Counter-boring

[Vulch]

Was counter-boring an 03 barrel EVER legitimate rework/repair standard?

Reason I ask is the 1926 03 I bought (with a 1-30 barrel. Likely a Nat'l match rifle kept in service) has a counter-bored barrel - about 1/2" deep. Crown is standard.

This is an ex-Viet Nam rifle (an Aussie entrepreneur exported MANY M1903's, 03A3's, M1911A1's, trench shotguns and Model 1917's out of Viet Nam to Australia in the 1980's/90's), in better than usual condition. The Communist Vietnamese did not keep the 1903 and M17's in service post-1975 and they went into storage, so highly unlikely the Commies did the counter-bore.

Suggestions appreciated.

[Dan in NY]

doubtful that counterboring was a standard USGI proceedure...if it were, youd have probably seen a quantity of them with the Greek return rifles over the last 10 years. I cant recall seeing any ....only sporadicly

[Tuna]

I cannot speak of the 03's but counter bored barrels are found on .30 carbines. It is even found in TM's on the carbine.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

Cleaning from the muzzle wore out a bunch of M1 and M1 carbine barrels. Not so much with a bolt gun you clean from the breech.

[Chaz]

"Reason I ask is the 1926 03 I bought (with a 1-30 barrel. Likely a Nat'l match rifle kept in service) has a counter-bored barrel - about 1/2" deep. Crown is standard"
I don't know if this was SOP but I do have an 03A3 barrel (RA 43) just as the one you describe. B