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mosin/nagant-counterbore

deacon 52deacon 52 Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
edited April 2011 in Ask the Experts
what does counterbore mean? what does it affect-does it hurt the value of the gun?

Comments

  • rufe-snowrufe-snow Member Posts: 18,650 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    When a steel cleaning rod is used repeatedly to clean the bore from the muzzle end, it wears out the rifling at the muzzle. This has a very negative affect on accuracy. To correct this problem a drill is used to drill out the rifling at the muzzle. If done correctly it will restore the barrels accuracy by removing the bad rifling at the muzzle.
  • andrewsw16andrewsw16 Member Posts: 10,728 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If done right, it is very inconspicuous.
  • lee shermanlee sherman Member Posts: 405 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My Mosin M-38 rifle has a counterbored muzzle. You would never know this by a cursory inspection. I believe the muzzle end has also been recrowned. Not sure when this done, possibly by Ivan or maybe the importer. Regardless, my Mosin M-44 shoots far better without a counterbore and recrown. Great bang for the buck though! Mil-surp forever!! Lee[:)]
  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    While it restores accuracy to a shot out gun without altering overall appearence, it does impact value some. Value would run:

    Most: non-counterbored, sharp lands and rifling, no pitting, ME of 2 or less.

    Good: non-counterbored, sharp lands, light frosting, ME of 2 or less.

    Ok: counterbored, sharp bright bore. ME unmeasureable but crisp rifling visible to start of counterbore.

    Worst: counterbored, dark rusty pitted bore.

    I'd rather have a counterbored gun as a shooter but for value, it does hurt it a little.
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Counterbore (left), normal barrel (right)

    counterbore.jpg

    Does it affect value? Depends on how you look at it.

    Obviously, a gun with new crisp rifling is going to be worth more than one that has been counterbored. But an accurate-and-worn counterbored gun is likely going to be worth more than an inaccurate-and-worn non-counterbored one.

    Remember that part of the reason the M44s are so inexpensive to begin with is that they're counterbored.

    I note also that lots of the factory work in Commie Russia was what you might call "make work". My understanding is that they'd counterbore ALL guns coming in for "re-arsenalling" regardless of whether the gun could shoot well or not. The point is, just because a gun has been counterbored, doesn't necessarily mean its been abused or the rest of the rifling is worn. It might be, but it might not. be.

    If you want one, non-counterbored guns are out there (I happen to have one myself, see below), but they're a bit harder to find.

    DSCN0626.jpg?t=1301949349
  • deacon 52deacon 52 Member Posts: 99 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    thanks for the info-a? for bts--it looks in the picture you have removed the bayonf-et on the m44--ive read that some say it will affect the accuracy---how is it with yours---thanks again--great looking rifle
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by deacon 52
    thanks for the info-a? for bts--it looks in the picture you have removed the bayonf-et on the m44--ive read that some say it will affect the accuracy---how is it with yours---thanks again--great looking rifle

    Thanks, bought it about 2-3 years ago and it took me a while to find a vendor that had any in stock. The unissued surplus M44s have mostly dried up, though there are still plenty of the 91/30 long guns out there to be had. You can still find plenty of M44s for sale on the auction site, though; there are a lot of them out there.

    This one came externally dinged up a bit, but the bore was bright and shiny, and it isn't counterbored. I get about 4" groups at 100 yards with stock surplus ball ammo, which is not great, but fine for my purposes. That is with the gun bone stock, including a gritty trigger that must be every bit of 8#. I bet if I got a trigger job and free floated the barrel, I could get down to 2" groups.

    Yes, I took off the bayonet. That's just an extra lb of steel I didn't want. If I remember right, it took about 30 seconds with a screwdriver, and if I could find it again [:p] I'm sure I could stick it right back on just as easily.

    With respect to accuracy, old Soviet military doctrine was you keep the bayonet extended at all times during combat. So the guns were supposed to be zeroed with the bayonet extended. The gun won't be any LESS accurate with the bayonet off or folded, it just won't necessarily shoot to the same point of impact as with the bayonet extended.

    Since I have a scope on there (its a 2x Leupold pistol scope, by the way) which was zeroed with the bayonet OFF, its not an issue for me.
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