Winchester 1906 advice

[hammer24]

Hey all, I've got a 1906 serial #181***. I got it when my ex-wife's Grandfather passed (really cool guy.) Anyways, here is my quandry.. I've had this for almost a decade now and have shot it twice. The action and magazine function flawlessly, BUT the bore is completely shot! Almost no sign of rifling and all pitted. This will be given to my son eventually because it was his great-grandfather's. I would love to be able to shoot this rifle, but as is you are lucky to hit a paper plate at 15 yds! Question..as it's a family gun do I dare install a barell liner???

 

[RichardR]

You could try just cleaning all of the lead fouling out of it.

It's highly unlikely that the rifling is actually worn down, so it's probably still there hiding underneath a layer of lead.

 

[hammer24]

I initially thought it might be fouling, but after at least a dozen times trying to clean I realized every time I did the bore actually seemed to look WORSE. I've soaked in kroil and scrubbed it multiple times, even went so far as to chuck up a brush in the drill and go to town! This bore looks like the surface of the moon.

 

[RichardR]

Yea that's just really bad lead fouling, I can see that the lands & grooves of the rifling are still hiding under there.

Use Hoppe's #9 bore cleaning solvent, a good brass bristled bore brush & a lot of elbow grease and just keep at it until it's cleaned up.

After it's cleaned only shoot copper-washed bullets through it, that'll help keep that sort of lead fouling to a minimal.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Possibly look into one of the deleading gizmos they sell for people that shoot cast boolets.... i wouldnt give up on it yet it probably just does need a great cleaning... a .22 rimfire is VERY hard to shoot out a barrel.

also, it doesnt have to look good to shoot good.

if all else fails, a barrel liner isnt a bad idea as long as you plan on it staying in the family.

 

[hammer24]

I'll keep at it, but I never considered it "shot out" just abused and corroded (thus the pitting.) I went at it again tonight for about an hour with Hoppes and a brush after leading was suggested to no avail. Soaking in 50/50 Kroil/Hoppes (again) tonight and see if tomorrow brings any different result. If this rifle shot even "decently" I really wouldn't be considering a liner. When I said you can't hit a 9" plate at 15 yards I really wasn't exagerating.....................much.

 

[RichardR]

Yea when they get fouled up that badly they are really a lot of work to clean all of the lead out.

 

[acelungger]

Hammer, I think the guy's have hit it on the head, get you a cork for the muzzle end, plug it up, stand it up, fill it full of Hope's #9, let it sit for a week, get you a couple brass22 cal brushes don't use the last section of your cleaning rod chuck it up in a varible speed drill and go slow and keep working on it!! What do you have to loose?
Let's hope!
Greg

 

[hammer24]

Worked on it again off and on today. Put a couple hours into it and you guys are right. After 2 hours of brushing alternating between drill and rod and many more of soaking....drumbroll ...........................................
................................I can now see most of the lands! Grooves are still packed. It's going to be a job to get this clean. I honestly have never seen fouling any where near to this extent! I don't know if this barrel had been cleaned in the 90 some years leading up to me getting it, and it must have been shot alot! A thought ocurred to me, could .22 shot shells have led to this mess? I've shot bricks and bricks of ammo through my .22's and haven't seen leading to any real extent.

 

[mainjet]

corrosive powder of lon ago has worked on that barrel for a long time. I think that it is cool to have just because of the history. But shooting it probably isn't really worth it.

I have a Winchester '73 that I inherited froom my father-in-law that passed this summer. The bore is not horrible but the corrosive powder has woked the barrel over. but the gun is still cool.

I wouldn't think lining the barrel would be worth it. I would think that it would hurt any value that it did have. If it were me I think that I would just keep it original and enjoy the history.

 

[Farmritch]

the 06 was a shooting gallery rifle , so u never know

 

[451_Detonics]

If the gun never does get to be reasonably accurate I wouldn't hesitate to have the barrel lined. It is a family gun and deserves to be shot buy the upcoming generations and it won't really hurt the value.

 

[MRP2003]

keep the updates coming. I am very interested in the out come. I agree with most not to add a liner.

Would heating the barrel up help to soften the lead? Obviously this would require a lot of safety measures.

 

[RichardR]

Worked on it again off and on today. Put a couple hours into it and you guys are right. After 2 hours of brushing alternating between drill and rod and many more of soaking....drumbroll ...........................................
................................I can now see most of the lands! Grooves are still packed. It's going to be a job to get this clean. I honestly have never seen fouling any where near to this extent! I don't know if this barrel had been cleaned in the 90 some years leading up to me getting it, and it must have been shot alot! A thought ocurred to me, could .22 shot shells have led to this mess? I've shot bricks and bricks of ammo through my .22's and haven't seen leading to any real extent.

Glad to hear that you are making some progress, keep at it & eventually you'll restore that bore back to a "useable" condition.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Would heating the barrel up help to soften the lead? Obviously this would require a lot of safety measures.

bad idea... that can easily mess with the temper of the metal, lead to warping and other major issues.

 

[redpitbull44]

Some guys may cringe at this thought, but have you considered getting a stainless bore brush to break up the lead? Also, soaking is a good idea. Here is another one. Use a .17 brush, wrap it in steel wool. Use your drill and go to town. Wrap that lil beaut in a towel, stick it in the vise, and work on a section of barrel for a minute or two before starting on the next section. Effectively cleaning 1-2" of bore at a time. There are lead removal products out there also.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=243419

 

[IndyGunworks]

I will not touch any bore i own w/ a stainless brush, its just bad ju ju

 

[RichardR]

Yea I'd personally stick with the ol'tried & trued method of a brass-bristled brush, Hoppes #9 & a lot of elbow grease.

It's a pain in the butt but that old fouled bore will thank you afterwards.

 

[hammer24]

Well, I've taken a break from it. Soaking in PB blaster/Hoppes ( ran out of kroil.) I have the lands exposed with a few thousandths of groove cleaned out, enough for a shadow line. There is definite pitting in the steel that has been exposed. I'm a little worried that this work is for naught, but I keep plugging away till it's clean, then see how it shoots.

 

[Trigger Time]

A barrel liner sounds like the best option here since it's not being sold. Those old Winchester pump guns are fun! I have a Rossi thats a replica.