Winchester Model 70 30-06 barrell failure

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Winchester Model 70 30-06 barrell failure (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:19:39 PM EDT

My daughter's boyfriend borrowed this rifle from a neighbor to eradicate a varmint. Ammo was also borrowed and assumed to be factory load. This happened on the first shot. He said it rattled his ears pretty bad. Neighbor hasn't been notified yet. They asked about getting a new barrell put on. I suggested contact Winchester to about a new rifle or barrell.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:22:28 PM EDT

[#1]

FFFFFUUUUCK! Rang his bell indeed I suspect.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:22:59 PM EDT

[#2]

Looks strangely like photos where people left a laser boresight in

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:23:34 PM EDT

[#3]

Was there a bore obstruction?

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:23:41 PM EDT

[#4]

Did he kill the varmint?

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:23:48 PM EDT

[#5]

Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:24:56 PM EDT

[#6]

Im saying obstuction too.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:26:19 PM EDT

[#7]

Mud?

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:26:36 PM EDT

[#8]

I recall a claim or two that stories of rifle barrels doing the banana split were all made up from watching cartoons or some such BS.

Real life can be dang strange. OP, any idea if the borrower checked the bore for obstructions before firing?

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:26:54 PM EDT

[#9]

Neighbor hasn't been notified yet.

View Quote

Just hand it back to him like that and tell him it was like that when you borrowed it. Stand your ground on it, too.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:26:58 PM EDT

[#10]

Rabbit or duck season ?

Glad he has all his fingers and eyes still

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:27:01 PM EDT

[#11]

SBR it?

Nothing a cut and crown cant fix....

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:27:10 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

View Quote

Yeah, those holes are odd looking for sure.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:27:12 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

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This.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:28:02 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

SBR it?

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Varmit will be dead of old age by the time that gets approved. Could probably kill its grandkids though.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:29:25 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

View Quote

Looks like it was drilled in those spots and the crack happens to go right through it. I wonder if maybe the end was plugged as well, perhaps with mud/dirt before it was fired and that coupled with the two drill holes helped weaken it enough to split.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:29:48 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

View Quote

Holes are blind tapped for mounting the front sight. I have a Model 70 with the same holes.

ETA: I removed the sights from my rifle and put short set screws in the holes

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:29:50 PM EDT

[#17]

He said he thought it hit close due to the varmint's reaction but didn't appear to be hit. I don't know about any obstructions or not. The only one I've ever seen was from a dirt clod from a muzzle accidentally bumped into the dirt on a 308 and all it did was bulge the barrell. The owner just lopped off a couple inches down to around 18", IRRC.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:29:51 PM EDT

[#18]

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:30:00 PM EDT

[#19]

There's more to this story.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:30:16 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Was there a bore obstruction?

View Quote

Sure looks like it was...

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:30:28 PM EDT

[#21]

Home-made barrel porting, burrs in barrel to create obstruction. Kaboom.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:30:48 PM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Mud?

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My bet is on this. Guy falls, barrel goes in the mud, guy doesn't check bore, shoots at critter...boom.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:32:22 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
Looks strangely like photos where people left a laser boresight in

View Quote

Yeah, I don't see a bulge elsewhere, like a bullet lodged halfway. Unless the bullet was lodged at the end of the barrel.

I am expecting he did not look down the barrel before shooting it.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:32:24 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

View Quote

I saw that too.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:32:28 PM EDT

[#25]

It looks like a large rabbit put his finger in the muzzle.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:32:29 PM EDT

[#26]

Ho Lee Fook

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:33:00 PM EDT

[#27]

Barrel obstruction, glad he's OK.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:33:34 PM EDT

[#28]

Those screw holes on top look way far apart than normal

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:33:52 PM EDT

[#29]

Fuckkkkkk.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:34:37 PM EDT

[#30]

3rd hand story... Check
Unknown gun... Check
Unknown ammo... Check
Bubba gunsmithing... Check
Novice shooter... Check

What could possibly go wrong? I also vote obstructed barrel.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:35:05 PM EDT

[#31]

My guess is the holes are for the front sight. There's two more close to the action for what I assume would be for the rear sight.
I doubt if he checked for obstructions. I normally wouldn't, especially in the heat of the moment.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:36:18 PM EDT

[#32]

Fucking scary.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:37:00 PM EDT

[#33]

Looks like a bore obstruction to me as well. It's no surprise that the barrel split inline with the holes.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:39:03 PM EDT

[#34]

plugged bore.. had one come in last week 4 inches of mud at the muzzle. was brought in for a drill and tap job. Caught the bore obstruction when double checking reticule alignment.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:40:46 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:
Those screw holes on top look way far apart than normal

View Quote

They look about right for a Safari Express front sight...

