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Hand chambering to ackley

T

TheDeicide

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Dec 18, 2011
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Location
Eastern Clearfield County PA
I am debating on trying to change my current 22-250 to a 22-250 ackley by hand. Has anyone done such a modification before and what advice or cautionary tales can you offer? I don't really use the gun so if I screw up the barrel, I'll just buy a prefit. I want to tinker with some ideas I've had.
 
I have done it, and with good results, but it is hard work. Since gunsmiths only charge $100-125 typically to chamber an existing rifle barrel I am not sure what is really saved by renting a Reamer with a bore pilot and T handle for about $60.00 then buying a largish container of machining oil. Seems like a false economy to me unless you want to do it just to say you did. If you only have a reamer, know that to get any kind of decent result you will HAVE to have a bore pilot and headspace guages along with the tools and supplies I just mentioned.
 
Not certain how you're going to accomplish this without a lathe. Ackley headspace is .004 to .006" LESS than the parent cartridge, in this case .22/250 Remington. To get 'shorter'
, the barrel will need to be set back. The goal of .004 to .006" LESS than .22/250 is to be able to fire factory .22/250 ammo in the Ackley chamber safely. https://mansonreamers.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ackley_gaging1.pdf This subject has been covered hundreds of times
 
shortgrass said:
Not certain how you're going to accomplish this without a lathe. Ackley headspace is .004 to .006" LESS than the parent cartridge, in this case .22/250 Remington. To get 'shorter'
, the barrel will need to be set back. The goal of .004 to .006" LESS than .22/250 is to be able to fire factory .22/250 ammo in the Ackley chamber safely. https://mansonreamers.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ackley_gaging1.pdf This subject has been covered hundreds of times
Click to expand...
I was hoping a gunsmith will respond to this thread.
 
To get a proper, in spec chamber that will safely fire factory ammunition you most likely need to set the barrel back which requires a lathe. It's sometimes possible to ream a tight chamber to a loose AI chamber, but I wouldn't count on it. If you choose to ream without setting back the barrel you'll likely end up with a 22-250 based wildcat that uses AI dies. You won't be able to safely fire factory ammunition. You'd have to be more careful with brass prep and should mark the barrel something other than 22-250 or 22-250ai.

You also might run into an issue with the reamer cutting before the pilot is actually in the bore. On a lathe that's easily addressed with a boring bar, but if you're doing it by hand there's not a good way to deal with it.

Personally I wouldn't do it without a lathe. You're not saving a whole lot over having a gunsmith do it for you and there's a good chance you don't end up with a true AI chamber.
 
Last edited:
I guess I should have mentioned that this gun would NEVER fire factory ammo. Light fireforming rounds would be the closest thing. I do see now the difference. My case specs source was shoddy so I am glad to have been given the information. I went to a few reputable sources which is what I should have done in the first place. I'm ok with the bastardized chamber. This would be a tinker project.
 
one does not have to set the barrel back. Just be careful with how far you go with the reamer. The headspace can remain the same as a factory round with no problems.
 

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