Indent in chamber wall??

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MountainMan83

New member
I just purchased a Remington Model 30 Express that was originally chambered in .257 Roberts and a fellow had re-cut the chamber to accept the .257 Weatherby Magnum. Upon inspection I noticed a large indentation, in which appears to be made by a machine. In the attached image you can see it for yourself....what in the world is this thing?
 

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"...shootable that way?..." Nope. The case will fill that hole and stay partly there upon firing.
The guy change the bolt correctly for using a belted case? The Weatherby's case head is considerably larger than the Roberts too. Otherwise it shouldn't be terribly complicated to rebarrel.
 
Verify this,because I'm not sure.I think the Rem 30 is a slicked up civilian version of a 1917.
And yours has been "magnumized"
If a 30 magnum would suit you,a Criterion 1917 barrel MIGHT screw right in.It would be chambered 30-06,and that won't work.But a 30-338 or 308 Norma reamer would fix that. Think 2900 fps with a 200 gr Accubond. Still has 2000 fps at 700 yds.

Of course,a good smith can rebarrel it. As recall,there is an "Enfield" profile that has a larger dia breech section.

And I agree,its not shootable.You might get face/eyes full of high pressure gas.

Extraction would be very difficult.
 
The thing I can’t wrap my head around is that it was obviously shot a good bit, I just wonder if maybe the builder had too much self confidence and shot it that way.
 
I'm not going to speculate. I just don't know. I would not shoot it.

I don't know the how and why of that mistake.

I'm a fallible human being.I'm not above making a mistake.(But,as a former mold maker,they better be few and far between.!)

If I figured out a way to put a beauty mark like that in a chamber,I would not sell it as a rifle.Its not good enough at 65,000 psi 8 inches from an eyeball.

I'd eat the loss caused by my mistake.I'd pull the barrel. I darn sure would not sell it to you like that.
I could be wrong,but I doubt you have barrel shank enough to set the barrel back and remove the problem.(Though you might)
IMO its barrel time.
 
Agree with FrankenMauser. I first wondered if someone tried to push the spinning reamer in through the ejection port and caught the shoulder at that place, but the radius is too small to be that. It looks like about a 3/16" end mill was run into it at an angle. I have no clue what anyone would expect to accomplish with that tool or that entry angle.

HiBC,

Remington was making P14/1917 Enfields when WWI ended, so they wanted to do something by way of a sporting rifle using the idle manufacturing lines that were already set up. They modified the contours of the receiver to make it looked more streamlined, but it is basically the same as the Enfield.

Criterion makes a replacement 26" barrel in short-chambered .30-06 that could be recut for a wider cartridge. It has a timed thread for the front sight cutout and the extractor cut that it comes with. No reason to put the old front sight on a sporter unless you wanted an iron sight backup. But that's at least one option and you could shorten it to remove the sight cut.
 
I don't know the how and why of that mistake.
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Bummer! Looks like the mistake was made when someone cut the ejection port forward. They did not take the barrel out and got too deep when cutting or the action shifted in the vise. Either way, it's toast now. Buy a barrel and get it threaded and chambered. Unfortunately, you are going to have to chamber for a magnum due to bolt face size, but there are lots to choose from.
But a 30-338 or 308 Norma reamer would fix that.
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No, just no. That would limit the OP to a handloading proposition only (OK, I know 308 Norma Mag is factory, but who wants to pay $90 for a box of ammo?). If he opts for a 30 caliber magnum, there is the 300 Winchester Magnum (you have heard of that one, right?), 300 Weatherby (since the ejection port has already been moved forward). There is also the excellent 338 Win Mag, or even 7mm Rem Mag.
 
I wouldn't try.
I don't screw around with parts that are intended to contain 60k psi.

To do it even slightly properly (not full-Bubba), the barrel would need to be pulled from the receiver. If the barrel is already out ... it might as well be replaced.


Do you believe it is shootable that way?
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Me? No.
It might hold, mechanically. But I wouldn't risk my body to find out.
Even if one did want to shoot it, there would likely be extraction issues.


I'm sorry that you're going to have to take a loss on someone else's garbage. It sucks. I've been there - very recently, with a Spanish Mauser that I had to write off entirely, in fact.
But I'd rather flush a few bills and be safe than try to push my luck for minor financial or cosmetic reasons.
 
Been there on a couple of rifles.

My dads 1903 developed a nasty rash in the chamber, last shot fired had an ugly imprint on the case. Did not create any gas escape. Joint decision by the brothers to re-barrel it so it could be shot. Lost part of the history but wanted to shoot it as well.

The other was less of an issue. Also a chamber ream mistake that left a ridge. Ok to shoot per a very experienced gun smith, just not happy about reloads that could wind up with the same dented area repeated. Sold to a non re-loader.

While I do have a repair idea not something I would pass along as its a risk situation. New barrel is the right way to go.
 
UPDATE: I returned to the seller of the rifle and he apologized and was thankful that I didn’t just shoot it, as he was unaware of the cut, having never shot it. He refunded all of my money and all is good. He said he would question the individual he bought it off of in the past about how they may have made that chamber FUBAR.
 
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Wow. One gun I notified the seller he sold me a fake. No answer.

Ok, I actually was after the stock and I will sell that one day for a real good price.

In the meantime I sold the bare rest to a guy who does not reload, the dimple was miner and gun smith had no issues with it even reloading.
 
Scorch: To each his own.For a lot of folks,you are right.

No, just no. That would limit the OP to a handloading proposition only (OK, I know 308 Norma Mag is factory, but who wants to pay $90 for a box of ammo?). If he opts for a 30 caliber magnum,
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I don't even buy factory loaded 30-06.I buy virgin brass and load everything.
Even if the factory ammo is superb and reasonably priced.

My reason is I can never count on the gun store having my load on the shelf when I need it. "Hmmm,I'm out of those,you want to try some 150's?

No,I don't. I sight in for one load and I shoot it.

.338 brass through a 30-338 sizer makes great brass. Its not a realbig deal,but I prefer the shorter brass of a 30-338 over the 300 Win.I'm not bashing the 300 Win Mag, I just don't want one.

I launch 200 gr Accubonds at 2900 fps and they work fine for me.

My .257 AI is handloaded only,as is my .375 Taylor.

Never an issue.

But,you are right in saying its not for everyone.
 
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