M44 windage issues

K

Kilroy08

New member
I've bee playing with my M44 and have been having trouble getting the windage nailed down.

After inspecting the counter bore on the rifle, things look a little a little rough. Where the counterbore ends, it's not nice and crisp. The bore looks a little too worn on the bottom and left

Is there a special counter boring tool available to touch the muzzle end up?

I've been reading posts where guys just touched it up with a 3/8" drill bit. That sounds ok, but I would rather have the right tool.

I am a machinist, so I'm not afraid of doing the work. I would like to know what is considered technically correct.

I figure worst case, chuck it up in the lathe, center it, and break out the little, baby boring bar.

Other than that, things look good for something made in 1944. The bore is frosted, but not pitted.
 
Well in all honestly, you know better that most people on this forum what would work best.

Have you tried to group the rifle? Pick weather you want to shoot it with the bayonet extended or not, then shoot it off as stable of a platform as you can. Believe it or not, the bayonet can influence the bullet impact by about 10 inches at 100 yards. I sighted mine in with the bayonet in.

Some rifles have very crummy looking bores and shoot well. Others appear to have nice bores and don't shoot as well as the ones with "bad" bores.
 
1st thing range it!

I agree with the rifleer (to a point) however you should go to the range and shoot at a 25 yard target. The reason I say that is because that will give the best indication how it will shoot. Also use different types of ammo, some guns can shoot all types of ammo - some can not. Also are you shooting with the bayou out or not. The m44 was designed to shoot with the bayo out.
 
Biggest problem in getting the crown square on a counterbored MN is that the outside of the barrel is rarely close to the axis of the inside. Most of them so much so that you have no difficult seeing the difference. Not that it cant be done, but setup would be an EXTREME pita. If it hasnt been too deeply counterbored, you could cut the muzzle back and recrown or have it recrowned by a smith.
 
After looking at things more carefully, the bore is a little off center form the outside diameter of the barrel.

I've got the accuracy within what Comrade Komissar would say, "Is accurate enough for defending Stalingrad."

I think a kiss cut just to sharpen up the transfer from the end of the rifling to the counter bore will help a good bit. This rifle is numbers matching and I want to keep it all original in appearance.

The real proof will be when I finally get some re loadable brass and a mold.

A: I can tailor a load to the rifle

B: The shoulder ain't what it used to be. Had it worked on 6 years ago, it does not care for stout milsurp ammo.

Hmmm, I might get an extra butt plate..... I'm thinking do a little machine work here. The second butt plate I can modify to take a Limbsaver recoil pad. Ha ha! How's that??
 
I agree with the slip on butt pad. I have two of them. They are Buttler Creek size medium. Well worth the $15 plus tax I paid for them.

For the windage I would suggest trying for a group. If the group at 25 yards is close together then use a drift punch, and mallet to drift the sight towads the direction of the center of the group. If you want to realign the sight to where it was when you started there should be a line on the front of it to line it back up.
 
Kilroy

If the Rifle shoots groups, but the groups are either to the left or right, you may be able to buy or make a new rear sight, and file the notch either left or right of the original. Your a Skilled Machinest, you may be able to take a rear sight and drill and tap two small screw holes in it, and take a thin piece of metal, and slot the holes where you can loosen the screws and slide it left or right on the back of the sight, and cut you a V in the top of it for a sight notch. you would be making a windage adjustable sight. Similar to the stock rear sight on a Ruger 10 22. Good luck.
 
The quickest windage fix I had for my M44 was to trade it for a 91/30 :rolleyes:


Kilroy, can you clarify if you're shooting it with the bayonet extended or folded? Consensus seems to be it must be shot with the bayonet in the ready position for best results. That'll be a large factor on your POI.


And from one machinist to another, you know breaking two bits making a new sight post would be more expensive than the rifle (even though the steel on those guys is very forgiving).
 
I still think a drift punch and a mallet will get you close, and since you are a machinist I will bet you already have both. Follow the group. If it shoots to the right then move the sight to the right. If it seems you went too far then you can take it back to where it was when it was sighted at the factory using the scratched in line that is there. Line both back up, and it is back where it was when it left the factory. Though note they sighted them in with the baoynette out.


I mean how it to fire three shots at the same point 3 shots at 25 yards from a rested position. A lead sled is great though a couple of sand bags will work fine as well. If three shots go right of POA then you:

1. Unload the rifle, and remove the bolt.
2. put the rifle in a vice
3. use the punch, and mallet to drive the sight to the right a few medium whacks.
4. Replace the bolt.
5. Load and shoot.
6. Repeat till you get pretty darn close.
7. Shoot till you can not shoot any more.
 
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Post 11 nailed it.
Most older milsurps like the MN are windage adjusted via front sight.

When sighting in a milsurp, I shoot 3 shot groups and keep a brass drift & small ball peen hammer in my range bag.
Sure, I get some weird looks at the range when the hammer comes out, but I do manage to fix my windage problem.
 
Bayonet has been in and out during testing. Point of impact has changed accordingly. At this point, I have it dialed in to being on paper. Considering I am dealing with ammo from 1950 made in some Siberian Gulag, I'm going to say it's accurate within one minute of a political dissident.

Now, If I break out the dies and reloading press...... well, that is something for a later date.

And yes, I will be adding a 91/30 to the collection to round things out.
 
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