Heck, my M1917 is acting up :-(

[Buckshot]

.............When I'd first gotten it put together it wasn't shooting as well as I thought it should. Has a very nice tight barrel. Sharps lands with shine amd I've others with more worn barrels that shot better. The barrel was free floated in the stock, and I htought maybe that was it. Some just won't shoot that way.

I cut a couple strips of business card. Folded them to form a pad and placed then between the barrel and stock, right there at the front band. Things improved amazingly. BTW, leading has NEVER been an issue with this rifle.

Whatever happened, happened all at once as it didn't progressively get worse. I'd loaded up 50 of the group buy 311407M's over 23.0 H4198 + dacron. This was a first time for that boolit. It was seated so the first full sized (.310" per usual) band engraved. I figured I'd shoot 10 rounds in getting sight settings to record for this load, and then stash'em back on the shelf.

I'm darned if I didn't end up firing off all 50 rounds trying to get a group! It'd clump 3 and throw 2. Then I'd fire 5 more into the group and I'd get a couple leakers off in the other direction. All the 10 shot groups at 50 yards were running close to 3".

So then I loaded up another 50 rounds using a boolit that had been exceptionally accurate in this rifle. That was the Saeco #301 (RG4 copy) @ 208grs ready to go and sized .310". This time I loaded loads that had done well before, ie:

10.0 Unique
16.0 2400
21.0 SR4759
23.0 H4198
30.0 IMR3031

They were all poor, with the Unique doing the best being 1/2" wide but 2.5" tall. My regular criteria for acceptable 50 yard 5 shot accuracy (military rifle, issue sights and trigger) is 1.5". Loads are visually inspected boolits, and thrown powder charges, as per usual.

The business card shim is still there. If it compressed (what, 1-2 thousandths?) I'd hardly think that could be it? I suppose I should stick another card thicknesses in there to see if that's it. Just went out and checked the action screws and they're tight. Been bit by THAT before and just thought of it :-). Maybe I should think about bedding the thing?

..............Buckshot

[Frank46]

Rick, bedding under the recieiver ring and recoil lug sounds like a good idea. I have an issue '17 stock and when I have an action in it you con move it back and forth. There's plenty of space in front of the recoil lug that could be filled with bedding. I had a similar problem with a '96 carl gustav swedish rifle. Would get unaccounted flyers. Bedded the recoil lug and receiver and removed the cleaning rod and wood shoot like a target rifle. frank

[Bret4207]

Either bedding or maybe the barrel isn't as tight as you think in the recv'r. Thats a long shot, but I saw it once in a re barreled Mauser. Onlyist other thing I can think of would be a sight loose? Or maybe a broken firing pin giving fits? That last one doesn't sound likely. Could be the business cards moved something around. I've had better luck using washers between the wood and receiver. Almost as easy as paper and doesn't swell with moisture. Glass sounds like the fix to me.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I've seen two groove barrels go sour in one fell swoop, but M7s ain't got two groovers have they? Unless they used them in rebarrelling during WW2. Just a thought, buckshot what you doing asking us, if you can't fix it were up S%it creek with out a paddle :D

[45 2.1]

They were all poor, with the Unique doing the best being 1/2" wide but 2.5" tall. My regular criteria for acceptable 50 yard 5 shot accuracy (military rifle, issue sights and trigger) is 1.5". Loads are visually inspected boolits, and thrown powder charges, as per usual.
Try increaseing the charge. At that level, the vertical stringing indicates it wants more powder. Go slowing as it will change to round fairly fast, then horizontal past the sweet spot.

I've seen two groove barrels go sour in one fell swoop, but M7s ain't got two groovers have they?
I've seen a WW2 rebarrel that had a two groove on it.