rebarrelling a ruger m77 270wsm

[tim]

Well I "shot out" my ruger m77 in 270wsm. head space is allowing the case to expand to much.
So what are my options for rebarreling. I have heard that rugers are not as easy to rebarrel. I don't know if that is true or not. If I just want to throw on another 270 wsm barrel, which barrel companies should I be looking at.

My gunsmith is telling me I will be close to the same price if I rebarrel or buy a new rifle. I have had the stock lengthened to fit me and a timney trigger installed. I would need to do this on the new rifle or rebarrel the old rifle.

I do need to say that I bought this rifle in 2005 and probably have close to 1000 rounds thru it. so I guess I have gotten my short mag life out of it. It has been a great gun and my goto hunting rifle for over a decade. It has definitely done its job. My other rifle is a ruger m77 in 338 win mag, Both guns are set up identical, with the same lengthened stock and timney trigger, even the same scope. I liked that both where twins, just different calibers. this way I didn't need to think about the gun. So rebarrel, or whole new gun. I do have about 250 rounds of 270 wsm 140 gr accubonds. all factory loads. I was getting ready to put a turret style scope on the .270wsm. Ruger does not make this rifle anymore. bummer.

thanks
tim

 

[JimP]

If you want just to re-barrel it why not just give Ruger a call and see what they would do it for?

A lot of times by the time that you buy the barrel, pay someone to put it on, re-blue it or have what ever finish you want done you will be close if not way over the price of a new rifle.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

A few years back I had a barrel setup on a 03 Springfield action. I had my 'smith get a Shilen stainless match grade barrel. The cost of barrel, installation & chambering was less than $400.00. It was chambered for .220 Ackley Improved Swift and he didn't have that reamer, so it was rented. That cost was figured into the total. I have shot around 2000 to 2250 rounds thru it and it still shoots as good as the day I got it. My loads chrono over 4,000 fps.

I would think you should get a lot more than 1000 rounds out of it.

 

[Tim McCoy]

If I'm not mistaken, that case head spaces on the shoulder. A barrel generally gets shot out in the throat area. CC is right, barrel life ought to be better than that, unless you have done some very long shot strings and cooked it real good. I'm thinking there is another issue there some where. Not sure why head space would be a new issue due to shooting the rifle. Is it possible the head space issue was there all along? I'm perplexed.

But for a barrel, check Pac-Nor, they do Rugers. But I'm thinking it is something else causing the head space issue.

 

[Micah S]

Call pac nor they do a good job and their barrel shoot great.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

One thing you didn't say...has your 'smith actually inspected the gun?

 

[tim]

yes, i took it to a gunsmith. i am not a good detail guy. way big picture.
from what i was told, the wsm cartridges burn stuff up quicker.
Basically the case is expanding to much and is real tough to unload after you shoot it. almost locks the bolt up, you really have to put some muscle power into to opening the bolt after a shot. the smith measured some cases and this is what he came up with. The case is not growing in lenght, but width. I am not a technical guy, the smith just told me the gun is unsafe to shoot and i had some decisions to make. i like the wsm cartridge, but i didn't realize a much shorter life span for the rifle.

you would think i would be excited for a new rifle, but this rifle has been such a great tool, and it has gone to some great places on this continent.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Are you reloading or just shoot factory loads? I don't see how the case can grow in diameter unless the chamber is oversize. Has this just started? How long has it been for the bolt to be so hard to open? What does the spent brass' primer look like? This has all the signs of too much pressure. If the chamber is too small, it would show these symptoms, but should have been there from day 1.

I would definitely call Ruger and talk to one of their tech people.

 

[mallardsx2]

I bet you ya can find on that hasn't had more than a few boxes of shells fired through it on a used shelf somewhere and transfer a bunch of the stuff over to it for cheaper than you can have that gun re-barreled. Cabelas has guns like that that look like brand new on their shelf all the time around here. You could maybe find one used and take the barrel off of it and put it on yours if you so desired to go that route.

 

[JimP]

I agree with CC, if you are shooting reloads. A hard opening bolt is a sign of too much pressure in the load. Also if I was your smith I would want to do a chamber cast to see just what it is, as far as dimensions and the length of the throat.

Stuck cases is one place where the Weatherby rounds get a bad rap in Africa. They will shoot perfectly fine here in the US during our fall hunts but take it somewhere that it is quite warm and even factory loads will cause you to get the rubber mallet out to open the bolt. This is a result of the hot factory loading's and hot temperatures.

 

[tim]

lots and lots of factory loads, I do not reload. I did have a guy load some up for me a few years back, but that was only 40 rounds.
I did not notice the gun doing this until very recently.

