I have been studying the various custom actions available, and the machining processes use in their production, and a thought occurred to me.
This is a bit of a long stretch of the imagination, but heck, here goes...
Why hasn't anyone produced an integral one peice barrelled reciever?
Seriously, all of the disadvantages of the design are on the production side, and the advantage such a layout would have in strength and trueness would be worth that trade IMHO
Yes, there are some complications. Namely, the chamber will require some fairly complicated custom tooling and machinery to get it reamed and headspaced properly, but such tooling can be made, it's just that doone has done it yet.
As an extension to this idea, I have long been of the opinion that the bore can be handlapped after chambering by modifying the order in which certain processes are done. For a moment, picture this:
The barrel is gun drilled, but not rifled. Next comes the heat treat. Finally, the gun drilled hole is polished to final dimension for the lands. Next, the chamber is reamed BEFORE RIFLING. A chamber plug, drilled, heat treated, and polished to match the bore exactly can be threaded onto the barrel, occupying the entirety of the chamber. This extension allows you to cut rifle the length of the chamber (at least) behind the neck. The reason for this is you can then, after rifling, hand lap the barrel and not worry about "funnelling" at the stop point, as that stop point is in the chamber plug.
The advantage to this is you can hand lap the reamer marks left at the throat by chambering at the same time as you lap the bore. Cut off the traditional 1" from the muzzel, unscrew your chamber plug (which is now scrap metal, as it's a one time use only thing)and you have a hand lapped barrel with no remer marks in the throat!
These ideas could very easily be combined. Also, some custom makers include a scope rail on the top of their actions. I would like to see more of this, as all togther, you would have a rather superior platform for building a hell of a rifle! It has always been my opinion that the more different mechanical joints (screwes, threads, pins, stc.) can be eliminated, the more consistant and precise the overall package. Imagine it, reciever, barrel, and scope rail, all once peice, guaranteed true, square, and straight!
The one non production disadvantage I can see is the eventual problem of barrel wear. However, when the time comes, the integral barrel can be cut off, the reciever face polished square, and the tennon threaded to accept a more traditional barrel installation!
I must, for a moment consider the cost. This is probably the real reason it hasn't been done. All that custom tooling and exotic processing would mean it would be a costly setup. $3,000.00 or so would be my guess.
Considering people pay much more for that for some of the "custom shop" factory rifles (like the sub moa weatherby's) I don't really see that as too terribly much of an obstacle.
If any of you out there are entrepenurial enough to build or extend a buisiness with these ideas, I give you full locense to do so. I want no money or patend on them, as it would be of a good deal of benefit to the community as a whole, and right now I am without the means to pursue it myself. I would ask that if someone does develop this, a few units be sent my way as a thank you, but that's all.
This is a bit of a long stretch of the imagination, but heck, here goes...
Why hasn't anyone produced an integral one peice barrelled reciever?
Seriously, all of the disadvantages of the design are on the production side, and the advantage such a layout would have in strength and trueness would be worth that trade IMHO
Yes, there are some complications. Namely, the chamber will require some fairly complicated custom tooling and machinery to get it reamed and headspaced properly, but such tooling can be made, it's just that doone has done it yet.
As an extension to this idea, I have long been of the opinion that the bore can be handlapped after chambering by modifying the order in which certain processes are done. For a moment, picture this:
The barrel is gun drilled, but not rifled. Next comes the heat treat. Finally, the gun drilled hole is polished to final dimension for the lands. Next, the chamber is reamed BEFORE RIFLING. A chamber plug, drilled, heat treated, and polished to match the bore exactly can be threaded onto the barrel, occupying the entirety of the chamber. This extension allows you to cut rifle the length of the chamber (at least) behind the neck. The reason for this is you can then, after rifling, hand lap the barrel and not worry about "funnelling" at the stop point, as that stop point is in the chamber plug.
The advantage to this is you can hand lap the reamer marks left at the throat by chambering at the same time as you lap the bore. Cut off the traditional 1" from the muzzel, unscrew your chamber plug (which is now scrap metal, as it's a one time use only thing)and you have a hand lapped barrel with no remer marks in the throat!
These ideas could very easily be combined. Also, some custom makers include a scope rail on the top of their actions. I would like to see more of this, as all togther, you would have a rather superior platform for building a hell of a rifle! It has always been my opinion that the more different mechanical joints (screwes, threads, pins, stc.) can be eliminated, the more consistant and precise the overall package. Imagine it, reciever, barrel, and scope rail, all once peice, guaranteed true, square, and straight!
The one non production disadvantage I can see is the eventual problem of barrel wear. However, when the time comes, the integral barrel can be cut off, the reciever face polished square, and the tennon threaded to accept a more traditional barrel installation!
I must, for a moment consider the cost. This is probably the real reason it hasn't been done. All that custom tooling and exotic processing would mean it would be a costly setup. $3,000.00 or so would be my guess.
Considering people pay much more for that for some of the "custom shop" factory rifles (like the sub moa weatherby's) I don't really see that as too terribly much of an obstacle.
If any of you out there are entrepenurial enough to build or extend a buisiness with these ideas, I give you full locense to do so. I want no money or patend on them, as it would be of a good deal of benefit to the community as a whole, and right now I am without the means to pursue it myself. I would ask that if someone does develop this, a few units be sent my way as a thank you, but that's all.
