Smith Corona Question
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:04 pm
My father, who lives in Italy, purchased several years ago (mid 80s) a Springfield A3 with Smith Corona serial number 3665582 on the receiver. The barrel is a 6 groove with a number 5582 stamped on the barrel about 1 inch below the front sight.
He practically didn't shoot it and due to very restrictive regulations now he wants to use it with reduced loads (i.e. 120 grain Lee 309 lead bulets with 10 gr of MG3 powder equivalent to 700X with Precision reloading PSB buffer) in a 50/100 meter official shooting range, being the only way to shoot these military surplus rifles.
When he slugged the barrel he was astonished to find that the slugs (3 size 9 oval sinkers to make sure) measured with a micrometer are all .300 and not .308 or .309 . The slugs show definetly 6 grooves even if not very deep.
In the past a few rounds of FMJ 168 Sierra match were fired without problems.
How comes that the 6 groove barrel bore is so tight? Does anybody know the story?
From reading literature on the A3 years ago he learned that SC only made about 6000 rifles with 6 groove barrels and this was the reason he purchased the SC instead of a Remington.
He practically didn't shoot it and due to very restrictive regulations now he wants to use it with reduced loads (i.e. 120 grain Lee 309 lead bulets with 10 gr of MG3 powder equivalent to 700X with Precision reloading PSB buffer) in a 50/100 meter official shooting range, being the only way to shoot these military surplus rifles.
When he slugged the barrel he was astonished to find that the slugs (3 size 9 oval sinkers to make sure) measured with a micrometer are all .300 and not .308 or .309 . The slugs show definetly 6 grooves even if not very deep.
In the past a few rounds of FMJ 168 Sierra match were fired without problems.
How comes that the 6 groove barrel bore is so tight? Does anybody know the story?
From reading literature on the A3 years ago he learned that SC only made about 6000 rifles with 6 groove barrels and this was the reason he purchased the SC instead of a Remington.