The gunsmith measured the cases and said they usually grow in length, not width, But mine are growing in width. I don't know all the detail questions, I just know I was told it is unsafe to shoot. He then went into a lot of over my head stuff. I don't reload for a reason, I am not a detail oriented person.


I have always wanted a nosler m48, I guess here is my chance.

 

[Tim McCoy]

A case growing in width suggests an over size chamber, the sticky bolt too much pressure. Still makes no sense. A too large chamber would be very hard on brass, but I'd not expect it to make the bolt stick. I'd send it to Ruger with some fired cases...see what they find, and buy the Nosler M-48.

 

[rammont]

I don't know exactly what was said by your gunsmith but claiming that a bigger diameter case changed your headspace isn't possible, headspace is a length dimension not a diameter.

1000 rounds is a pretty low round count to have destroyed a barrel, it can be done with hot/fast loads but I find it difficult to believe with factory ammo. Additionally, I don't know how you are defining a burned out barrel, what has happened that made you think that you had a problem? Did your groups grow or was it simply the sticking bolt that made you go to the gunsmith? Usually it's the bench rest guys that claim this kind of low round count has ruined their barrel and that's because they are worried about groups measured to the nearest 0.100" while most of us are more concerned about groups that are plus or minus a half inch or so, about 5 times less accurate than a bench rest shooter is concerned with.

Cases slide free from the chamber due to a slight taper in the case diameter and there being a certain amount of friction so the only things that can prevent the case from extracting smoothly is if the taper isn't properly matched to the chamber and/or there is too much friction between the case and the chamber. If the case head is expanding too much with factory ammo then the only possible cause is for the chamber to have swollen and that can only happen if the metal of the chamber moved. The metal can move either due to poor metallurgical properties (bad barrel from the factory) or possibly because of too hot of a load being used. When metal is over stressed (by too hot of a load for example) it is pushed beyond it's capability to return to it's original size and/or shape which weakens the metal, this can also create stress fractures. When the metal weakens it will loose it's ability to resist stretching so maybe those handloads you used might have been too hot and they might have caused just enough damage that the chamber has been slowly stretching to the point where now the chamber is becoming so large in diameter that the cases are sticking. This might lead to a catastrophic failure of the metal of the receiver which could rupture.

Personally I'd send the rifle to Ruger and have it checked by their people and, if possible, have them screw on a new barrel. Regardless, I'd get the barrel replaced.

 

[tim]

I stopped back at the gunsmith and it is the chamber, that is allowing the cases to grow in width.
Why this has started to happen, I have no idea. The gunsmith just said that short mags just have a much shorter life than other cartridges.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

Like I said earlier...send it to Ruger.

 

[johnsd16]

I stopped back at the gunsmith and it is the chamber, that is allowing the cases to grow in width.
Why this has started to happen, I have no idea. The gunsmith just said that short mags just have a much shorter life than other cartridges.

Thanks everyone.

Who was the gunsmith (pm if you want). I have been going to one here for some stuff and I’m starting to get the idea that he is a bit off on some stuff. WSM are hot but as others have said 1000 factory rounds isn’t a lot, should be able to get at least twice that.

 

[kidoggy]

If you want just to re-barrel it why not just give Ruger a call and see what they would do it for?

A lot of times by the time that you buy the barrel, pay someone to put it on, re-blue it or have what ever finish you want done you will be close if not way over the price of a new rifle.

yep rugers are cheap.get a new one.

 

[HuskyMusky]

get a 300 wsm barrel.

300wsm can push 270wsm weight bullets faster with less barrel length, win-win.

I'd get a 23 or 24" with a 11" twist.

 

[Millsworks]

If you decide to rebarrel the m77 , the .300 wsm would be a good upgrade to that .270 wsm and would otherwise function with the bolt and mag well fine.
I strongly agree with others though, about the unlikely hood that it's shot out that quickly with just factory ammo.
I would look hard at the bolt and locking lug area for a problem of some sort.
Could be as simple as a build up of crud or some lead in the locking lug area.
If you need or just want a rebarrel, the Ruger m77 is as easily worked on as the Remington 700. It can be done DIY for someone with the skill and tools. But a little tuff for the average guy.
Very easy to do for guns that have a barrel nut like on Savage and Mossburg rifles. Prechambered barrels can be purchased with a barrel nut for the 700 to make it alot easier. But I don't know about the Ruger.
Witch means a partially chambered barrel is threaded on and then a reamer is used to fully finish the chamber at the proper head space, and then checked with a go and a no go gauges.
That may be a bit much for the average do it yourselfer ,but no problem for anyone that calls themselves a gunsmith.
Diagnosis of a problem can be a bit more tricky though. Even for a smith sometimes.

 

[tim]

rifle went back to ruger, we shall see.