New Old Omega
 

The seller described it as being used, but in excellent condition. It doesn't seem it was ever fired. The packing grease in the barrel was hardened, and kinda difficult to remove. The breech plug surprised me, because it had a flat face without a chamber for the powder; i had never seen one like it. The firing pin is in the old style block The paint on the ram rod was without scratches. Yesterday a 2x - 7x scope was mounted, and the breech plug, and ramrod replaced, with used versions. After a few shots the rifle was about sighted in.

This morning, shooting commenced with a clean cold barrel; target was at 100 yard. The load was 60 (weighed) grain Blackhorn, 300g XTP, black crush rib sabot, W209 primer. The first four shots made 4 holes some left. The fifth shot didn't leave a hole. So i assumed it went close to one of the first four holes; that was OK i figured--kinda neat actually. The sixth shot didn't leave a hole; i panicked, and was much disappointed. Ever once in a while one sees two shots in the same hole, but i knew it couldn't happen twice in a row; i walked out to the target, and still couldn't see the last two shots; i figured something was haywire.















The target was photographed, then taped, and i walked back to the rifle with dread; knowing something was not good. Then three shots were made at the taped target; what a pleasant surprise. All three shots made holes in the tape.

















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Consistency is a wonderful thing, ain't it?

great shooting

I think that is great, especially from a new rifle, and clean cold barrel! Although, you seem to have them Omega's down pat. :)

I think you have a winner Ron. Being its probably older, does it have the QLA?

Pitted Old Omega
 

This morning the rifle shot good once again; nothing changed.

After cleaning it, i looked down the barrel accidentally with cheaters, and saw 'something'. Previously i had always looked down the barrel without cheaters, and the barrel looked bright, and shiny. Curiosity had me put a camera in the barrel. The first photo was taken near the muzzle.











The photo led me to scrubbing the barrel with JB bore cleaner, and then another photo.












Next two photo near the center of the barrel, before, and after scrubbing with JB.

















Last photo of a Dream Season barrel, which was purchased new.















Seems i should have titled this thread New Old Pitted Old Omega.














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Yes it does. Tomorrow i will try the Bor-Lock bullets and see how they shoot, unless it is snowing too hard.














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This morning the plan was to practice off hand shooting using B.O.R. Lock 270 grain bullets.















One can almost see the target near the center of the photo. The snow made me lose interest in standing out; getting wet, and cold. Instead, i shot from inside the truck. Managed to park the truck 95 yard out, and shot with one elbow on the steering wheel, the other on the arm rest. Load was 60 (weighed) grain Blackhorn, W209 primer.















Seven shots made a shotgun pattern. Switched to Parker 275 grain bullet. Made no scope adjustments, then took three more shots; called it quits. Load was the Parker bullet, 60 (weighed) grain Blackhorn, crush rib sabot, W209 primer.

























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Ron I wouldn't argue with the groups from either the Parker 275s or the 300 XTPs. Both bullets shot great. What does concern me though is the inside of the bore. Those rough spots almost look like a flaw in the metal and not corrosion. It looks like it got worse after the JB scrub like you opened up something in the metal.
This can occur during the forging process (flakes) because of improper cooling. I say this because the rest of the bore looks pristine.
It would be interesting to see what T/C would say about this.

I wouldn't change a thing if all my groups looked like that last target !!!

I agree Sheridan. But I also like to lean on the side of caution. And if those areas in the bore are due to forging defects then the barrel could be flawed and be dangerous. You don't know what else is lying below the surface. I would really want it checked out. Yes the accuracy is fantastic but is it worth the risk of a barrel rupture?
I'm only saying this because Ron stated that the rifle looked unfired. If that were the case then there shouldn't be any corrosion in the bore.

Knowing what we know now, it is quite obvious Ron was wrong. But then he is always ron. Just now he mumbled, "just once i would like to be right, but i am always ron"













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I am by far no expert when it comes to in line rifles but from the pictures you posted I do think Mr. Bronkoski has a very valid point. From the condition you stated everything was in as well as the pristine condition of the rest of the bore I would have to question that area of pitting. Again, I'm no expert with in lines but I have been into black powder sidelocks and their like for most of my life. The only time I have seen pitting of that nature was from rifles that had been left loaded after season for a long period of time down in the chamber area. That high up in the barrel and that concentrated is telling me you have a defective barrel. More than likely a tempering issue and one that I would have to be concerned about. I'm sure you know more about these rifles than I but metallurgy is a bit of a hobby of mine that the old man got me into many years ago. That type of flaking and pitting doesn't appear to be from a corrosive but the pictures aren't as clear as I would like to be sure. My advise would be to send that barrel to Thompson Center and have it looked over.

My true concern, because I too have had many years of performing visual inspection on metals, is that from the pictures on hand, it looks as though the area actually got worse after the JB scrub! That is what triggered the alarm in my old noggin that the metal could be flawed and that there may be others lying under the surface.

It is possible that what we are looking at is laminations, but I would be inclined to believe tooling marks would be more likely.

No Lee...the areas in question is far too rough and too localized to be tool marks. Those areas are either caused by corrosion or by foreign material caught up in the material or improper cooling of the forging.
If Ron's pic are in sequence areas in the second pic (after the JB scrub) look more opened than in the first which makes me believe it is not from corrosion.
IMO this barrel should have been rejected at the factory and never installed on a rifle.

Rust Bucket @ 200
 

This morning the rusted, pitted, Omega, was given a try at 200 yard. The elevation dial was turned up 9 moa (36 clicks). First shot of three was from a clean cold barrel. The two succeeding shots were loaded, and shot without wasting time. Temperature was about 38 degrees; elevation is about 4600'. The load was 300 grain XTP, 60 (weighed) grain Blackhorn, black crush rib sabot, W209 primer.


















The breech plug used was this one, which has a couple of modifications.











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I wouldnt worry about it. Just means a little extra attention during cleaning will be needed. Seems to be shooting just fine accuracy wise.

I have to agree that the accuracy is great. That is some mighty good shooting at 200 yards Ron.
Why don't you try some fire lapping and see it that takes out whatever that is in the bore. It will either smooth it out some or if its a metal flaw it just might make it open up more.
At least you will know. I hate to see you get injured. I know you have a few other MLs that are just as accurate.

Unsupported
 

After shooting the rust bucket at 200 yard; moved him to 100 yard, and shot him 5 times unsupported. No sling, no stick. He works better than i do.













Came to the house, and cleaned the rifle the same i clean all rifles. Took the barrel photo at the same location in the middle of the barrel.


















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Rust Pitted Old Accura
 

Somehow i had a notion to dig out the old old Accura. This rifle was used to develop the modification to the old wrench turned breech plug, so it would reliably ignite Blackhorn. It was used to test the modified plug in every conceivable situation. It was left uncleaned for weeks. When the forecast was for subzero weather, the rifle was loaded, and left out all night. The rifle probably has shot heavy loads of Blackhorn near 2000 times.

We operated under the assumption that Blackhorn was noncorrosive. The photo indicates we were falsely informed. Blackhorn is the only powder ever shot in this rifle.























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Ron - now I feel a little better and not worried about your health (at least from a bad barrel). If the rifle was unfired as you said it looked I guess it wasn't coated with a preservative at the factory well enough. Either that or the previous owner swabbed the bore and didn't adequately apply a protective rust inhibitor in it.
I bet some fire lapping using a full bore conical will clean that up pretty good.
You got yourself a real shooter there. Congratulations.