In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
New Barrel?
southia
Member Posts: 22 ✭✭
I have an MK 77 ruger stainless with a bulge in the barrel about 2" from the muzzle. I sent it in to Ruger they wanted $444. to repair. That is more than I gave for the rifle brand new. Any suggestions. I was told to have it cut off and recrowned, or maybe an after market barrel. Any help or suggestions greatly welcomed.
Comments
http://www.e-gunparts.com/model.asp?idDept=218
I sent it in to Ruger they wanted $444. to repair.
They're sure proud of that. I've gotten octagon barrels from Al Story for less than that, and a one-off half round half octagon for maybe thirty or forty dollars more.
Best
No brainer. . .so long as your current barrel is over 18.5" long, have it cut and recrowned. That's probably the simplest solution, and amongst the cheapest.
While you're doing this, you might even consider having the barrel further shortened to make a handier carbine. I believe 16" is the legal minimum barrel length.
For what its worth, Ruger now sells variants of this gun with 16.5" bbls.
Only *AFTER* doing that, if the groups were unsatisfactory, would I consider having it re-barreled. So long as the crowning was done correctly, I'd bet you wouldn't notice any practical difference in accuracy. (In fact, its possible you could see a MINOR improvement, as shorter barrels are proportionately stiffer).
Back-boring out the bad part of the barrel could certainly work, but then you're still let with a damaged-looking gun with a bulged barrel (ie potentially hurting resale value), and 2+ inches of extra barrel length/weight on your gun that add nothing to its function.
IMO, its worth the extra few bucks for a professional recrown.