Hey guys, I just got around to cleaning the barrel on my new to me .303 s/n 2099x. Well, the barrel was a little dusty when I was looking at it before I got it home, now I can see pitting. Looking through the muzzle, right side up, I can see a fairly large pit about 6-8 inches in in the northeast direction, and it appears there is a smaller one on the southwest portion maybe an inch more towards the muzzle. I do have an old shotgun with pitting, but shotgun pressures are a fraction of what a rifle barrel will see. So guys, did I screw the pooch on this gun or what? I am hoping it's not that big of deal, you see I am already attached to this gun! This gun is exactly what I set out to find, and now I'm worried it's a lost cause! So please cheer me up with some positive input if you can.

I like shiney bores.
My Pop would call it the price of tuition.
Don't buy stuff without condition.(junk)

If you bought it to be a shooter... shoot it and see how it does. You might just be pleasantly suprised.

Years ago I bought a obendoerf Mauser to use as a truck/canoe gun. When I cleaned the gun I found out the barrel was basicly missing defined rifling for a few inches from the chamber. Funny thing is it shot ok maybe 2 moa.. which is about all I could see with the factory sights..

What noknees said. Shoot it & see how it groups/patterns.

As to what Jed said , I have paid some of thet tuition too , comes with the territory.

Mike

I agree shoot it.It might shoot ok.

Mike

Thanks for the quick responses fellas! I did buy it for hunting, but I am just worried about the pressure aspect of it. And Jed, don't worry buddy, I have a couple of guns that might make even you drool condition-wise. Oh! Look, there's one now!



Just funnin' ya! Jed you really do have some nice guns, and I am green with envy!

Shouldn't cause problems with pressure. Accuracy is the key issue, and cleaning the barrel afterwards a secondary issue.

+1 to shoot it and see how it does.

I once owned/bought an Maynard carbine,for 300$,that was flat new and unfired.IIRC they (Maynards) were manufactured bout 1856.
Caint say I've ever seen a Springfield that would make me drool.
I did froth over these some....

If jacketed bullets don't shoot and you reload, try some cast bullets. Could be surprised.

Very nice pair! The thing that interests me about anything old though is the history. That Springfield was bought from a family friend in the 1960s whose father used it in the Spanish-American War. It still has the brass muzzle cover and the cleaning kit in the stock. No offense Jed, your guns are a fine work of art and I would love to own something like that someday, but all of the aesthetics in the world can't make up for real history. That firearm and countless others like it saw horrible things that most of us couldn't even imagine. That makes it neat to me, not a collector maybe, but I am still very proud of it.

Oh it's a collector (The S'field).
Now about the 'horrible things' ....I'm not sure what kinda mojo might be comin off rifle that killed a bunch of scared people.....Different strokes yanno.
Was a German family here in town that had an authentic human-hide lampshade...that had bad mojo.

Isn't that a Krag?

Speaking of paying tuition, I think anyone who's owned a few 99's has most likely gone through that to some degree. My learning experience envolved a 303 that looked good on the dealer's table and was just screaming at me to take it home. We agreed on a price, and it was mine. Several hangfires and two split cases later, I knew I'd been had. That was the only time I've ever got burned on one. I had an interesting little chat with the dealer at the next show and he got a little belligerant with me. Buyer beware, and take your lumps, I guess.

Jed, guns don't kill people!

dwaldo it is indeed a Krag. I guess I'll give the old 1899 a few shoots and see what shes made of before I get too upset over it. Thanks guys, and happy Turkey day!

You have to try to get that rifle going and let us help you. Since your worried about the pressure there is no sense talking you out of it.

That means that you have to work up a load I suppose. On the other hand if you clean the barrel rust free then there should be less material in there and the bore should be larger. At least thats my take. I would just clean it and shoot it with worked up handloads. Watch for head separations as well as some of those old ones have a lot of headspace to the shoulder. Remember that a rimmed case is as bad, design wise, as a belted one..

If it does not shoot well then break the corner on the crown. That is usually, in my experiance, a greater problem accuracy wise than a rough bore.

Here is a deeply pitted but very clean barrel on a MS that shoots MOA or better with no pressure problems.

I've paid enough Savage tuition to have at least a GED.
Human skin lampshade is terrible mojo beyond words. I won't own M98s (or any Nazi crap), Arisakas, AK 47s, etc because of the mojo. To each his own.

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving.

FLITZ metal polish and a couple hours of your time could make you happy. I have felt your same grief. My present hunter and go to gun is a 99F in 300. It was early on in my Savage schooling and I bought this gun on price and desire alone. Had not reached the point where a bore light and bore snakes in various calibers are a must in the " find the good deal 99 game". Found out the the dust in the bore was covering some pretty ugly stuff in the last couple inches of the bore.I used Flitz and some OOOO steel wool and lots of elbow grease. That gun shoots less than an inch for 3 shots all day long. I polished it so nice that the ugliness just looks like some shiny little wrinkles and dents. So don't give up hope, you just might have Your most accurate 99.Mark.