Getting into it

[jrock]

I've been wanting to get into rifle making as a hobby. I do have some machining experience. I recently inherited a lathe from my grandfather which only has a 22" bed on it. I assume that can only do work on receivers and not barrels with this lathe. I don't see the point of truing up a receiver and then sending it to a smith to put a barrel on. Therefore, I want to sell the lathe and get one that is capable of doing the whole gun, barrel and receiver. When I say make, I mean receiver modifications and re-barreling for hunting and target rifles. I would probably make 15 guns or so over the next 40 years or so and sell some of them to pay for the equipment.

I do not know much about lathes for this type of work so what lathe would be good for my life time hobby and where is the best place to get one? Also what do you think the lathe and tool up cost would be?

 

[MTBULLET]

first I would recommend getting several, many, books. read them, and read them again.
follow the wisdom in them. And learn the lathe you have inside and out BEFORE looking for different equipment. As to cost, that's a wild card, from $5-6,000.00 to unlimited
depending on the tools/tooling you need/want.

 

[jrock]

Any suggestions for literature? My local library does not have gun smithing for machinist books.

 

[stenger]

Can't make and sell for profit without an FFL

 

[J E Custom]

first I would recommend getting several, many, books. read them, and read them again.
follow the wisdom in them. And learn the lathe you have inside and out BEFORE looking for different equipment. As to cost, that's a wild card, from $5-6,000.00 to unlimited
depending on the tools/tooling you need/want.

+1
Good advice !!!

I would also start slow and learn the effects of each element of gun smithing. It is not rocket science or I couldn't do it, but it does take skill and planning.

Read as much as you can and apply what you learn one thing at a time until you master it, then move own to the next step and do the same.

Check and re-check everything you do and if you know a good gunsmith ask him/her what they think.

Fire arms can be very dangerous and unforgiving so go slow.

Just some advice, take it or leave it.

J E CUSTOM

 

[jrock]

Can't make and sell for profit without an FFL

Yes, I'm well aware of the need for an FFL and the different types.

J E Custom,
That is my plan, to start slow and do one piece at a time. Plan to practice on mild steel stock until I get it down pat before even attempting to do it for real. I love to build things myself so a gun would be neat. Maybe start with a small caliber to be safe.

 

[shortgrass]

Yes, I'm well aware of the need for an FFL and the different types.
I love to build things myself so a gun would be neat. Maybe start with a small caliber to be safe.

With the number of rifles in your 'plan', by the time you tool up, pay ATFE, pay the State Dept. ITAR registration fees, and pay for liability insurance you're already way in the RED. So, I hope 'profit' isn't expected. I think you'd better do some more research, too. There's lots of those "small calibers" that generate as much chamber pressure as the 'bigger' rounds. JE is right, it ain't rocket science. But there's pleanty to know and understand and pleanty of skills to be developed before "building rifles". "Hobby" away if you want, but your 'plan', as stated, won't fly. If you need to "practice on bar stock", consider this as you have limited experience,,, your competition has 10, 20, 30 and some 40 years of experience machining and some have bothered to get formal education, as in two year gunsmithing programs (not "mail order"). I'm not trying to discourage you, but things are NOT as simple as they once were.

 

[J E Custom]

Yes, I'm well aware of the need for an FFL and the different types.

J E Custom,
That is my plan, to start slow and do one piece at a time. Plan to practice on mild steel stock until I get it down pat before even attempting to do it for real. I love to build things myself so a gun would be neat. Maybe start with a small caliber to be safe.

Find an old heavy barrel and buy a reamer of the same caliber, and practice on it. it will
give you the same "Feel" and you can cut it many times.

Practice cutting the tenon, threading, bolt recess cutting and chambering, get the action you want and use it to fit the threads.

Also Practice bedding and Inletting, All of these things are very important to building an accurate rifle. You may already know how to do many of these things but I though I would list them anyway.

When you finish your first rifle, be sure to remotely test fire it for safety, and examine the brass
really close and that will give you an Idea how well you did.

When you cut a chamber you should not have to polish it when through, If you have a good reamer and you run it at the correct speed and have the proper cutting fluid it should look honed. Polishing a chamber effects the grip it has on the brass during firing and can load the bolt excessively.

Good Luck, And take it slow.

J E CUSTOM

 

[adam32]

Can't make and sell for profit without an FFL

That's why you don't advertise or sell for a "profit".

 

[jrock]

I really appreciate the advise. I have a Rem 700 SPS that doesn't shoot as well as I expected so that was the cause of all this machining talk. Truing up the action, squaring the bolt face, etc. is easy work. I like the old barrel idea, but would need a new lathe with a longer bed to do that. I have done about everything on a rifle that can be done without machining so it's the next step in my interest.

I don't plan to make a profit considering all that has been said and my intentions. I mainly wanted to see if I could break even over the next 15 years on the cost of tooling up to justify the cost of a larger lathe.

 

[stenger]

I don't think you understand! You can not build a rifle and then sell it in order to pay for your investments unless you have a manufacturing license. I don't want to sound like an *** but you can't do it! Don't even think about it! If it's a hobby then that's where it needs to stay.

 

[adam32]

I don't think you understand! You can not build a rifle and then sell it in order to pay for your investments unless you have a manufacturing license. I don't want to sound like an *** but you can't do it! Don't even think about it! If it's a hobby then that's where it needs to stay.

He's not manufacturing, he's not putting his own serial number on the rifles.

Even if he was he could still do 6 a year for "personal use". Shoot it once then sell it as a used rifle.

 

[stenger]

OMG!!!! Please call your local ATF office before you get yourself and others into trouble! Why would you post a line walking possible illegal activity on a public forum as advice to another!! It's because of this activity that we must jump through so many hoops. The law is very clear if you assemble from parts to make a complete rifle and then sell it you must posses a manufacturing license. Very clear don't fight the man because when he shows up at your door with an indictment it's going to ruin your day!!!

 

[adam32]

OMG!!!! Please call your local ATF office before you get yourself and others into trouble! Why would you post a line walking possible illegal activity on a public forum as advice to another!! It's because of this activity that we must jump through so many hoops. The law is very clear if you assemble from parts to make a complete rifle and then sell it you must posses a manufacturing license. Very clear don't fight the man because when he shows up at your door with an indictment it's going to ruin your day!!!

Nothing illegal at all about buying a rifle, rebarreling it then selling it as a used rifle from your own collection.

You think all those Savages out there for sale in a different cal then they came from the factory were put together by an FFL holder?