diy build without a lathe (338/408)

[timmay]

How many of you guys do your own custom builds without a lathe?
Ive never built a precision rifle and would love to do it myself just for the pride (saving a bunch of money would also be nice)
Everything seems pretty simple if you get the barrel pre threaded and chambered.
I think the most critical part is the finish chambering/headspacing but Ive seen plenty guys use hand reaming tools for this along with headspace gauges.

Is it possible to build your own rifle chambered for say the 338 Snipetac or Allen Mag?
Stiller 408 action
Lilja or Brux 32" barrel pre threaded/chambered .338
Manners or Mcmillan stock
(bedding the stock for the action is easy)

I know I can buy dies from Kirby or black diamond for the 338/408

So can this be done or am I living in a dream world?
If so, could I send Kirby a 408 action and have him just send it back to me as a barreled action and then do the easy stuff myself?

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Just my opnion but If I was spending the cash you are planning on spending on the parts you listed. I would involve a good smith, I want everything as close as possable other wise it seams your just buying a high end parts and not getting the benifits from them.

 

[WildRose]

Just my opnion but If I was spending the cash you are planning on spending on the parts you listed. I would involve a good smith, I want everything as close as possable other wise it seams your just buying a high end parts and not getting the benifits from them.

Not only that but with a caliber that powerful you want everything exactly right or it's likely to end very badly when you pull the trigger.

I don't know of any way possible to accurately finish a chamber without the proper equipment or to even do it safely.

One exception probably would be to have someone finish the barrel and install it yourself on a Savage. If you have the go/no go gauges they are pretty fool proof.

 

[timmay]

Not only that but with a caliber that powerful you want everything exactly right or it's likely to end very badly when you pull the trigger.

I don't know of any way possible to accurately finish a chamber without the proper equipment or to even do it safely.

One exception probably would be to have someone finish the barrel and install it yourself on a Savage. If you have the go/no go gauges they are pretty fool proof.

If I bought a barrel blank then yes I would not even try. Cant I buy a barrel that is already threaded and chambered and then all it needs is the finishing chambering with a reamer? I know I can finish ream it by hand while checking headspace
Im going to do it (try and fail maybe but at least try)
Worst case scenario I decide Im in over my head, bite the bullet and send it all in to a smith and pay another $1500 or so

 

[bigngreen]

I would be surprised if anyone would do a prefit barrel in that class of chambering. I have a lathe and the tools to do it myself and a 408 based chambering is a big step that I want to take but honestly am not up to it even with the correct tools and a few rifle builds under my belt. The fail in this case could be very rude and involve the ER. If a guy were to get it kind of assembled but decided that it was not going to work I doubt a smith would use that barrel, a barrel for a cheytac based chambering is not cheap to screw up!!!!

 

[lovdasnow]

i agree with what everyone else said on here. but, i don't know anything about savages and this round, but I think that if there is any chance of you being able to thread your own barrel on it would be by buying a savage and working from their barrel nut platform.

 

[WildRose]

If I bought a barrel blank then yes I would not even try. Cant I buy a barrel that is already threaded and chambered and then all it needs is the finishing chambering with a reamer? I know I can finish ream it by hand while checking headspace
Im going to do it (try and fail maybe but at least try)
Worst case scenario I decide Im in over my head, bite the bullet and send it all in to a smith and pay another $1500 or so

No the worst case scenario is it blows up in your face and that's a real possibility with something in this caliber range.

I"m a "do it myselfer" as much as possible but you only get one life and one set of eyes and fingers.

I've seen one rifle and one machine gun blow up and in neither case did the shooter walk away from it.

There's really no way you can possibly finish ream it safely without the right tools.

With a finished Savage barrel and the go/no go guages you can do it safely but not on any other platform I can think of.

 

[AJ Peacock]

1) I don't believe you can get a bolt face big enough for a 408 CheyTac in a Savage.
2) The Action isn't big enough (diameter wise), remember, the 408 Cheytac body is nearly the same size as a 20ga shell!

If you want to build a serious long range rifle yourself, get a Savage Action and have a pre-chambered 338 Edge barrel made. You can "ASSEMBLE" all the parts, finish/bed the stock, adjust the trigger ... and end up with a nice rifle (I've done this). But the 338AM or Snipetac are just TOO much for a shade tree gunsmith to deal with. IMHO


AJ

 

[James H]

If so, could I send Kirby a 408 action and have him just send it back to me as a barreled action and then do the easy stuff myself?

I don't know if Kirby will do that but there are a lot of gunsmiths that would. That would be the best option for the DOI in the cartridge you have in mind. I wouldn't call the rest of the work "easy stuff" but you can do it without a lathe.


James

 

[Sully2]

Buying and OPERATING a lathe to build ONE custom rifle...is like splitting wood and trimming it down' obtaining all the ingredients and grinding them down; mixing them in proper proportions and creating a paste; and making your own WOODEN MATCHES!!! Cost prohibitive ( at the minimum)

 

[liltank]

Here's my thoughts. It's not unheard of for guys to turn Remington and aftermarket actions into a barrel nut type set up. I would get a hold of Stiller and see if they could accommodate this style of set up for their action. Then you would be able to set the head space and lock it all down with a barrel nut of some type. With the comment of the 408 case being about the size of a 20ga, I wonder if a guy could buy one of Savage slug guns, and turn it into a rifle caliber. The bolts on those things are huge and long. There would be plenty of strength and rigidity in both the action and bolt. It may require a lathe to turn the bolt face though. Curious project though.

Tank

 

[Nimrod]

I wonder if a guy could buy one of Savage slug guns, and turn it into a rifle caliber. The bolts on those things are huge and long. There would be plenty of strength and rigidity in both the action and bolt. It may require a lathe to turn the bolt face though. Curious project though.

Tank

I doubt the slug guns are designed to take the pressure involved, I would be afraid to try it myself.

To the OP, you can finish ream a chamber by hand easily enough but it isn't the most accurate way to do it. I would pay someone to do the barrel work and then do the rest yourself.

JMHO!
Bob

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

1) I don't believe you can get a bolt face big enough for a 408 CheyTac in a Savage.
2) The Action isn't big enough (diameter wise), remember, the 408 Cheytac body is nearly the same size as a 20ga shell!

If you want to build a serious long range rifle yourself, get a Savage Action and have a pre-chambered 338 Edge barrel made. You can "ASSEMBLE" all the parts, finish/bed the stock, adjust the trigger ... and end up with a nice rifle (I've done this). But the 338AM or Snipetac are just TOO much for a shade tree gunsmith to deal with. IMHO


AJ

AJ
Savage has their new slug warrior in 20g I think it built on a 110 action not sure though that alot of power he is talking about.

 

[lazylabs]

Dave will thread, chamber the barrel for you and then just send the barreled action back to you. I would REALLY want to get him to put the muzzle break on it also. He did one for me in 338 snipetac. The dies he sells are also excellent.