dilemma

[flatlander]

I have a Swede that I picked up years ago and have been playing around with it a little just for fun. I'd like to use it to hunt with eventually, and I have put it in a new wood hunting stock and have a scout mount on it that piggy-backs the rear sight with a 1.5-4 pistol scope. The problem lies in the fact that the muzzle end of the barrel is corroded for 10" or so. The barrel is 28", so I have some room to play with if I have to. I was going to just rebarrel it, but there isn't anyone locally who will do it. I hate to chop it off, because so far everything I've done can be reversed and put back into original condition. Any suggestions on how best to deal with this situation? I'm at a point where I'm thinking of just selling it off with all of its extras and buying a new rifle.

[kombi1976]

Surely there is someone reputable you can post it off to to have it rebarrelled.
There are lots of companies that make a barrel for either the M96 or M38 action.
The other thing is have you just thought about doing a really good reblue on the barrel?
It'll really make it look a lot better if you do a good reblue on all the metal.
It won't repair the corrosion & pitting but if it shoots fine surely that isn't really the issue.
It also means you can keep your scout mount and scope.
I guess at the end of the day it depends on whether you want a pretty looker of a rifle or just a good shooter.
If you can cope with some aesthetic flaws then there are ways of improving it's appearance as I suggested.
Otherwise, perhaps you should just sell it.

[flatlander]

I am definitely not doing this for show--I want a good hunting rifle when I'm done. And I guess I should clarify a bit as well. The corrosion is in the bore and not outside, but for 8" or so at the muzzle area only. The rest of the bore looks nice.  I have trouble imagining that it will shoot well as it stands right now, but I'll have to give it a try in any case. At the very minimum, it will have to be chopped and recrowned.

[ajj]

By all means, give it a try. The only surprise will be a pleasant one. Some pittted bores shoot jacketed bullets just fine. I cleaned and tested a Swede that a friend had left in his garage over the winter. Wasps had built a mud plug in the barrel and the pitting was just awful for about three inches near the muzzle. I got 2 1/2" five shot, 100 yard groups, issue sights. You may do even better.

[PA-Joe]

If it's less than 16 inch you cannot have a shoulder stock. Better to just get a new barrel put on it. Shouldn't cost more than 150. I have seen some new barrels for under 50.

[1911crazy]

Well your at the "cross roads"  do you want a hunter/sporter or a collectable gun?  I've been there a few times and i would go with what was said here already.

1. First see if it shoots ok now my only question is then what?
       1.a do you cut the barrel down anyway or leave it long?
2. I believe Samco has both barrels the 29" long and the short M38 barrel too available.
3. Another option is to buy either a barreled M38 action or a cracked stock gun for the same price(samco) to build as a hunter and leave the collectable m96 alone.

I'm sure no matter which way you go you'll enjoy your swede.

I'm in the same position as you are in right now too I want a swede sporter and i'm not sure whiuch one a m96 or a m38 its all about the 6,5x55 round.  I have an extra swede I bought for this purpose but i have been putting it off.  I may leave it orginal like i have done with others(7mm & 8mm) and just scope it.  I have one swede with 5% bluing left so it needs rebluing anyway. ganyway.                                                                        BigBill

[jh45gun]

I cut my Swede down to 20 inches amd made a scout rifle out of it. I should have never done it as it was pristine. Too late now and Oh well I still like it and it shoots great. A good shooting swede should do better than 2.5 inches at a 100 yards with a pistol scope on it. Since the bore is ruined at the end I would not hesitate on cutting and recrowning it. One other think I buy to shoot not collect so some may condemn my actions but I bought it so it is my business. Yea swedes have gone up in price and one in good condition I would not cut again but in your case the barrel is not in good shape anyway so what do you have to lose to make a hunting rifle not much in my estimation.

[flatlander]

Well, we do have a gun show coming up, so I'm thinking of seeing if I can sell it with the extra stock as is. If not, then I'll chop it and not look back. I guess I've had enough folks grinch at me for talking about chopping that I'm hesitating before doing it. I really like the 6.5x55 round, though.

