Options with barrel question

[Brambles]

So my grandfather (machinist) was in the process of building his own falling block rifle when he moved and downsized. He dropped this thing off at my house.

The action isn't 100% finished and I certainly don't have the skills.

But the barrel has potential, it's an uncontoured Ron Smith 8 twist 6.5mm....problem is, I think Gramps chambered the wrong end.

My understanding is the stamped end is typically the chamber end?

He threaded and chambered it and the stamp is on the muzzle end, still uncontoured.

The whole thing is 28" long, if I cut 1" off the stamped end and cut just ahead of the chamber I will get a 24.75" barrel....that I can chamber in something else.

But if it's no big deal which end is chambered then I might get a bit longer

Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[FearNoWind]

I've seen some pretty good shooting short barrelled .308 Winchesters. That's probably what I'd lean towards.

 

[J E Custom]

So my grandfather (machinist) was in the process of building his own falling block rifle when he moved and downsized. He dropped this thing off at my house.

The action isn't 100% finished and I certainly don't have the skills.

But the barrel has potential, it's an uncontoured Ron Smith 8 twist 6.5mm....problem is, I think Gramps chambered the wrong end.

My understanding is the stamped end is typically the chamber end?

He threaded and chambered it and the stamp is on the muzzle end, still uncontoured.

The whole thing is 28" long, if I cut 1" off the stamped end and cut just ahead of the chamber I will get a 24.75" barrel....that I can chamber in something else.

But if it's no big deal which end is chambered then I might get a bit longer

Any advise would be appreciated.

The reason that the stamped end is normally the chamber end is because in the final testing stage of a barrel it is not unusual for the bore to be slightly tighter on one end (Normally only a couple of hundredths of a thousandth (.00001) and you want the tighter end at the muzzle. The other reason is the lapping process.

some barrel makers make a saw cut in the muzzle end to identify the muzzle.

So the barrel maker notes which end buy stamping the bigger end or saw cutting the smaller/tighter end.

In theory, the tightest end of the barrel helps makes up for bullet lose while engraving.

J E CUSTOM

 

[sable tireur]

Brambles,

I haven't talked to Ron in many years. Is he still in business? If yes, I'd give him a call and ask him that question even if he's retired. Reason being is that somewhere in my memory, I seem to come up with the idea that some barrel makers stamped the muzzle end and I think it was a Canadian. Shaky memory at best but it's there nagging me.

Lacking that you can slug both ends of the barrel with a dead soft lead fishing weight and measure for a difference. Yes you can slug the already chambered end by pushing the weight to the area in front of the chamber. Be sure the measure the stamped end about one inch back.

I'd bank on the phone call first though.

Good Luck!

 

[Brambles]

Not sure if Ron is still working or not, but I will try and track him down. This barrel was mfg probably 10-12 years ago.

Thanks for the reply

 

[Brambles]

So I just got off the phone with Ron Smith, wow...81 years old, still working and remembered my Mom and Dad from shooting with Dad at matches 20 years ago...

He definitely stamps the chamber end and recommends cutting a couple inches off the muzzle end anyways to get final barrel length, he said no need to trim anything off the chamber end before chambering unless it's .22 rim fire.

He cuts in a choke bore

So taking new measurements I'm guessing 25.75" is my total possible length.