I have a PRI Mk12 mod H that has suddenly lost its accuracy. It held 1moa 10 shot groups all day with my handloads. It has suddenly opened up to 3moa. I checked torque in the optic and rails, tried shooting without the suppressor, and decoppered the barrel. Still shooting 3 moa. The rifle has about 1500rnds on it so it’s not shot out. I ran the handloads through a friends rifle and it grouped fine so ammo doesn’t seem to be the culprit. I took the brake off and cleaned the crown very well and noticed a scratch very near and into the muzzle. I am not sure if this is enough to cause the accuracy issues. The pictures attached do make the scratch look much more severe due to the light. I couldn’t get it to show up at all without outside light so keep that in mind. My next step was to swap scopes to make sure it’s not the optic. I’m trying to get through the last of my hand loaded 308s before I swap (changing bullets). I don’t want to re-zero with such a low round count left.
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Gunsmithing Crown Damage
- Thread starter IeatRocks
- Start date
IMHO, it looks very possible you damaged the business end of the crown , just based on the trajectory of that scratch/damage trail.
I'd want to take a closer Look at the actual land/grooves at the crown, in some good light. Maybe use a camera on a tripod with zoom/macro settings if this helps to see it.
Also, I'd guess some more background would probably useful/helpful as do how you damaged it. Just event or object or what exactly caused that scratch?
I'd want to take a closer Look at the actual land/grooves at the crown, in some good light. Maybe use a camera on a tripod with zoom/macro settings if this helps to see it.
Also, I'd guess some more background would probably useful/helpful as do how you damaged it. Just event or object or what exactly caused that scratch?
I will try to get some better pictures with my real camera. My iPhone doesn’t have a macro setting.
I honestly have no clue how I scratched it. The gun gets ran hard. It’s been knocked over a couple times, banged into things, etc. but nothing I’ve noticed directly to the muzzle. The first year of its life it only had the brake, no suppressor, so it is entirely possible that something did make its way in there at one point.
If it is the crown how tough is it to diy repair it? I’ve found some tutorials online that make it seem easy, however, the tutorials are guys cutting the barrel down and then recrowning it vs just a repair.
I honestly have no clue how I scratched it. The gun gets ran hard. It’s been knocked over a couple times, banged into things, etc. but nothing I’ve noticed directly to the muzzle. The first year of its life it only had the brake, no suppressor, so it is entirely possible that something did make its way in there at one point.
If it is the crown how tough is it to diy repair it? I’ve found some tutorials online that make it seem easy, however, the tutorials are guys cutting the barrel down and then recrowning it vs just a repair.
Forgive my ignorance, are you suggestions taking a neck chamfer tool (for brass) to the muzzle to clean it up?
I dinged the crown of a Rem 700 I have. Used a 45 deg. de-burring tool to fix it. Very light pressure, basically the weight of the tool, and a few careful turns and all is well. This is what I would do again were that my rifle but I am not saying or recommending that is what you should do. A new crown by a smith is always a good thing......
If that scratch is not as big as it appears in the pics, as you said, then it's not a big deal at all to remedy. However, the proper tools are sort of expensive. A shop won't charge you much to take care of that crown.
Personally, I'd give it a whirl myself (using improvised tools), nothing to lose...you can still take it to a shop. Valve grinding compound on a marble? I can think of a few other methods.
Personally, I'd give it a whirl myself (using improvised tools), nothing to lose...you can still take it to a shop. Valve grinding compound on a marble? I can think of a few other methods.
Getting a bit better light on it. It does appear there is maybe just a bit of damage to the inside lip of the muzzle. I like the idea of lapping compound and a marble, seems simple enough. If it doesn’t fix it up I can take it to a smith. I don’t have one close to me so if I can save myself the drive it is preferable. Open to any other opinions and thank you to everyone so far.
Meant to mention, in the barrel there are some piece of lint from a rag. Just an FYI as it almost looks damaged.
Meant to mention, in the barrel there are some piece of lint from a rag. Just an FYI as it almost looks damaged.
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You might try a ball bearing instead of a marble. Either should work but it's not going to be a fast thing and you don't want it to be. Get some 800 grit valve grinding compound and just spin the round thing without much pressure. If you apply pressure, you run the risk of not applying it evenly...I know that sounds counter-intuitive, it's round and SHOULD apply evenly. Just very very light pressure while spinning. I have thought about this a bit since you first posted...I thought about using hot melt glue to glue a dowel rod to the round thing so you have a nice way to spin it. Just a thought.
The main thing is....be sure to post some more pics as you progress and all, whether it works out or not.
Why?
Aristotle said that we MUST learn from the mistakes of others for we cannot live long enough to make them all ourselves.
Why?
Aristotle said that we MUST learn from the mistakes of others for we cannot live long enough to make them all ourselves.
Round head Phillips screw in your cordless drill and valve lapping compound.
Curious, how would a high speed steel or carbide cutter not allow any cuttings into the bore? I'm no machinist.
I would not plug anything with anything.
Obviously, just clean thoroughly as per normal, breech to muzzle, before sending a round.
Because there's a difference between cutting abrasives and material cuttings.
Yeah...whatever.
I would not do many of the other things mentioned so far but I absolutely would not be worried about some stray abrasives from the valve grinding compound any more than I would be concerned with metal shavings. It's not like anyone would be so stupid as to fire the rifle before cleaning thoroughly. I'd simply start by hosing the bore with an aerosol blast of something like even brake or carb cleaner. Then I'd clean as per normal and go see if the efforts had paid any dividends.
I would not do many of the other things mentioned so far but I absolutely would not be worried about some stray abrasives from the valve grinding compound any more than I would be concerned with metal shavings. It's not like anyone would be so stupid as to fire the rifle before cleaning thoroughly. I'd simply start by hosing the bore with an aerosol blast of something like even brake or carb cleaner. Then I'd clean as per normal and go see if the efforts had paid any dividends.
Do you guys actually think this is causing performance issues and really needs to be redone?
From OP, the rifle was shooting much better than now. The barrel has a low round count. The crown damage is what he has it narrowed down to.
If there is a scratch that the bullet is rubbing on as it exits, absolutely a scratch can create issues. Particularly a scratch perpendicular to the rest of the bore. I seriously doubt the scratches that we see on the surface of the crown cause much problem at all but the line crosses into the bore itself.
Recrowning, even having a shop do it, is not very expensive and surely worth the effort.
EDIT: the scratch or damage might "cure itself" with enough copper jacketed high speed honing devices sent across it.
No, I don't. I think removing the copper fouling will help much more than cutting a new crown. You can see the copper looking into the bore.
I de-coppered the barrel in my initial process of elimination. The gun shot equally as poor even after it started to foul up again.
