Worn Barrels

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wallz

CGN Regular
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What does one do with worn out barrels???

Recycle them? I imagine there is some heft in the metal.

I have a 26" heavy stainless that is nearing end of life, so just wondering as I have never had this problem before.

Could one rebore to a larger caliber, or is that even practical? Maybe donate it to a smith and they can reuse??
 
Tomato stakes. They can also be turned down to make nice pillars for pillar bedding. Some barrels that are beyond their "competitive life" could be cut down and to rebarrel a hunting rifle that would last a lifetime.
 
Its a 6.5 CM with close to 2000 rounds. Sorry, don't own a bore scope. It is a spiral fluted heavy stainless, but I guess you could turn the flutes off it and still have enough meat in the barrel for a hunting rifle. That one I'll have to ask a smith I guess what the possibilities would be.

I know its not out yet, but it will be getting there soon. Just got another 3K primers and waiting for brass, so it will be done before long.

Just hoping to get a handle on it before then. Sitting at work bored, and thinking ahead.
 
Barring cleaning rod damage, etc., the bore beyond the breech may be quite usable. If the barrel is shortened at the breech, threaded and chambered, in all likelihood the eroded throat area will be gone. Not unusual for a barrel to be set back and rechambered. It is as much work as fitting a new barrel though, so if you have to pay a 'smith to do it, it might not make sense - better to start new.
As mentioned, a retired target rifle barrel may be an excellent hunting rifle barrel.
 
I had my gunsmith set it back and rechamber and recrown the old one, same time as the new one. Sure it cost a bit more, but I now have two identical chambers. I can fireform the brass in the old one
and keep the round count down on the new one. It still shoots pretty good too.
 
wallz said:
What does one do with worn out barrels???

Recycle them? I imagine there is some heft in the metal.

I have a 26" heavy stainless that is nearing end of life, so just wondering as I have never had this problem before.

Could one rebore to a larger caliber, or is that even practical? Maybe donate it to a smith and they can reuse??
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Sell them. Your “worn out barrel” makes an excellent project for someone. A decent stainless barrel will fetch $150-$200, and a regular barrel would fetch $100-$150.
 
wallz said:
Its a 6.5 CM with close to 2000 rounds. Sorry, don't own a bore scope. It is a spiral fluted heavy stainless, but I guess you could turn the flutes off it and still have enough meat in the barrel for a hunting rifle. That one I'll have to ask a smith I guess what the possibilities would be.

I know its not out yet, but it will be getting there soon. Just got another 3K primers and waiting for brass, so it will be done before long.

Just hoping to get a handle on it before then. Sitting at work bored, and thinking ahead.
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Also 2000 rounds is nowhere near “shot out”. Maybe no longer good for a match rifle, but it would serve hunting accuracy for another 10000 to 20000 rounds. More if the user doesn’t use any hotrod stuff.
 
Blastattack said:
Also 2000 rounds is nowhere near “shot out”. Maybe no longer good for a match rifle, but it would serve hunting accuracy for another 10000 to 20000 rounds. More if the user doesn’t use any hotrod stuff.
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20000 rounds?.... i guess if your shots are under 50 yards and your hunting moose lol
 
possum said:
LOL, In what world do you hunt/shoot ? 10 to twenty thousand rounds ......
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I`ve wore out more than one barrel over the years. Shot almost 1000 rounds of .223 in a week on a Sask. gopher shooting expedition. If you are an avid shooter and or varmint hunter then 10000 rounds really isn`t that much. When I reload, I load in batches of 1000 over the winter.
 
possum said:
LOL, In what world do you hunt/shoot ? 10 to twenty thousand rounds ......
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The last year I was shooting a lot I burned up over 40 pounds of powder , anywhere from 25 to 45 grains each depending on the cartridge I was shooting .
It wouldn't take that many years if a person was only shooting one or two rifles.
Cat
 
Not a great value proposition to spend money rechambering a worn out barrel. You'll get maybe 25% additional barrel life, but at the full cost of chambering that could be applied to a new barrel.
 
barny223 said:
I know
The cost of 20k rounds ...think about that ...and to save a few hundred bucks on a barrel blank.....hilarious
Not everyone is good at math
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I'm not really sure what your insult is meant to be. The point I am illustrating is that when a match shooter says their barrel is "worn out", and imply that their barrel is worthless, are being overly dramatic. It may no longer deliver top target accuracy, but with a little refurbishment, it would still perform fine for your regular user. Anyone with access to a lathe and some tools can repurpose that barrel for a fun project at a low cost.

As for the ammunition quip, most shooters won't shoot that many centerfire rounds in their lifetime, across all firearms they own. I would argue that the majority of commercially sold firearms will never fire more than 1000 rounds ever. How many rounds does your average hunter use per year? 1-5 rounds to confirm sight in, 1-5 rounds to take their quarry. So at 10000 rounds of useful accuracy that's... 1000-5000 years of useful life. Gee I am good at math
 
Blastattack said:
I'm not really sure what your insult is meant to be. The point I am illustrating is that when a match shooter says their barrel is "worn out", and imply that their barrel is worthless, are being overly dramatic. It may no longer deliver top target accuracy, but with a little refurbishment, it would still perform fine for your regular user. Anyone with access to a lathe and some tools can repurpose that barrel for a fun project at a low cost.

As for the ammunition quip, most shooters won't shoot that many centerfire rounds in their lifetime, across all firearms they own. I would argue that the majority of commercially sold firearms will never fire more than 1000 rounds ever. How many rounds does your average hunter use per year? 1-5 rounds to confirm sight in, 1-5 rounds to take their quarry. So at 10000 rounds of useful accuracy that's... 1000-5000 years of useful life. Gee I am good at math
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That is fair
Point taken
Sorry for being a smart ass
 
possum said:
LOL, In what world do you hunt/shoot ? 10 to twenty thousand rounds ......
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20k rounds out of one rifle??? Not likely. At least not accurate rounds, even with a couple of barrel set backs and rechamberings.

20k rounds really isn't that much, depending on your choice of shooting venues. I've gone on gopher hunts and shot 3k rounds in a week. Got to be hard work.

I have a friend in the US who annually goes on such hunts with his wife to their son's ranch in Wyoming. They shoot the same rifle, a Remington 700 Varmint, which has been rebarreled several times. That rifle has to be 45 years old and gets 5k-6k rounds down the tube every year. Between himself, his wife and three grandchildren they shoot a lot of gophers. They will usually have the barrel set back and rechambered after the second year of shooting.
 
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