Worn 30-06 barrel slugs to .323 diameter

[sledge]

Hi guys.
I have a worn milsurp barrel for 1941 Johnson. Failed the bullet test so I put a .308 projectile down it and it went through the barrel just with gravity.
I thought going up a notch would help. Put a .312 round down it, same thing. Right to the ground.

Then I slugged the barrel with a lead ball and it measures .323. WoW.

Does that mean I may be able to load .323 cast in 30-06 cases for it? Provided I find ones as light as possible?

Information

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[WarPig1976]

.323 is 8mm, that is an awful lot of wear! Have to ask, are you sure it's chambered in .30.06? If it is, IMO your trying to get blood from a stone.


"Nuts"

[browningautorifle]

It's likely got just about no rifling in it correct? It probably won't hit a flock of barns and full keyhole at ten yards. It likely wouldn't cycle either. I suppose you could get it re-rifled at .35 and wildcat it. We just took a 03-A3 barrel and made it into a Johnson barrel. No problems and worked perfectly.

[jmoore]

One would have to think it was rebarreled to 8mm Mauser/7,92x57. Possibly by Cranston Arms. But 8mm-06 is an option. Probably not a great one for a Johnson rifle, unless downloaded from it's full potential!

[fjruple]

Sounds like the barrel may have been re-bored and rechambered out to 8mm-06. A popular conversion after WWII.

--fjruple

[sledge]

8mm-06? I thought that was guys with Mausers after the war wanting to use an 06' casing for their 8mms.
Is there any other test I can do? Would a local gunsmith be any help here?

[browningautorifle]

Is there any rifling? Or is it eroded? You don't give us a very good description. Is it shiny and bright? Or a sewer pipe?

[Johnny Peppers]

There is no way a .30 caliber barrel could wear out that much.

Agree that the 8mm-06 was a conversion of an 8mm Mauser rifle to accept .30-06 brass, and not the other way around.

[sledge]

Not as bad as a sewer pipe, but the worst bore I have for sure. There are faint traces of rifling looking down it. Faint. It is incredibly dirty and some pitting in places. I have gone through with all kinds of cleaners and using copper brushes and likely a hundred swabs and they are still coming out very dark.

Though the 8mm-06 conversion seems unlikely, I also wouldn't think .308 barrels could not wear to .323.

[Patrick Chadwick]

I also wouldn't think .308 barrels could not wear to .323.

Neither would I! A so-called "308" chambering (.308 Win or 30-06) actually is a .300 nominal bore diameter with .308 nominal groove diameter. At .323 you would not be able to see any rifling at all. So if you can see rifling, it is (as already suggested by others) some kind of 8mm chambering. I think you need to make a chamber cast to sort this one out.