Rough Chamber?... What now?

[ibebirdman]

Recently I picked up a 12in Hunter barrel in 44mag for my G2. Everything about it looks minty, the bore is bright, the bluing is deep, no frame marks. I suspect that it has not been shot that much.  First trip to the range, it shot fine with some 240gr loads (both factory and handloads, cast and jacketed), but when I bumped up to 300gr cast loads, extraction got a bit sticky (i.e. cases would not just fall out). Fired one shot with a 300gr jacketed and while the ejector lifted it out, I need a tip of a screwdriver under the rim to help me get it out fully.  I quit there.  Now the 300gr loads were some standard loads from the Contender book, middle of the road, not hot or max according to the book.


Looking in the chamber I can see some pretty distinct tool marks.  I am thinking I got a rough chamber. Anyone have any experience with rough chambers in a Contender? Can/should I get it polished? What about re-chambered? I don't really want a hand canon like a 444, any other choices?


Your thoughts are appreciated,


Joel

[Iowa Fox]

Call T/C and ask to return it for repair. I have polished one chamber for a Contender that was made and chambered by one of the custom barrel makers. I just used T shirt material with flitz on a split wooden dowel. It really turned out nice. I didn't have problems chambering or extracting brass, the chamber was just rough and had a light scratch in it. I used flitz on T shirt material in a split wooden dowel powered by a hand drill. It didn't take muchto make all the marks go totally away.

[Bigeasy]

If tool marks are visible, a return trip to TC might be in order....But, I question that is the problem.  You stated you had no problems with factory and reloaded 240 grain loads.  Assuming they were loaded to about full power, they should have no more or less pressure then the 300 grain loads.  I think it may be an issue with your 300 grain reloads....Maybe they are to hot for your particular gun?  Depending on throat length, bore diameter, etc., sometimes not all guns can handle all book loads.  This is where a chronograph can help you see what your load is really doing.  Higher then expected velocity, all else being equal, means more pressure.
 
Larry

[ibebirdman]

I did not have my chrono with me that day, I will have to check that.  My neighbor loaded these for me (I can't fine components right now). He shot some out of his ruger bixley and said they just fell out of the cylinder.  So I guess it could be either my gun or my chamber.


I did take a piece of solid copper wire and use it a feeler probe along the chamber wall. Compared to my other 3 barrels (2 custom, 1 factory) it appears much rougher.


Any experience with T/C customer service on issues like this? Would they replace the barrel? Polish the chamber? I don't think they may the 12in hunter any more and that it really what I want.


Joel

[Bigeasy]

May very well be on the rough side.  I would call TC and ask them if they could look at it.  Most chambers can be polished without removing an undo amount of metal.  My only experience with TC repair was calling about a replacement firing pin return spring - They sent me one free of charge.  No offence to your friend, but I am real leery of someone else's reloads.....
 
Larry

[ibebirdman]

I talked with TC, they said send it in.  So we will see what happens.


I totally understand trusting someone elses reloads. This guy I do, normally I don't.


Thanks for the advise.  I was worried that polishing the chamber might make it more sloppy and make for more problems down the road.


J

[SHOOTALL]

try some Kroil oil and clean it , might be old grease or oil that dried out . Just a thought. I used 1200 grit and 1400 grit wet dry paper to polish a chamber , used a split wood dowel to hold the paper and soaked the paper in oil , turned slow with a bat drill. It took very little work.

[Ladobe]

Fixing a rough chamber is as they say... a piece of cake.   In the early days I did such by hand with makeshift tools.   One of the keys to success probably the five plus decades I've used Clover lapping oils/compounds for everything, including chambers, barrels, dies, etc that were available in any grit, and even a small can lasts for decades (I still have some I've probably had for 40 years with more than enough for what's left of my life).  IOW a little goes a long ways, they are still available, still cheap.   All the latter decades I used them with an old Foredom originally bought for carving decoys, etc, with tons of accessories and a foot rheostat for very precise control.
 
Some things are just NOT improved on by modern technology.   
 

 
 
 

[Hopalong7]

  "Some things are just NOT improved on by modern technology"
Right-On......Right-On..........Right-On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Slowpoke Slim]

You can send the barrel to T/C if you wish. I'm pretty sure they will NOT polish the chamber. They will most likely just offer you a replacement barrel from what they have left over. Save yourself the hassle and just polish the chamber yourself. If that is really the issue, it can't need much polishing or your 240 gr loads would also be sticky. Polishing removes almost no actual metal at all. So you don't have to worry about a "loose chamber" afterwards. You will not be able to "tell the difference" in that aspect.

I suspect the true issue is your buddy's handloads were loaded to higher chamber pressures and he used a different make of brass with thinner case walls. Some of the 45 Colt brass is all over the place in both case wall thickness and also case capacity. They likely "fell out" of his bisley because his chambers are cut larger than your T/C chamber. Look at some of his fired brass, shot from his bisley only, and I'm sure you will see the swelling of the brass forward of the web area. If you REALLY want to shoot a 300 gr load, then try a different combo of brass headstamp and powder charge worked up for your specific chamber.

I shoot cast 300 and 335's out of a custom Van Horn carbine without issues. Have to check what brass it's loaded in when I can get to my shop door (still covered with snow and I lack the ambition to dig it out). I'm using a healthy charge of AA#9 and a magnum pistol primer in mine.

[SHOOTALL]

Also different brass or clean vs. dirty brass

[ibebirdman]

Slim,


What brand brass have you found works well for 300gr loads? I do want to develop a load for elk hunting based on a 300gr cast bullets, so I will need a brand of brass  that can handle it.


Joel

[spinafish]

Starline when you can find it!