help my 617 needs a target crown

[downlow411]

When I shot my 617 it shoots patterns not groups, and the muzzle which should have a star pattern on the muzzle, only shows about 2.5 points not the usual full star pattern. Who can recrown the muzzle and put this gun back in the game? Would prefer Iowa smith but, having it done correctly is most important.

[toothguy]

When I shot my 617 it shoots patterns not groups, and the muzzle which should have a star pattern on the muzzle, only shows about 2.5 points not the usual full star pattern. Who can recrown the muzzle and put this gun back in the game? Would prefer Iowa smith but, having it done correctly is most important.

Use magnification and carefully examine the crown. Does it look nicked or out of round? The 617 has a very slight crown and you need to carefully clean it to see it clearly. Usually when mine starts to shoot patterns the bore is leaded up. The bore can lead up quickly because the barrel gets hot due to the 10 shot capacity. I would clean it well first being careful not to damage the crown and see how it shoots. I use a bore snake every couple of hundred rounds to keep it from leading up.

I have noticed that the Winchester 333's lead very quickly.

[Toolguy]

The lack of the even star pattern indicates a crown problem, although leading is always a potential issue with rimfires. Brownell's has a good crown cutter and pilot system. I use the 45 degree one as it works on the most number of different guns. There is no magic angle for the crown, it just has to be equal all the way around. With the Brownell's hand tool it only takes a minute or so. I recut the crown and forcing cone on every new gun I get because they are nearly always off some in varying amounts. Once you do that (properly) the barrel will shoot as good as it possibly can. Usually the rifling part is OK.

[toothguy]

Well if my opinion differs from Warren's (Toolguy) I'm usually wrong, same thing with my wife. If you want to do it yourself and you look in the Brownells catalog you will see three different sizes for rimfire pilots. The one in the middle (.213) fits my 617 best (moves free but with no wobble).

[practical_man]

As warren and Tim said, you can do this yourself. The tools will cost less than shipping to a smith. Any local revolver mechanic should have them and charge little for the job.

The tools are good to have if you buy many guns at all. Indispensable if you buy used guns. This is an easy job to do. It has always improved accurate of my guns, including autoloaders and rifles.