Gunsmithing What is the best way to recrown a barrel?

[6.5labs]

I have been seeing a lot of posts of short barrel rifles and now i have two barrels i am itching to get at with a hacksaw. I have recrowned barrels in a lathe at work with good results but i am not really equipped for cutting on contoured barrels other than chucking on the action and supporting the barrel in a steady rest. It works but can be time consuming. Is there any inexpensive alternatives that work well or should i stick with the hard but accurate way?
Thanks for any input.

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[Bill Larson]

Lathe

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

Lathe

What he said,... but I'll add w/a spider and range rod as well.

 

[selfbowhunter]

"Chucking on the action and supporting the barrel in a steady rest" is neither hard nor accurate!

 

[Killswitch Engage]

I crown a barrel with the same effort I use to thread for a brake or suppressor. I indicate it coaxial before cutting. I think that's pretty standard practice. I have never used a piloted tool like I see now. I use single point hss tooling

 

[BenY 2013]

Anything worth doing is worth over doing. Might as well thread it once you get it into the lathe! I have seen a few good results come from the piloted tools, but I think the lathe is the way to go!

Ben

 

[338RUM runner]

Chucking on the action and supporting the barrel in a steady rest is OK. Just put a nice FLAT recessed crown and you don't have to dial it in

 

[chipsfan]

Manson makes a great kit as well. PRECISION REAMERS MUZZLE CROWN REFACING KIT | Brownells

 

[Bubb]

Midway video, hack saw, file, brass screw, lapping compound? I might try this on a .22 I want to slug find tight neck... On very edge of mouth carbide case chamfer two-three twists nice shoulder??? Cave man yes, but going to try??

 

[hero's machine]

your accuracy is a byproduct of your work. would you shoot for cash with a filed muzzle? not since 1867. quality work is expensive becaus its worth it, it doesnt mean that less precision setups wont yeild good results, just more opportunity for a bit of tolerance.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

i did a few redneck DIY hacksaw jobs on a sporter .308 and a .22lr, surprised that i didn't F up the barrel or the accuracy of either. after doing the .22 with good results, i did my .308, which was sub moa out to 500, and remained such after the hacksaw job - much to my surprise. but it is a hunting rifle, so minute of coyote or deer vitals is just fine for what it's intended purpose is.

plus i figured if i do mess it up, i'd have to take it to the smith anyway. rather than going down to 16", i went to 17" in the event that happened.

but as the title of the thread goes, NOT the best way to do it, the longer and harder way is more exact and the better way, especially if you intend on doing any type of competition stuff, where a little more imperfection than the next guy gets you out of the running pretty quick.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...udget-22-sil-rifle-trainer-barrel-length.html

 

[skeetlee]

Always dial your muzzle in before crowning, anyone who says otherwise just doesn't know. Lee

 

[trailrider121]

I found this to be very interesting regarding barrel crown.

The Effects Of Crown Damage On A

 

[ridgeway]

I found this to be very interesting regarding barrel crown.

The Effects Of Crown Damage On A

Wow, talk about a crude way to crown! I'm sure his results would be MUCH better if it was crowned in a lathe with a sharp HSS tool bit.

 

[338RUM runner]

Always dial your muzzle in before crowning, anyone who says otherwise just doesn't know. Lee

The key word is FLAT, no run out in flat.

 

[Bubb]

Call it crazy, but even just for fun unplug your lathe and see just how good a gunsmith you are??? My grand paw said a test of a man was what he could do without electricity.... Seems fair to me... Could you build 1 moa or less gun without electricity??? It wouldn't work for being in busniess I get that, but could you do it???

 

[338RUM runner]

Call it crazy, but even just for fun unplug your lathe and see just how good a gunsmith you are??? My grand paw said a test of a man was what he could do without electricity.... Seems fair to me... Could you build 1 moa or less gun without electricity??? It wouldn't work for being in busniess I get that, but could you do it???

Yes I could do it but I would use a Steam Engine to power it, my other Hobby is Live Steam and I have ones that I built that would run a Lathe or Mill. That is what was used before electricity. LOL

 

[AZHUNTER]

To answer your ?, probably a lathe after the bore of the barrel as been set to run true. Having said that I have a remington 700 222 60's era that I picked up for a good deal, I went to the range and it would not print better than 2" @ 100yd, after a closer inspection i noticed there was literally no rifling the last 1/4" at the muzzle, with nothing to lose, I chose to hacksaw 2" off the muzzle end of barrel, square with a file, and remove the burr with an abrasive ball for a dremel (but put in drill at very low speed). The rifle now shoots excellent, I actually shot a .450 group with it today at 100yds.

 

[6.5labs]

Thanks for the input guys. I did more research on the arbored crowning tools and they are a little pricey for my taste. Looks like i will go with indicating in the bore in a steady rest. I cant bring my myself to get out a file when i do have access to a lathe. Thanks again guys

 

[Bubb]

Pok, pok, pok chicken... Lol, all in fun if you have a lathe hack saw it off file it then shoot it?.. If it's shit we all laugh but learn it (didn't) work.. Then chuck it up in the lathe, and have at it proper.... You could be teaching us a valuable lesson? Not that we want to do it all the time, but if you f^%} t up you muzzel bad, knowing you can hacking off a inch or two in a pinch and still being able to be moa is quite a lesson I'd like to hear.. You'd only be out the time to saw and file? 15 minutes.... Come on... 5 shot group......

 

[p8nt]

Do it in a lathe. Short cuts will only give you subpar results.

 

[selfbowhunter]

The key word is FLAT, no run out in flat.

FLAT is only good if its perpendicular to the bore. Otherwise exscaling gases are effecting the bullet differently on different sides. A flat crown not cut perpendicular to the bore is in fact "running out".

 

[p8nt]

The bore from breech to muzzle needs to have as little run out as possible. Since there is no truly straight bore you need to indicate the breech and muzzle to zero. This is the place where you need to crown, anything else is working against yourself and will hinder your accuracy.