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I'm not sure if I understand the whole counterbored thing when Mosin Nagant rifles are discussed. I have a MN. Haven't done anything to it but shoot it (just an ugly milt rifle). How do I tell if it has the infamous counterbore done? What is it done for? What difference does it make as far as shooting is concerned (not collecting milt, just like to shoot it).
The best way to tell if your gun has a counterbore is to take a round and place the bullet tip into the muzzle end of the barrel. If the bullet freely drops to the shell casing chances are that it has been counterbored. It is hit or miss with the mosins being counterbored. Any model can have it done but the M-38's seem to be the most commonly counterbored. The russians counterbored the barrels to prolong the life of the barrel by cutting away the bad/worn rifling at the muzzel end. If done properly a counterbore will imporve accuracy. If you just want a shooter then a counterbore would not bother me. The only time counterbores are a problem is with the collecting types that want a pristine example. Shoot and enjoy it. Wheresle are you going to find a highpower rifle for around a c-note.
just checked mine, no counterbore here. thanks for the info.. bogey
Ya, thanks Egon12, no CB for me either. My MN shoots fine so I guess it wouldn't matter according to your info. I've got the LONG model it's a kick (pun intended)
I noticed that my M44 has about a 3/4" long counterbore. From the muzzle, the bore looks HUGE. This had me thinking. I'm wondering if the counterbored area, can be milled at an angle, to create a muzzle brake effect.
Any input?
Some of mine are, some aren't
My 1927 ex-dragoon is now, but my 1942 tula is, go figure.
my 1937 Tula is not counter bored. Thanks for the info.
Im not a gunsmith but I dont see why you couldnt. Its not goint to mess up the rifling at all. You could always get it ported to. Its would be the only M44 that Ive ever seen ported.Quote:
Originally Posted by dearborndevil
Just inserting a loaded round or bullet into the muzzle and seeing if it goes to the case is not a test for the presence of counter boring, but is a test of whether the bore NEEDS to be counter bored.
The one thing that effects accuracy in a well-built rifle, using good ammo, is damage to the rifling at the muzzle. Many times, especially in military rifles, the rifling is worn away through the use of rope or string pull-through cleaning material. Often a correctly sized bullet will fall as much as an inch into a worn barrel. It’s a good ides to carry a loaded round to a gun show if your looking for a mil-surp rifle. A bullet (the part that flies through the air not the round itself) should not fit into the barrel at the muzzle. If it does, the barrel is worn. Don’t just carry a bullet, if you drop a bullet into a worn barrel it may get stuck. Some sellers may get upset. The casing of a loaded round serves as a “handle” for your quick-and-dirty go/no go gage.
The reason the rifling and some more metal were worn away is the fact that some of the crud that is removed when cleaning is pretty hard. Ground glass is a component of some priming mixtures. Anyway, the pull-through gets this stuff imbedded into the string/rope and then you have pull-through sanding string, like sanding paper. Would you clean your bore with sand paper? But the string only touched the bore at the muzzle, so at the muzzle is where we find the damage. Could you pull a string through a bore and and not touch the rifling?
So, when a damaged bore was found during a rebuild, it was either counter bore or replace the entire barrel. If damage is found in a target rifle muzzle, the barrel is cut-off and crowned, but target rifles don’t normally accept bayonets!
Now, what does it mean when a counter bored rifle is encountered? Well, it might mean the rifle was cleaned so often that the muzzle was damaged, but it does not mean that the rifle was fired a lot. Remember that when only one round of corrosive ammo is fired, the rifle needs cleaned. The counter bored rifles I’ve seen come in cases, not cases with some bored and some not. It may be that every rifle when rebuilt was bored, needed or not.
The main thing to learn here is NOT USE A BORE SNAKE STYLE CLEANING KIT!!!!
But the Reds did learn, they provided a muzzle protector for use when cleaning an SKS or AK. It’s a part of the buttstock cleaning kit and it clamps on the front sight and keeps the cleaning rod from touching the rifling. They don’t fit Yugo’s.
Steve