rebarreling at home

[Possum284]

I'm just getting started in most of this and I am planning a project but want to do as much of the work as I can so I was wondering if you can rebarrel a rifle your self at home I have a ruger ultra light in 30-06 that is worn out and I'm planning on rebarreling it to 9.3x64 and I was told if I got the barrel threaded and chambered I could just screw it to the action but I wasn't sure so I thought I would ask. Sorry for the long post and newbie questions I just don't wanna mess up my stuff thanks.

 

[James Jones]

Its not as easy as just screwing on a new barrel , the barrel needs to be fitted to the action so that the bolt is the proper distance away from the barrel shank and this can only be done correctly with a lathe and having your action their to fit check , the the barrel has to be chambered and the action should be their for this also as the headspace has to be set.
Their are some "prefit" bharrels out their that are short chambered that you can finish ream at home by hand but It is far from the better way to build a gun.

Your best bet is to send you action out and have it barreled correctly , you will end up with alot better job

 

[Rustystud]

You can do it...

They say you can make anything in metal with a file, a/k/a poor mans milling machine. You can buy a short chambered barrel, a reamer, hand driver, and go and no go gauges. I would suggest a Lambeth/Kiff Micrometer adjustable Reamer Stop and a Hand Driver for your reamer. It will make the job a piece of cake.

Oh I forgot, some heavy cutting oil, mineral spirits, rags, a couple of pieces of wood and a table vice, and air hose if you have it.

After you finish the first one done manually you will either hire a professional gunsmith or get access to a lathe. This is a great project for the beginer. There have been several articles in magazines over the years about doing just this project.

Rustystud

 

[krlemas]

It depends on why you want to do the work yourself. If it is for the satisfaction of knowing that you are using something that you have helped build than I would say go for it. But if it is to save money and you will probably only be doing one or two than by the time you get or rent some required tooling ( barrel vise with bushing,action wrench, headspace gauge,reamer if it is short chambered,etc) it will work out cheaper to have it done.If you decide to do it smartflix.com rents DVD's on this subject.Good luck

Ken

 

[dmazur]

Pac-Nor will work on Ruger M77s and they will fit a barrel in a contour of your choice for a pretty reasonable price. New barrel fit to your action & bolt face trued adds up to around $450 for a chrome-moly barrel, stainless around $50 more.

The way I read their site, you have to have someone else re-blue the barreled action, unless your action is stainless.

(I know this isn't what you asked, but I thought it might be something you could look at as an option...)

 

[338hammer]

I went into the break opens and Savage strikers because of the economics. Being a machinist helped save me a lot of money over the years. I also very much enjoy creating something with my own hands.

Having mills, lathes and precision measuring equipment was a small investment compared to the expense of reamers, go/no go gauges,.

I think this is a wonderful idea and strongly encorage you to stand beside a gunsmith and watch a few times and maybe he will be kind enough to watch over you on your first project. If you are off either short or in particular long by the thickness of two sheets of notebook paper you will be very unhappy. One reamer costs as much as what a normal smith will charge to do the work correctly. Providing you have all the components.

Scott@ savagegunsmithing.com ; mcgowenbarrel.com come to mind as good ole boys with a reputation for precision without paying the price for a famous name. Turn around for one is 90 days and the other a few weeks.

There are some increible smiths on this site as well.

338