Cracked Chambers

[Mikee Loxxer]

Recently Crusader 4B and I were tidying up the reloading room. In the process of doing this Cruasder 4B's '03 Springfield (which had been out of it's stock) was being reassembled. Upon inspecting the chamber I noticed two hairline cracks at six and twelve o'clock (sorry but I don't have pictures to post as I am technologically challenged). This barrel is stamped RIA 10-18 which as far as I can tell means that it was manufactured at Rock Island Arsenal October 1918.

It was decided that this rifle is no longer safe to fire as doing so could result in the barrel having a catastrophic failure.

Do any of you folks have any thoughts, observations, and experiences with cracked chambers on military surplus rifles?

 

[Jim Watson]

A cracked chamber is certainly dangerous and should not be used. I find it hard to see how it failed to rupture the last shot fired before the cracks were noticed, but then I don't have the rifle at hand. A pity, an original RIA barrel is probably worth a bit in good condition.

 

[bogie]

Did you have the barrel out of the action?

Or is the action cracked around the barrel?

 

[Mikee Loxxer]

The barrel was still screwed into the receiver. The barreled received was out of the stock.

 

[Harve Curry]

I seem too recall there were hardening issues with those rifles within a certain serial number range during that time. Someone will kick in with the right answer. Like you wrote don't shoot it, to much pressure to mess with. Lucky that you noticed it.