Do It Yur Self Barrel Instalation????

[Captn C]

Is it worth the effort to buy a pre-chambered/threaded barrel and a finish reamer to do your own barrel installation?

Midway sells finish reamer that you can turn while the reamer is in the chamber and the bolt closed. Sounded pretty simple if you don't cut too much out of the chamber.

Anyway is it worth it?

Or would you be just as well off letting a smith do it?????

BTW-this would be on a military mauser action...

 

[EddieHarren]

Is this a trick question?

 

[Captn C]

Is this a trick question?

It wasn't supposed to be...but without a reply so far....I guess so.

I am a bit of a do-it-yer-selfer and just thought I would ask seeing how this was a gunsmithing section...

sorry to have bothered...

 

[winmagman]

Captn C

I guess it depends on exactly what your looking to accomplish.

If your looking to put together a top of the line, tack driving, shooting implement, I'd let a qualified smith handle it. Also if you're just trying to save a few bucks, don't, let someone that knows what they're doing handle it

However, since you're a self described do-it-yourselfer and if you're looking to do it for the learning expeience then give it a whirl. It could turn out to be worth it.

But keep in mind things can go bad in a hurry. Like you I'm a bit of a do it yourselfer, and I've put together some nice looking, decent shooting firearms, but I've twisted and cracked the tang on a $280 Savage action by applying more muscle than brains, and I've buggered up the threads on a $325 Pac Nor barrel by not taking my time and thinking things through. Learned something both times, but they were pricey lessons.

Hope this helps some

Chris

 

[koginam]

You didn't mention what type of rifle you are working on, some like Savage are no problem, you probably have the tools you will need already, you will need a head space gage either way. If its one of the others you need a action wrench and a barrel vise as well as the head space gages.
Take your time when chambering and keep the reamer oiled, check head space often. Brownell's sells a few books on the subject that might help.
Their are other thing involved in setting up a tack driver including squaring up the action face, lapping locking lugs, and bolt face, pillar bedding stock, etc...
THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO PRECISION RIFLE BARREL FITTING at Brownells this book is one recommended to the gunsmith apprentices and covers most of what needs to be done.
Good luck

 

[EddieHarren]

Capn C, I wasn't trying to be a smart *** but the part about," a reamer that could be turned in the chamber, while the bolt is closed", kinda threw me. If you are talking about a "Pull through" reamer, the bolt will not be closed.

 

[Rustystud]

Short Chambered rifles

There was an article about this about a year ago in Shooting Times.

For the cost of reamer ($95.00 t0 $152.00), gauges ($75.00), barrel vice ($50.00- $200.00), action wrench ($25.00 - $200.00) and some time you can make a shootable rifle.

But not using a Kreiger, Bartlein, Broughton, Lilja, Chanlynn, RockCreek, etc., quality barrel. All these barrels will cost with in $20.00 of each other.

I believe Adam and Bennett, Pacnor, ER Shaw, Shilen, Douglas, and Lowthar Walther offer short cut or prefit barrels.

I believe you get what you pay for, both barrels and gunsmithing services.

A reasonable price for custom chambering a barrel, including cutting, turning, threading, chambering, headspacing, crowning, test firing, and engraving chambering/smith/neck dia is going to cost you between $150.00 and $250, depending on the quality of work done.

Rustystud

 

[Captn C]

Capn C, I wasn't trying to be a smart *** but the part about," a reamer that could be turned in the chamber, while the bolt is closed", kinda threw me. If you are talking about a "Pull through" reamer, the bolt will not be closed.

Yeah, I short cut what the ad in the Midway catolog said...you turn the reamer until the bolt closes. Then it should have the proper head space.

I looked at the cost and it would be more to "do-it-yur-self" than to pay someone buy the time you bought everything you needed. I just though it would be cool to do all the work myself.

I mentioned in my first post that the action would a military mauser (but not that it would be a M-48). I'm not really looking for it to shoot bug holes, but if it did that would be ok too.

I bought serval old mausers when they were cheap and I'm down to the last one. I started to leave it 8mm and use it as a hog gun, but how many hogs guns do you need???

I guess I'm just looking to build one more gun for the kids to fight over after I'm gone (only 48 right now...might be a while).

 

[koginam]

If the cost doesn't throw you off by all means do it. As Rustystud said their are several barrels available short chambered and threaded for you to use. If you have accesses to a lathe you can use any barrel blank you want, plus once you have the tools you can use them on other rifles, build one gun for each of the kids then they have something made by you it means more to them, if their around have them help, my grandson helped chamber his first hunting rifle with me at 11 yr's old.

 

[cappi]

Rechambering

I have a Winchester Model 70 pre war rifle with a 26" SS barrel chambered in 240 Gibbs. I would like to have this rifle rechambered to a Remington 6MM . Can you refer me to a gunsmith (preferably in the N.E.) that can do the work in that price range ?