Saubier.com  



Go Back   Saubier.com > Saubier.com Forums > Small Caliber Discussion Board

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-28-2015, 10:44 AM
kenbro kenbro is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lancashire UK
Posts: 3,294
Default Fire Cracking.

Thinking of buying a used rifle and the shop selling it have bore scoped it and say there is some fire cracking evident.
Question is, is a bit of fire cracking a reason not to buy? Does it effect accuracy?
Tia; Ken.
__________________
" Pay it forward buddy"
Get up each morning and don’t let the old man in.
(Clint Eastwood).
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-28-2015, 11:31 AM
TinMan TinMan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,800
Default

Fire cracking is actually thermal fatigue of the metal. It is a sign that it has been fired a lot and fired hot. While it may still be accurate, one could almost guarantee it would copper foul like crazy. Also, what degree of accuracy do you require, 0.2 MOA or 1.5 MOA? Unless it is crazy cheap, I would pass.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-28-2015, 11:41 AM
Roverhound Roverhound is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 81
Default

Can it be re-barreled?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-28-2015, 12:51 PM
Hog Patrol Hog Patrol is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DE
Posts: 1,481
Default

Used guns are always crap shoots. You bet your money and you take your chances. My .02? Pass.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-28-2015, 01:13 PM
LT17 LT17 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: England
Posts: 363
Default

I would also avoid really unless its cheap and you don't plan to put many rounds through it. I read many years ago an article by Jim Carmichel where he speculated that chrome moly barrels were more prone to this than stainless due to the higher carbon content in chrome-moly barrels. However whether this is true or not I couldn't say. In any event it does sound like that barrel is reaching the end of its useable life.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-28-2015, 03:14 PM
barretcreek barretcreek is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,077
Default

How much deterioration, what caliber, cost, etc. Got a nice 700 Swift which a friend had redone. Visible throat erosion. Cleaned the barrel and throat with wipe out and it's sub moa. Can I run it as hot as a new barrel? No, but it is still capable of nailing a coyote at WFO there.

Not sure what kind of restrictions you face in U.K. for rebarreling to a different caliber or what ever you would do with this rifle.

It's like buying a car that needs work.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-28-2015, 03:23 PM
Brooks Brooks is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 481
Default

Cheap enough to re-barrel? No--then no.

I built a 22-284 Win Mag and after 300 rounds it had 6" of free bore. Still shot 3 in under 1/2 inch but not what it did in the beginning. Fire cracking is a sigh it was loaded hot and often.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-28-2015, 04:34 PM
Chuck Miller Chuck Miller is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Texas - Gods Country
Posts: 3,855
Default depends

To me it depends on what the rifle is and what it's use is. Example, I picked up a Sako L46 left hand safety in 222, #4,5XX. If any barrel was a candidate for replacement this one is. Looking down it you can see pitting and hazing and it took me 2 weeks to clean it when I got it. You couldn't even see down it, appeared to be clogged with mud but the previous owner said he had just shot it??? Whatever. Taking it to the range it shot 1" 5 shot groups. Should I re-barrel it because the bore looks like a moon scape? If this rifle has no collectable value in original form I always price it at it's parts value, obviously 0.00 for the barrel. As for "fire cracking evident" you might be surprised how many of us have nice clean low mileage rifles in our safe that fit that description. I would be more concerned with the rest of the barrel, bolt face, and overall condition than a little fire cracking. Depending on the cartridge you could take a rifle like that and get good performance out of it for another 6-900 rounds. It's all about the price, if it passes muster in several areas, the dealer knows it's firecracked, I would use that to my advantage to negotiate the price lower. Personally I'm surprised any dealer would admit that, most just hand it to you and say look it over....isn't she sweet!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-28-2015, 05:08 PM
kenbro kenbro is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Lancashire UK
Posts: 3,294
Default

Rifle in question is a Weatherby Mark V in .257 cal.
It's advertised on 'Gunstar' with pictures and is 103 miles from me, so I email and asked for year of build and round count.
This is when the dealer called me and said made in 1998, round count unknown, but he has scoped it and seen the fire cracking, just being honest, he said!
Owner died two years ago and gun has been with gunshop until now, and the guys widow told them to sell it. Price is £795 (About $1200).
I have no idea on value of a Weatherby, but when I asked about a Reminton one I was told I would be unlikely to find one.
There is a Vanguard at another shop brand new, synthetic and blue for £500, but this I obviously an Howa and has a 24" barrel. The Mark V has a 26" barrel.
I would appreciate it if someone would check out the ad on Gunstar by searching for 257 Weaherby. There's only one to choose from.
Tia;Ken.
__________________
" Pay it forward buddy"
Get up each morning and don’t let the old man in.
(Clint Eastwood).
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-28-2015, 08:44 PM
Chuck Miller Chuck Miller is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Texas - Gods Country
Posts: 3,855
Default hmm...

Looked at it and it appears to be in good shape. The 257Mag is one of the more desirable cartridges in the MK5 over here. Actually the smaller the cal the more desirable with 224 and 244mags bringing really crazy money. The 257 is like a 25-06 on steroids so a little fire cracking is to be expected and its not like your going to load 100 rounds and go to the range for a little shooting. Condition of the bolt face would tell you a lot. By the pics it looks like a pretty nice rifle, the other side which they don't show might say different. As with all those belted Weatherbys brass is pricey and not readily available unless you don't mind spending 2.50/case.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 09:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.