quality. I think I could handle the throating, but not at all sure about the bore part of it.

A further thought - if you are building on a "take down" Savage 99, might have to adjust your thinking about what is "accuracy" - that rifle has pretty much most features opposite to what a very accurate modern rifle would have, I think? Not a "torquable tight" connection between barrel tenon and receiver, two piece wood stock, come to mind.

It might be worth your while to spend some time and effort to clean up what you have now - is surprising how well old guns with what appear to be significantly pitted bores, can shoot - often still better than the shooter, with the original sights.

 

[smokinbarrel]

To maybe help with the process?? I had recently acquired a rifle - so was originally 8x57, I understand - intent was to ream out the rusted bore and re-rifle / re-chamber to .338x57 of some sort. Bore reaming did not clean out all the pits, so was re-done to .350" - .358" to be the groove to groove size. At that point was determined not enough barrel wall left to rifle it. So that was what I got - an 8x57 chamber with a smooth bore reamed through to .350". So, pretty much "hostage" to your barrel guy as far as reaming to clean metal, then rifling, then throating. Good luck - I would doubt that would be the first done that way??

I would be very interested to hear if possible for a home guy to ream out a barrel to "top of lands" quality, and then rifle it, to "grooves" quality. I think I could handle the throating, but not at all sure about the bore part of it.

A further thought - if you are building on a "take down" Savage 99, might have to adjust your thinking about what is "accuracy" - that rifle has pretty much most features opposite to what a very accurate modern rifle would have, I think? Not a "torquable tight" connection between barrel tenon and receiver, two piece wood stock, come to mind.

I'm not looking for match grade accuracy, just minute of coyote. I haven't completely condemned it yet, I've loaded up a few rounds to try on a decent day, but I'm not expecting anything great from it. It doesn't appear to be deeply pitted...I think the difference between .257 and .277 would clean it up. Those old time gunsmiths must have had infinite patience(and time) Lapping out several thousands, making homemade cutters, shimming them up with paper..one groove at a time.

 

[guntech]

If you want to keep the full length I think you need to make a 'false muzzle' about an inch long so the new rifling will end up true for the length of the re bore... the new neck will take care of the other end... each end of a new barrel blank has slight flaws from the cutter going in and out...

 

[dan belisle]

Ron Smith does rebores, or used to. - dan

 

[New Camper]

There is a 270 Savage wildcat though it is simply a necked down 300 Savage. Necking up the 250 Savage to 270 will result in a slightly longer neck and body... about .020-.030".

As an added bonus you might be able to form all that redundant Slobbermore brass everyone has around, for your purposes if 250 is in short supply.

 

[MK2750]

I took on the exact project with a 1921 TD 99 a few years back. I spoke with Ron Smith about a re bore but he explained that the metal used in those days was hit and miss at best. I cant remember the exact conversation but it had something to do with the metal not cutting cleanly.

I had him make me one of his gain twist 1-10 barrels to exact contour and had another gunsmith fit it. It shot very well but was a frustrating experience for the person that fitted the barrel. 99s require a little more ingenuity than most modern smiths are capable of these days. Most will not take the project on.

 

[woodchopper]

To maybe help with the process?? I had recently acquired a rifle - so was originally 8x57, I understand - intent was to ream out the rusted bore and re-rifle / re-chamber to .338x57 of some sort. Bore reaming did not clean out all the pits, so was re-done to .350" - .358" to be the groove to groove size. At that point was determined not enough barrel wall left to rifle it. So that was what I got - an 8x57 chamber with a smooth bore reamed through to .350". So, pretty much "hostage" to your barrel guy as far as reaming to clean metal, then rifling, then throating. Good luck - I would doubt that would be the first done that way??

I would be very interested to hear if possible for a home guy to ream out a barrel to "top of lands" quality, and then rifle it, to "grooves" quality. I think I could handle the throating, but not at all sure about the bore part of it.

.

the only way I can think of doing this at home without building a rifling machine is with button rifling

You can get the buttons and forcing rods on line for some of the more common calibers, 9mm .355" I know I've seen but not .357"

you just need to force the button through the bore with a hydraulic press

 

[Snider shooter]

If this is a take down rifle how much hassle is it to find another take down barrel and have it fitted to the receiver?I have a 1919 TD in 30-30 I was looking at. If the threads are cut the same how hard is it to have everything line up proper?I have seen a 410 barrel that was a perfect fit on a 38-55 TD. 410 barrel came from a different gun.

 

[smokinbarrel]

If this is a take down rifle how much hassle is it to find another take down barrel and have it fitted to the receiver?I have a 1919 TD in 30-30 I was looking at. If the threads are cut the same how hard is it to have everything line up proper?I have seen a 410 barrel that was a perfect fit on a 38-55 TD. 410 barrel came from a different gun.

That would be great, if there are any good 250 barrels around, but I'm guessing they are scarce as hen's teeth. A 300 Sav barrel would likely interchange, but I would like to stay at 270 or under, as larger isn't legal in this area.
I think I could ream/hone myself to a decent .270 diameter. I've been researching rifling buttons and wondering if I could obtain one of these and build a jig to press it through. I have no experience in this area though, and it's undoubtedly more complicated than it sounds. Worse case scenario the barrel goes on the junk heap.
I have also considered finding a good 25 cal barrel with enough shank to rework to fit this action, but it's a complicated job with cut outs, then it would need to be chambered/headspaced and there is the outside profile. The old savages TD have that slender profile with the front sight base formed into it. Would be nice to keep.

 

[tiriaq]

Button rifling a tapered barrel would be problematic.
Button rifled barrels are stress relieved, drilled, reamed, lapped, buttoned, stress relieved, then tapered. The button is run through the blank while it is cylindrical so that dimensions will be uniform from end to end. Button rifling results in stresses being built up in the blank. This is why rifled blanks are stress relieved before being tapered.
Run a button through a tapered barrel, and bore dimensions will not be uniform.