[kombi1976]

Before you do anything though, go to town with bore cleaners and get it as clean as a whistle.
Then put some rounds down it to see how it prints.
If it's printing well despite the pitting I can't see a reason to cut it unless you really want to.
Certainly recrowning it will make it more accurate and you may even find the pitting doesn't intrude as far down the barrel as you thought.
Whatever the case, at least see if you can put some good groups in with it.
I'm in the opposite position.
My 8mm 98k has pitting on the outside of the bore but has shiney sharp rifling inside.
Since mine is being drilled and tapped I have to decide whether or not to rebarrel it with a sporter barrel that would suit a new stock much better.

[jh45gun]

Bottom line is IT IS YOUR GUN! Do not let some armchair collector tell you what or what you should do. If you want to sporterize it thats your business no body elses. Some gun forums will crucify you for sporterising a milsurp others may not care or may have boards for that purpose. Since at this forum we get all kinds those who do and those who don't all attitudes are expressed with no one usually getting their skivies in a bunch about it. Long barrel Swedes are 29" so if you have to cut off even to 18 inches you will still have a handy shootable gun. A short barrel does not affect accuracy most Contender and Encore pistols shoot as good or better than most rifles. You loose a little velocity thats all. Jim

[flatlander]

Well, I spent the weekend at the show and it was a very strange one. LOTS of vendors, but we had some beautiful weather, and I suspect that it had something to do with the turnout, or lack of turnout, I guess. There were 900 tables or so and it never got crowded and there wasn't much buying anywhere. I brought in the Swede with both stocks and a B-square scout mount and brought it home again.
Anyone have any pointers on chopping a barrel? I'm going to try chopping it myself using the brass screw method for recrowning and I'm going to leave enough barrel so if I mess it up, I can have someone else do it again later. Also, is there a market for original stocks? Once mine gets chopped, I don't need the old one and will probably sell it if there is a market for it.

[1911crazy]

If your chopping a 29" barrel you do lose accuracy but its on the far end of your rear site range like 200yds + not at 100yds you'll never notice it.  While it will still shoot the longer distances it just won't group as tight. The M96's are more accurate than the M38's when they go out the distance.  I believe the swede M94 carbines were around 18" barrels.  BigBill

[Stan in SC]

Before you make any definitive decision,shoot it and see what kind of accuracy you are getting.It's all conjecture until you do that.You may find that it shhots good despite the barrel.Many of them do.
If you want it rebarrelled,this gent can do it for you.Here's his link.
http://www.gun-shop.biz//

Stan

[flatlander]

This is a 29" barrel, and the thing is just too muzzle heavy for my taste. especially in the new wood stock.. I'm going to cut it in order to just make it balance better. I'll try to post some pictures later on tonight to show you where I am on this project.

[jh45gun]

A hack saw works if you know someone that has a power hack saw it makes a lot straighter cut. I have even cut them with a pipe cutter or tube cutter like for cutting copper tubing ect. That makes a straighter cut than just if you do it with a hacksaw. Then use a square to make sure the end of the barrel is square. If it is not blacken the cut end with a magic marker and file the high side until it is even then recheck with square. It is not a hard job but you have to make sure it is square so it shoots straight. My gunsmith has a  round burr that he uses by hand if he does not want to set up the lathe and then polishes it with a brass ball and compound. My Swede shot a 5 shot group at 25 yards into a 40 cal hole so that method must work good. Jim

[kombi1976]

Before you make any definitive decision,shoot it and see what kind of accuracy you are getting.It's all conjecture until you do that.You may find that it shhots good despite the barrel.Many of them do.
If you want it rebarrelled,this gent can do it for you.Here's his link.
http://www.gun-shop.biz//
Stan

DITTO!!!  

[jh45gun]

Yea but why pay for a rebarrel job if it does not shoot good as is and a shortend barrel and crown job will solve it. AS far as the comment Bill about a shorter barrel not shooting accurately over 100 yards I disagree. The Encore and Contender pistols and other of their ilk with 15 inch barrels shoot very well out past 100 yards. Heck Elmer Keith made shots way out there with a standard open sighted pistol because he practiced until he could do it. Jim