Shortening barrels

[getitdone1]

Is shortening and crowning a barrel something many of us with some machine shop knowledge could do?

Someone here want to give advice on how to do this with common--not machine shop--tools?

1. hacksaw
2. file
3. 3/8 drill motor
4. drill of proper dia.
5. emery cloth
6. square
7. cold blueing

Just some ideas of tools needed. Expect Brownell's could supply all tools needed. I think their catalog is a MUST for any gun lover/tinkerer.

I see a problem getting end of barrel square due to taper on most barrels. How does one handle this with common tools?

Don McCullough

[hartman]

Don,

There was an article in the NRA magazine, October, 2007? on cutting .22 barrels. The writer listed tools available in Brownells for such a project. I went to Brownells site and found that they did NOT stock said items.
The article was informative in that even cutting the dove tail for the front site seemed do-able for the average guy.
I just last week end cleaned my shop out and threw away old magazines or I'd mail it to you.

Hartman

[Mike Hunter]

If I were to do it without a mill or lathe, I would probably use a Hardened Machinist V. Block.

Cut barrel to approx length with hack saw, mount barrel in V Block to where the last few thou are hanging off the end of the V. Block. File away; keep filing on the barrel until the end of the barrel is level with the V.Block. The V.Block is harder than the file so the file won’t even scratch the V.Block. Check with straight edge make sure its flat, rotate barrel 90 deg, again check with straight edge.

Use brass lap with grinding compound to clean up the muzzle. You’re done..

List of tools

Hack saw
Machinist V. Block
File
Brass lap
Lapping compound
Drill (optional)

[perry owens]

I bought one of these dovetail cutting fixtures because I had 5 dovetails to cut on a flintlock Baker rifle kit:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.e ... mid=720537
Turned out they don't work too well on large diameter thin wall barrels but should be fine on a modern barrel. The instructions say you can also use it to cut the end off square. I ended up filing the dovetails by hand - a little tense but not overly difficult.
Perry Owens

[claybob86]

Don,

There was an article in the NRA magazine, October, 2007? on cutting .22 barrels. The writer listed tools available in Brownells for such a project. I went to Brownells site and found that they did NOT stock said items.
The article was informative in that even cutting the dove tail for the front site seemed do-able for the average guy.
I just last week end cleaned my shop out and threw away old magazines or I'd mail it to you.

Hartman

IIRC, the gunsmithing articles in the NRA magazine are Midway ads and refer to items available there. Surprising that Brownell's wouldn't have the same stuff, though.

[Hobie]

Nothing to it... Now disassembly/reassembly and all those other things that seem to come up in such projects...

[FALPhil]

How does one handle this with common tools?

Don,

I bought a crowning tool from Brownells. It basically amounts to a cutter with a T handle and a screw-in bore pilot. With 5 common caliber pilots, I think the whole setup cost me $65 +shipping. That may see like a lot, but I shorten barrels pretty frequently, compared to the average gun owner.

You cut the barrel as square as you can, file it if you want to, and use the crown cutter to finish it up.

[Hillbilly]

Junior shows how with a .22. anyone with a little shop background should be able to do some pretty good work If the measure lots... cut a little and fit often

Dad used a stiff tape around to barrel to guide a scribe line... hacksaw and file to square to the line.

Cheap crowning can be done with a big brass screw spun in a cordless drill with valve grinding past... then work to finer gritted paste.

You can cut dovetails with a hack saw and finish with a dovetailing file...

the tools work good two... If I was doing some of this stuff often I'd invest.

[Ray]

Electrical tape for saw guide

Hacksaw

File

Drill motor

Countersink from cheap drill bit set for crowning

Propane torch to blue cut.

Nothing to it provided you don't need front sight. Gun parts corporation has an assortment of odd sights that even work well with a lot of imagination and a little epoxy. Otherwise you need a drill press or a trip to the local smith.

I used to think I needed expensive squaring/crowning tools from brownells but the file is all you need for squaring. A cheap countersink and a steady hand with the drill wil do a fine crown.

A few seconds with the propane torch will give a fine blue without any scaling or damage.

[FWiedner]

Hacksaw
Vice
Masking tape
Belt/Disk sander
Dremel tool
Cold blue

Mark your line, cut the barrel, sand the muzzle face flat, cut a bevel if you want one, inlet a crown, reblue, clean, oil, shoot.

Simple.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

If I were to do it without a mill or lathe, I would probably use a Hardened Machinist V. Block.

Cut barrel to approx length with hack saw, mount barrel in V Block to where the last few thou are hanging off the end of the V. Block. File away; keep filing on the barrel until the end of the barrel is level with the V.Block. The V.Block is harder than the file so the file won’t even scratch the V.Block. Check with straight edge make sure its flat, rotate barrel 90 deg, again check with straight edge.

Use brass lap with grinding compound to clean up the muzzle. You’re done..

List of tools

Hack saw
Machinist V. Block
File
Brass lap
Lapping compound
Drill (optional)

If I was going to do it with the least amout of tools that would be the best way to assure a true crown. Hacksawing and free filing is a stuff shoot. Even if the crown looks really good there is no way to know if it's truly perpendicular with the bore.

If you want to do it with hand tools buy this cutter. Brownells # 080-586-909

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ ... px?p=18293

And the appropriate BRASS PILOTS from this page.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ ... px?p=18295

And this drill motor adaptor.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ ... ER%20DRILL

All together about $85 for the first one then $26 for each addition cal.

Brass laps are easy. go to a large hardware store and buy brass acorn nuts about 3/8" threads. Mount it on a bolt and cut the head off so it will chuck into your drill. Take a file or dremel and cut some shallow grooves in the acorn top for the lapping compound there you are. Slick crown on a true cut barrel.

Guys, workin on these old guns aint brain surgery but you do need to have the right tool for the best results.

[getitdone1]

Steve,

Your point about right tools for a truly good job is a good one.

How much do you normally charge for shortening barrels?

Don McCullough