I have a old Norwegian Krag in 6.5 x 55, action is in great shape but i cannot get the barrel to clean up, went through a stack of patches and hoppes and it has improved the patches keep coming out gray. I use a patch over a brush. I have not been able to get decent groups, the rifling is so-so and maybe the throat is worn. Still would like to see some clean patches.

It can be a long process that's for sure...

Alternate an aggressive Copper Solvent with a Carbon killer to find the bore metal then work it with JB Paste.

There is likely corrosion as well.

It will either clean up and shoot or it won't.

Groups may or not be related to the bore...it could be the crown.

We used to have to bore into the muzzle end of Garands maybe an inch or more to find clean rifling at the muzzle.

That's why CMP rifles are graded as to muzzle diameter. it it's a reasonably accurate measure of how many rounds were on the barrel..

I would try the copper solvent and JB bore paste. If that didn't do it I would shoot some of Tubbs Final Finish abrasive bullets down the bore. This could help with any roughness too. Then I would treat with Dyna Bore Coat or Tekcrolan Sweet Shooter once it was clean. This can be the Lazerious treatment for bringing a barrel back to life or it will clearly indicate if you need a new barrel.

Thanks, not familiar with JB. I may cast the chamber so I can see what the throat looks like, I could measure at the muzzle.. or cast that as well

Might try some Wipe Out.

For some dumb reason a majority of Norwegian Krags I've encountered have sewer pipe bores. Undoubtedly a result of improper cleaning when using corrosively-primed ammo. Given the professionalism exhibited by Norwegians in their approach to such matters in general this always mystified me.

One farfetched theory I heard once was that faced with surrendering to the Germans they fired off as much ammo through as many rifles that they could, and turned them in un-cleaned so as to rust. The Germans, used to their up to date non-corrosively primed ammo (they went that route long before the rest of the world did, including us) didn't pay much attention to cleaning the surrendered weapons and so they languished and the bores rotted. Kind of off the wall, I know, but as a theory/BS story it's as good as any other.

I bought one once thinking I could whip it into shape. After about a million passes with brushes, patches, and solvent it didn't look much better than when I started. I gave up and horse traded it to a buddy who promptly gave it the old soak-in-stronger ammonia treatment. (I swore off that desperate measure long ago after almost dying. A story for another time.) What he attained finally was a squeaky clean bore pretty much devoid of rifling. Shots fired out of it clustered into a beautiful shotgun pattern-like group. I think he still has the action tucked away somewhere.

I swore if I ever stumbled upon a 6.5 Krag with a minty bore I would bend over backwards to get it. I think I'm over that now.

If i cant whip this barrel into shape, i might rebarrel. Why, i love the old girl and want to take a caribou with it, maybe moose afer that. I finally installed a good trigger and had a old Lyman peep put on. I am not expecting a tack track driver. With open sights i would consider it a 200 yard gun. The front post is now too low and thats not a big deal. I can still see rifling so its not a smoothbore.... yet. Maybe by the time I get done.

For rusty bores, I have had good luck scrubbing with a brass brush wrapped with a ChoreBoy string and soaked with Kroil.

johnn,

I can relate with your cleaning woes. I have taken on a few dark mil-surp bores too. A couple of Swedish Mausers and a few Norwegian Krag-Jorgensens. Like mentioned above, I will do a long regiment of Hoppes 9 on patches wrapped around a bronze brush. Then move to JB nonembedding bore compound with patches wrapped around a brush. I always assumed I was contending with alternating layers of copper and carbon with shallow pitting below. Seems like even with the rough bores in the end as long as it has stronger rifleing I have ended up with a decent shooting iron sights rifle in the end (at least by my standards). I have been lucky in those regards. After that thorough cleaning the groups might not improve until after 10 or 15 shots. If you do decide to rebarrel remember the Norwegians used a left hand thread on their Krag-Jorgensens. Good luck with the project and let us know how accuracy comes out. I do love working with the Norwegian Krags.

Happy hunting,
sixfive

Sixfive, thanks i will keep scrubbing, and yep, 200 yd gun is ok. I am completely enamored with the Krag, practically fawning. Its so light and so much was happening when Ole and Eric designed this thing. Serial number 821, 1913, model 1912. I think it may have been one of the civilian models that were built. Mostly due to the front sight. Which is non typical. At least in my research.

I worked on my barrel for quite a while. Got it to the point where it "patterned" nicely at 50 yards. Finally, re-barreled.
If you do re-barrel several things:
Commonly available 1/9 twist probably won't stabilize the big 156/160 grain bullets especially at the lower velocities.
I used a 1/9 twist barrel. Rifle shoots best with 129 and 140 grain bullets with 129's having the edge.
Left-hand threads.
Not quite square threads. Not Acme but there is a slight taper.
The image in the Frank de Haas book, " Bolt Action Rifles " shows the extractor cut incorrectly.
I read somewhere that one rebarrel technique is to use a Swedish 96 barrel. The original Krag barrel stub is bored and threaded on the inside. The Swedish 96 barrel is then cut, machined to diameter and threaded to match the inside threads of the original Krag barrel stub. Probably still needs a reamer and headspace gauge to get things right but a lower cost way to get a fast twist barrel. Questionable economics if you are paying someone to do the machine work..
By the way, mine will jam about every third round if I use US made ammo with the smaller case-head. Lapua with the true dimensions works fine.
Probably, my favorite rifle.

