alinwa----Chambering Short Barrels

L

Lucky Shooter A

New member
Al, I've started a new thread here to avoid interference with the Neck Turning thread over on Centerfire.

Could you please give us some info on how you make and use the extender for short barrels.

I have a Gritters Rod and the long-stem Interapid indicator and have settled on the two-point indication (throat and muzzle) method-----along with predrilling,preboring and using the floating reamer pusher.

I've tried other methods and watched even others but this method just makes sense to me. I'm pretty much a greenhorn at this but the method is sound and produces good results-----8 consecutive 223 barrels that will all interchange unsized brass. There is no visible slop when the reamer is in the chamber.

Would appreciate any info. I'm looking at some short barrels and prefer not to have to use the steady rest.

Thanks.

A. Weldy
 
Hey, go to the brass turning thread and on post #81 is a good explanation on how to do short barrels in a long headstock.

Ben C
 
OK..... this is gonna' offend a lot of people so, to those of you who're all about maintaining the mystique DON'T READ!!!

I am not a gunsmith, I'm a hobbyist. And gunsmith's, especially winning BR Gunsmith's generally do things their way.

I'm a construction guy. I got a lathe because I couldn't pay people enough to get them to build stuff how I wanted.

But I BUILD stuff, "FFF" is my mantra, Form Follows Function. I was mentioning a catshead over on another post and for some reason searched 'cathead' and 'catshead' on google (I guess to find out if it had the 's' or not) and saw lots of pixtures of wikkid shiney machined stainless steel catheads.... and I kinda giggled. Mine ain't stainless steel......I needed one so I picked out a hunka' thickwall pipe and whipped one up.

It ain't purdy!! But it cost me 7 bucks.

View attachment 14487

0128141711.jpg

Same with my barrel extensions...... THEY AIN'T PRETTY.... but they work for me. They WORK for me because I do not chamber between centers.... I won't even argue the fact that just maybe using the two points of muzzle and throat is better than the "Gordy Method" but in any case I LOCATE THE THROAT no matter how large and long the case and I DO USE GORDY GRITTERS' METHOD of straightening and using only the three inch or so section fore and aft of the throat and letting the rest of the barrel whip around wildly......I believe Gordy came up with a system that solves 8 of the 10 lingering problems and I've solved the other two to my satisfaction.

ONE of the fixes is barrel extensions. Barrel extensions are the direct result of me despising, not trusting anything "machined between centers" unless I personally established a repeatable, straight centerline. IMpossible with barrels...Barrels are bent. At least the GOOD ones are...... "bent barrels are best" has been my belief. Soooo, Barrel Extensions.... in my case made of cheap or in some cases found materials.... Sure, I could go out and buy ss barstock and make stuff that looks good enough to wear but that ain't my WAY.

So.....here's my first one. I needed to add length and hadda' hunka' pipe...well, tubing actually, pipe is the wrong size.

0128141625.jpg

It's threaded for a Sav110, but it only works for muzzle devices, it attaches to the chambered end. This pertickler project I chambered prior to bandsawing the barrel down.....and this sort of extension, while useful after the fact is bulky and limited in usage.

And for chambering I needed something much more versatile. So I started looking at PIPE, black iron PIPE and the myriad of fittages and encumbrances thereof. PIPE, whether it be galvanized or black is weird stuff to machine but it does take t'reads and it won't ever gall. (All y'all reading this that don't think THAT'S a problem have never worked with barrel and action stainless steels. They SSUUCKK!!!!, some worse than others but there are actions being made that IF YOU BOLT THEM INTO A STOCK WITHOUT GREASE you may not get back apart. Schucks, I once bottomed out a screw into an expensive action WITH MY FINGERS, I was testing the depth of a hole, and had to machine it out. And barreled actions??? DEADLY!

Sooooo, pipe is GOOD :)

Anyways, for those of you that believe The GordyMonster is onto something with his methods, and who shoot stuff other than PPC, here are some pix.

But for those of you who think Gordy Gritters is crazy....

And ESPECIALLY for those who think I'm crazy wit' de' 'stensions....DON'T LOOK!!!


0128141703.jpg

0128141700.jpg

And you k'in go hog wild here....... with PIPE FITTINGS you have the sizes you need, and you can adapt up and down. F'rinstance the black iron 3/4 to 1/2 reducing coupler (reducer) can be machined to accept a 700tenon on one end and a #5 muzzle brake thread on the other....... get it???

And then there's merchant couplers and brass fittings..... and unions, let's not ferget unions....the universal joint of the pipefitting world....

0128141604.jpg

They thread fine, you may have to machine them down to fith thru the headstock....

0128141619.jpg


So, these are the pix I took. Not all the fittings by any means but you hopefully can get the idea.

