Gunsmithing Another way to skin the cat?

[Geno C.]

After reading countless threads about the way people true actions I have a theoretical question for the guys that do it on a regular basis.

If you were trying to avoid recutting the receiver threads could you take a piece of 1.25" rod, turn a few inch section to clean it up all the way around, then thread a "tenon" and cut it off. Thread the little piece you just cut off into the action and use the turned section to indicate your action true. Once you're set up true remove the piece from your action and clean up the action face and lug surfaces inside. You could even ream the bolt raceway.

What would be the problems with possibly doing it this way? I'm just kinda throwing this out there for discussion.

 

[my human host]

You might already know this, but minus the boltway reaming the above method is commonly used on Savages so that prefits can be used.

 

[powdahound76]

I am not sure of order he does things, but it reads on his website that Greg Tannel does this when someone either cant afford or is too cheap to put on a new barrel when he does his true up package.
Guess if you had a good barrel.........

 

[Geno C.]

Is there a major downside doing it this way?

 

[buffybuster]

Is there a major downside doing it this way?

You presume the receiver threads are cut straight.

 

[Geno C.]

But even if they are not straight you are making everything straight in relation to them so in the end the only thing not bring straight or perpendicular to the threads is the outside of the receiver. At least that's how it works out in my mind...

 

[Sonic Crack]

The idea of truing any action is to cut the receiver threads, action face and lug abutments square and concentric with the bolt race way. That is mine, any may others idea of the correct way to true an action. You can do what you like

 

[Geno C.]

It's not about doing what I like. I've never done one as I've described. I asked strictly for academic discussion. I you did everything I described in the original post including reaming the bolt raceway, would it be any less true than one done the generally excepted way is kind of what I'm getting at I guess.

In theory I would think on advantage would be the ability to use take off barrels without having to set them back all the way to cut new threads. If someone wanted to use those barrels for whatever reason

 

[persistant7500]

Unless you are planning in reaming your raceway over size and either putting a sleeve on the bolt or buying an over size bolt you run the risk of creating an out of round raceway that will be a pain in the ass to take the slop out of. That's the whole purpose of making everything concentric to the trued raceway because it's infinitely easier to over size the tenon threads and subsequent barrel tenon than it is to customize the other end of your action. Although maybe I do it all wrong...

 

[LRI]

But even if they are not straight you are making everything straight in relation to them so in the end the only thing not bring straight or perpendicular to the threads is the outside of the receiver. At least that's how it works out in my mind...

Everything but the scope base holes. . .

 

[Geno C.]

Persistan and Chad, those are valid points. I assumed reaming the race way would include fitting the bolt or buying one that was the right size.

Never thought of the scope base holes...

 

[aagifford]

The steps you proposed don't make the raceway true to the barrel tenon, it just stays wherever it is. If instead after indicating to the threaded stub you then bore the raceway with a single point cutter (not reaming which follows the original raceway), then it will be concentric and true to the barrel tenon I think. But, depending on how off it is, you might need to open up the raceway a lot.

 

[Ledzep]

It doesn't fix out-of-round receiver threads.

 

[Jkob60]

Everything must be trued to one common axis. If the threads are not concentric to the bolt raceway to start with, then it will not be when finished. Man, I can't imagine trying to bore out the bolt raceway with as small a boring bar as would be needed. It needs to be reamed, first things first, one common axis.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Ever try reaming a hole 6 inches deep through an existing hole going in another direction?

 

[Geno C.]

Seems to be plenty of good reasons not to do it that way. Thanks guys. This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping to be brought up.

 

[Victor N TN]

I think... you are assuming that the tooling works the same with an interrupted cut that it does in a smooth cut in a new piece of material. And that it always aligns true in a chuck or tool holder. While your way MAY make the rifle shoot some better, I don't think it would turn out exactly like you think.

I think I'll stay the same as in the past. But a good point made.

Good luck,
Victor