Interesting thought on reusing the krag barrel stub. I will have to find and pay a competent Smith to preform this work. Economically ha... I guess i need to think more about what bullet weight I will be using. I appreciate the info and yep i likethe rifle and the caliber a lot.

If you want to get clean patches try some Patch Out and acellerator. That is the best thing that I have found. Regards

No JB available locally, i did get some shout out and its as clean as its gonna get. Still looks like crap and not expecting much. I think I will investigate rebarelling. Have not done that and will see if there is a capable smith in Fairbanks. Not sure on twist, with iron sights I will consider it or hope for a 200 yard hunting rifle. With that said likely 140G bullets. 1:8 twist...? Barrel, doesn't need to be anything too special for 200 yds. IMO..
Doubtful i will wear out a button rifled barrel, in fact I would be stoked if I did!.
I would like to reuse the front sight, which is a marble and makes e think this was a sporting rifle from day one, marble rear sight as well. Thinking the chamber and specifically the throat most important

Most of my ex-mils never clean up completely as far as carbon is concerned - patches always come out grey at best. They still shoot okay, and a couple of the bores are pitted and dark. A damaged/worn muzzle will destroy accuracy, maybe yours has this issue? If so, counterboring will help, or even chopping a bit off the end. I had a Columbian Mauser with a worn muzzle that missed the target at 50 yards, or those projectiles that hit were completely sideways. I chopped off 3/16" (hacksaw) and hand filed a flat crown - shoots as good as my other Mausers now.

Try a homemade electronic bore cleaner. You would be surprised at the amount of crud they get out of a barrel even after you supposedly gave it a good cleaning. I made one with a flash light, and it’s very good and inexpensive.

Here are some links of some different designs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMCEutvhDQ

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads/making-an-electric-bore-cleaning-kit.31091/

http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2615634

Just Google: “homemade electronic bore cleaner”

You'll never get a corroded bore completely clean and keep it there. I find they shoot better dirty with some copper fouling to fill in the pits. Just keep them clean enough to keep the barnacles away and get on with better things.

I've fire lapped a few and it works if they aren't too far gone. Never hurts, but not a guaranteed cure.

I think I have it as clean as its going to get, the rifling looks like crap, I will shoot a few rounds and see what happens..

+1. I had a Kar 98 that would not come clean it was so badly coppered up. I read about plating off the copper and gave it a try as a last resort.

See: I Felt Like a Mad Scientist

This was one of many steps I needed to deal with "The Mauser from Hell." In the end, it shot the smallest group of any of my deer rifles ever.



To get the black crud out, I used Ed's Red on a patch and then let it sit. The longer it sits, the better the crud comes loose.

To polish, I used Flitz on a patch wrapped around a copper brush and then used 100 strokes up and down from the muzzle. Every 20 strokes, I changed patches and refreshed with more Flitz.

See what it is doing after 10 to 20 rounds if you have the available ammunition. Sometimes it takes a few rounds for the bore to come around. I guess if you do rebarrel in the end you will always have the piece of mind that you have a nice new barrel to work with. Good luck with the old Krag!

Thanks, i need to change out the front post, its a Marble and supposedly push from right to left as the dovetail is tapered... according to Marble. I did get it to move with a brass drift, but its really tight. I may need to get a tool. I have some plastic posts from Williams that i think I can use to determine the height. Once i get the sights dialed in, i will decide if it needs a barrel. I would be surprised if it grouped, based on how it looks to me. I may cast the chamber so i can measure the throat.

I am in the same boat as you. I test fired a 1894 Norwegian Krag sporter I have been working on yesterday. Front sight is a replacement ramp and 3/8" dovetailed sight blade as well. The sights were way off. Had to set the rear sight to the 500 meter mark to be close at 50 yards. I have a Williams sight pusher now but, before I had a store bought one I made my own. I used a sturdy C-clamp (or something similar) with a couple of well shaped blocks of wood to push the dovetailed blade. Crude but effective. I think Brownells has a video on measuring front sight heights. I know their catalog use to have a formula.

Install it right to left, remove it left to right, looking at it from the rear.

Get a can of key board air cleaner.
Triple masking the front and back of the barrel by the sight.
Blast the sight quickly with a frost on it
Quickly hit it with the drift.
If that dont work.
And your gonna toss it anyways.
30 tpi small hacksaw down the middle of it
Taped up like before .
Get within 1/16 th to 1/ 32 of the base pf the sight.

Take a pair of needle nose and squeeze the cut together.
Spread open with small flat tip and small hammer
Repeat till it breaks from flex and comes da fugg out.

Dont listen to me.
I'm a dik.....
And neither of these will ever work.....

Just some bullschitt I came up with on the fly....






3 2 1
The experts will be along soon to tell ya how jakked this is.


LMFAO!!!

Johnn,

I just finished fixing up a customers 1903A3 that had a really rough bore, and a load of copper in it, That wasn’t returning any clean patches, but it doesn’t pretty well now.

Here are some before and after borescope pictures... I couldn’t drive a lead slug down it, but now once I did the copper out (reverse elec plating), and lapped it the barrel slugs like most off the shelf rifles, and the patches are almost clean. Lapping here is done with abrasives, and you only aim to restore performance, not remove all the pits which would make the bore to big.

Before






AFTER