Except the barrel is not the right profile, as in it is thinner. I wonder if someone had tried to put a Safari sight on regular Mod. 70. ETA: Still could have initiated with an obstruction.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:41:26 PM EDT

[#36]

A few years back there was a batch of rifles, I'm thinking Sauer or Tikka, that had the banana split thing going on with a bunch of rifles. Turned out to be a metallurgical issue. They split along the grooves, 3 or 4 "pedals" as I recall.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:42:59 PM EDT

[#37]

That isn't a barrel failure. I am pretty sure the barrel acted correctly, when the bore is obstructed

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:43:58 PM EDT

[#38]

There's video on youtube of an A-Bolt doing the same thing. Barrel obstruction was the culprit.

Posted: 10/25/2016 2:46:39 PM EDT

[#39]

probably had a dirt dauber in it. I had a guy sell me a model 94 one time that for some reason a cleaning rod wouldn't go from one end to the other. That little fucker was holed up in there about 4" from the muzzle. Took a minute to realize what it was.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:03:00 PM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Quoted:

Home-made barrel porting, burrs in barrel to create obstruction. Kaboom.

View Quote

Nah. Burrs in the barrel wouldn't cause that and there is no "home made barrel porting" on that rifle.

There was a bore obstruction of some sort.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:06:52 PM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:
probably had a dirt dauber in it. I had a guy sell me a model 94 one time that for some reason a cleaning rod wouldn't go from one end to the other. That little fucker was holed up in there about 4" from the muzzle. Took a minute to realize what it was.

View Quote

Eggzactaly! thats what did the one I got last week. it was stored in his shed.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:07:43 PM EDT

[#42]

I knew this rifle was going to have a Bushnell scope on it.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:12:24 PM EDT

[#43]

Quote History

Quoted:
Was there a bore obstruction?

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i'm saying "yes".

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:15:47 PM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:

I saw that too.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Am I missing something, or does it really look like there are two holes tapped in that barrel a few inches apart inline with the break?

I saw the one up front and thought maybe it was for a front sight. Now that I see two, I'm not so sure.

I saw that too.

There from a front sight that was remove/blown to pieces.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:17:42 PM EDT

[#45]

Don't think that'll buff out.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:19:45 PM EDT

[#46]

Rifle owner will be pissed, I'd wager.

Also voting for obstruction.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:21:09 PM EDT

[#47]

Quote History

Quoted:
Rabbit or duck season ?

Glad he has all his fingers and eyes still

View Quote

This is exactly what I thought when I saw the picture of the barrel.

Hey OP, I nominate your friend's new call sign to be Elmer.

I'm glad he's ok.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:24:11 PM EDT

[#48]

Quote History

Quoted:

Eggzactaly! thats what did the one I got last week. it was stored in his shed.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
probably had a dirt dauber in it. I had a guy sell me a model 94 one time that for some reason a cleaning rod wouldn't go from one end to the other. That little fucker was holed up in there about 4" from the muzzle. Took a minute to realize what it was.

Eggzactaly! thats what did the one I got last week. it was stored in his shed.

I found a mud-dauber holed up in the bore of a Winchester 30-30 I bought stupid cheap at a garage sale a few years back. After I got the bore clean it looked like about 3-4" inches of packed mud in there about 3" down from the crown.

Another vote for .30-06 meets bore obstruction.

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:25:32 PM EDT

[#49]

I'm thinking barrel obstruction.

Not as bad as a Tikka though

:

Posted: 10/25/2016 3:25:55 PM EDT

[#50]

I'm going with bore obstruction. I've seen it in two cases, one where a friend of mine slid down a dirt embankment with his rifle, got mud in the barrel. He actually got hurt from the shrapnel. In another case, it was determined that dirt daubers plugged the barrel. The "farm" rifle was one of several kept standing in the corner next to the garage door for quick access. Rimfire rifle standing next to it was plugged and that's how they determined the cause.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Winchester Model 70 30-06 barrell failure (Page 1 of 2)

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