There's nothing cheesy about this methodology..... if others want to machine nicely fitted shiney pieces so be it but it's the IDEA that counts. The METHODOLOGY..... When I say "I make a 338 Lapua to as accurate a spec as a BR Grade 6PPC"....... I MEAN IT! And to all you'se whiners that have never gone in and LOOKED AT the runout, the crookedyness present in gun barrels, just keep on believing that barrels are straight. And if others are happy jamming stuff up into the tailstock spindle bore and calling it straight...... I've got blanks here where if you chopped off hunks and made wheels your jalopy would ride like the FlintStoneMobile.....Holes in the middle??? Don't make me laff.

Ignorance Is Bliss

al


trying to get these stupid pictures to work... :(
 
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I forgot to mention "plugs" and "sleeves"

When adapting nicely fitted and finished SS gunbarrels to galvanized or black iron PIPE it's often hoovis to keep the junction areas protected. I make plugs and sleeves for this.

PLUGS go inside something like a couple and have only one function, to give something for the barrel to butt up against when you tighten it to the extension.

SLEEVES, think something like a recoil lug, but round. A SLEEVE is an abutment device for an outside application but again to protect the barrel from the crusty pipe.

hth someone

al
 
Another thing...... galvanizing on pipe is hard on toolbits. I buy dollar ninety nine carbide bits from harbor freight for hogging off the scaley stuff.
 
Thanks Al

There's a method to your madness or maybe a little madness in your methods-----but what works, works.

I have to admit I was too hung up on indicating on the throat and muzzle to consider these approaches-----spent too much time figuring out how to get an indicator in the muzzle.

Out of the box ain't bad if you're really thinking.

Thanks again.

A. Weldy
 
I just got in from testing a 8.7 lb 338 Lapua Improved...... 300gr Berger OTM's at 2700fps into one ragged hole. FREE RECOIL, OFF A BIPOD, with a 3.5lb hunting trigger.

It Is My Opinion that I could not do that without indexing the muzzle. I've been trying to do that for 20yrs....with littler guns than this.

Read that again, 300gr bullets at 2700fps..... in a carry rifle, that's more energy at 600yds that a 300WinMag has at 100......

8.7lb HUNTING rifle feeding from a loaded magazine, recoil energy like catching a bag of feed off the barn roof....

Recoil energy like Willy Mays took a swing at your muzzle, like being hit with a bat when you pull the trigger.

You want to get your setup to Ride The Lighting, to recoil repeatably in free space, YOU MUST INDEX.

If you don't KNOW where your gun is pointing, you're guessing.

I'ma' just shuddup now, but you did ask. :)

al-CASTIRONPIPE-inwa
 
Al, you should make a video of this. I'd sure as shootin' watch it more than a few times!
 
DSM said:
How do you index a barrel?
Click to expand...

Most barrels are somewhat curved. "Indexing" as I'm using it means that I set the curve where I think it does the most good. And to me "where it does the most good" means where it (In My Opinion) does the least to screw up accuracy. (I ACTUALLY believe that the curve HELPS accuracy, but let's not go there eh :) )

al
 
alinwa said:
Most barrels are somewhat curved. "Indexing" as I'm using it means that I set the curve where I think it does the most good. And to me "where it does the most good" means where it (In My Opinion) does the least to screw up accuracy. (I ACTUALLY believe that the curve HELPS accuracy, but let's not go there eh :) )

al
Click to expand...
But how are you finding the curve? Are you dialing between centers buy indicating the chamber end by using the muzzle side center(spider) and then indexing high side of muzzle?
 
I just watched these videos.....Did Gordy really indicate off a woodworkers spring clamp to set headspace?

And did he stop the lathe with the reamer still in the barrel?

And a HUGE chuck like that can distort the barrel with all that clamping force. A Tru-Adjust would be a much better choice.

But then again...Just an opinion!
 
RoyB said:
I just watched these videos.....Did Gordy really indicate off a woodworkers spring clamp to set headspace?

And did he stop the lathe with the reamer still in the barrel?

And a HUGE chuck like that can distort the barrel with all that clamping force. A Tru-Adjust would be a much better choice.

But then again...Just an opinion!
Click to expand...

I don't know.... I haven't really watched except to see and understand the method. Which I promptly modified :)

I pivot the indicator rod and bias or weight it.....

I, myself do NOT stop the lathe nor even insert the reamer into a stopped setup except to start a pass....

As far as chucking, the method dictates that one chuck up VERY lightly and adjust, actually pivoting by slipping the barrel in the soft liners, then tightening the spider end and lastly tightening the chuck end just enough to keep it from slipping.


Ohhh, and the vid I watched HS was set using feelers, a method I still use.
al
 
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