Thinking of buying a lathe, how hard is it to chamber a rifle?

[Apex Custom Rifles]

You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want. Doesn't take much to take a premium barrel and make it shoot 1/2", building a 1/4" gun or better, takes a little more finesse. The trick is not messing up that $380-$800 barrel blank before finishing it. Finding someone that knows what they are doing and learning first hand will get you making your own barrels much quicker than learning on your own. Accepting the fact that "You don't know what you don't know" and having someone point these things out is invaluable. Short of going to school, that's the best way IMO.

Here's an example I like to share:

I still have the first rifle I ever built with the guy that got me going in this trade. It's a commercial FN mauser (against his recommendation) but it's what I wanted. No other work done to the action other than the trigger. Rock Creek #5 1-8 twist in a 6mm-06 Imp. With his help, I chambered it with the muzzle clamped in a 3 jaw chuck, Chamber end in a steady rest, solid pilot reamer held in a Jacobs chuck. No indicating, no floating reamer holders. It's a solid 1/2 MOA gun out to 1k and it's a hunting rifle. I never measured for runout, but I just happened to look at the throat the other day out of curiosity. To the eye, it appears as true as the ones I do now which are dialed in to the 1/10,000" in the throat. This is how he built match winning BR rifles, and he had a wall of plaques to prove it floor to ceiling.

Not how I do it today, but goes to show there's a bunch of different ways to chamber depending on your goals and philosophies.

 

[shortgrass]

Without basic machining knowledge and proficiency, turning and threading, understanding concentricity and how to obtain it, the classes on chambering will be a waste of your time and money. The NRA Summer Gunsmithing Classes on chambering require basic machining knowledge to enroll. Just a day or two class seems hardly enough to gather much for the novice 'machinist'.

 

[parshal]

Like Apex, I chambered my first half dozen rifles with the muzzle in 3 jaw chuck, steady rest and a reamer. That was on a 'light' 10 SB. Those rifles shot as well as the ones on my 1340GT with a VFD, proximity stop, DRO, etc. Now, consider the SB was a $3K lathe and I've got more than $13K in the PM with all the assorted bells and whistles.

 

[Rocketeer77]

I have a little bit of experience of running a lathe, but not much. However, I think I could learn. If I know the basics of running a lathe, is it hard to thread/chamber, install muzzle breaks etc on a lathe? I'm leaning towards buying a grizzly lathe:

13" x 40" Gunsmithing Lathe w/ DRO

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www.grizzly.com

As a trained machinist & engineer you can gain the expertise, but buy some cheap bar stock and practice before you destroy expensive components. Knowledge of fits & tolerances, materials, threads, etc
Safety is a major issue amateurish machining efforts can be literally disastrous

 

[Cheyenne 1]

One other thing to keep in mind is that not everyone wants to wait to have a rifle built. With the wait times at gunsmiths can be kinda crazy. Good that they are busy.
Also one of the reasons I got into doing my own was the quality of work!!!!!
I have taken guns apart that have been done by some of the best gunsmiths in our area. Some have been outstanding work and quality. And others have been unbelievable bad. Lots of out of spec tenons, diameter and length.
I am very anal in what I do and being a tradesman for my whole life there are very few I trust to do any work for me.

Here is one example, young guy asked me if I could install a different brake on his gun. Had to re thread the muzzle.
This was the way I got it, some one actually crowned it like this and sent it to the guy! So for me it isn't so much about the cost of tooling. Or tools.

 

[lyle2231]

One other thing to keep in mind is that not everyone wants to wait to have a rifle built. With the wait times at gunsmiths can be kinda crazy. Good that they are busy.
Also one of the reasons I got into doing my own was the quality of work!!!!!
I have taken guns apart that have been done by some of the best gunsmiths in our area. Some have been outstanding work and quality. And others have been unbelievable bad. Lots of out of spec tenons, diameter and length.
I am very anal in what I do and being a tradesman for my whole life there are very few I trust to do any work for me.

Here is one example, young guy asked me if I could install a different brake on his gun. Had to re thread the muzzle.
This was the way I got it, some one actually crowned it like this and sent it to the guy! So for me it isn't so much about the cost of tooling. Or tools.
View attachment 416210

I wonder why he cut the crown like that?
Odd to say the least.

 

[LVLAaron]

I wonder why he cut the crown like that?
Odd to say the least.

Compound was already set at that angle for threading.

 

[25WSM]

Just lazy. Too much effort required to do it right. Some people have zero pride in their work. But still want paid for it. When you guys find a great smith keep him happy and you will be too.
Shep

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Can't understand why someone would spend a lot of time learning Gun Smithing and spend a small fortune on equipment/machinery and then do a terrible job on chambering a rifle. Then combine the Smiths that keep your components for years.
To be a Gun Smith I would think the only reason to do that is the LOVE of Firearms.
I think that the poor quality may be coming from Shops that hire HELP and that those individuals are not Gun Smiths, but just a machinists and have no idea about what goes into the metal of a Firearm.
I know some manufactures and larger shops that have machinist that don't shoot or hunt or know anything about accuracy but are chambering barrels.
Also the really TRUE Gun Smith Shops are disappearing. It is very hard to find a Gun Smith that know how to work on all firearms. I learned GS on my own, but stopped working on firearms about 10 years ago. Will do some work for friends/family. A lot of the work is nickel & dime and you can't charge or get paid for the work. Too much Time-Too Little Pay.
We went and bought all new equipment and machinery several years ago to specifically custom Chamber and new builds. The reason we do it is because our love for hunting/shooting/building. We want the most accurate rifles for competition. Kind of like the golf player always getting a hole in one. We just want all the bullets to go into one hole.

 

[shortgrass]

View attachment 416210

Ya' get crowns like that because of all the self trained, wanna-be gunsmiths out there today.

 

[Cheyenne 1]

That was actually done by a gunsmith with 20 years or more of experience. I have seen work worse than this out of his shop. And it's easy to see what happened. But he chose to screw the brake on and give it to the young guy for his PRS rifle.
My whole point was that just because they have schooling, a shop and experience. Doesn't mean they turn out top notch work.

That is up to the individual doing the work.

 

[25WSM]

But where would you learn such a beautiful crown technique. Even if you are self trained. Just look at a crown and copy it. Pretty basic stuff. Or maybe its the new modern way to do it and were all behind the curve.

 

[shortgrass]

That was actually done by a gunsmith with 20 years or more of experience. I have seen work worse than this out of his shop. And it's easy to see what happened. But he chose to screw the brake on and give it to the young guy for his PRS rifle.
My whole point was that just because they have schooling, a shop and experience. Doesn't mean they turn out top notch work.

That is up to the individual doing the work.

Anybody that body that's cut a crown like that has no 'schooling'. As far as "20 years or more experience" goes. Just because you've been doing it that way for 20yrs doesn't make it right!

 

[bamban]

He probably thought about doing an 11 degree, but the compound was still set for a cone bolt. Then he probably thought the customer would not know the difference...

Actually, who knows... I am just guessing...