Question About Short Barrel Length When Chambering

B

bea175

Guest
My question is, how do you guys indicate the barrel in the spindle bore when cutting the chamber from the headstock when the barrel is to short to reach the spider or do you just chamber or crown without indicating from the rear of the spindle ?
 
If the bore of the spindle is true you can make a slide in bushing that will hold the end of the barrel true enough to dial the other end in...
 
The steady rest might be the best way with the shorter barrel but is it as accurate or as precise as cutting a chamber from the Headstock ?
 
No!
If the OD of the barrel is not perfectly concentric with the bore you won't be able to indicate the bore in. Even if you do, you have to have a little oil clearance on the fingers of the steady rest. You are stacking tolerances. Will it make a lot of difference with a good floating-pusher type reamer tool? Maybe not.
Some times I think we get a little more anal than is necessary.
Butch
 
A good smith here in Michigan uses a sleeve something like Mike Bryants action truing sleeve (spider type set up) which is bolted to a camlock backing plate. The barrel is set up using an indicator rod.

Alex
 
Chambering spider for shorter barrels

Attached is a photo of my spider. Master Gunsmith John Pierce of Michigan designed it.
 

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If you are doing a very short chamber, you could face the rear of the barrel off about 1/2 inch to get into straighter rifling, turn the barrel shank to diameter using a tail stock center in the freshly faced barrel and use that in a steady rest... and use a reamer with a snug removable pilot ... you are not dialing in the throat area but you would be hard pressed to see the difference in accuracy ...
 
Dennis Sorensen said:
If you are doing a very short chamber, you could face the rear of the barrel off about 1/2 inch to get into straighter rifling, turn the barrel shank to diameter using a tail stock center in the freshly faced barrel and use that in a steady rest... and use a reamer with a snug removable pilot ... you are not dialing in the throat area but you would be hard pressed to see the difference in accuracy ...
Click to expand...

That's kinda what I was thinking before I got slapped down. I also saw a center drill with a changable pilot on it. So, one end goes in the 4 jaw, and one end on a live center (after facing/center drilling) . Turn the barrel tenon to diameter, put the steady rest on, short ream the chamber .010, put live center back in, thread the tenon, ream to headspace. Done

But, I have to admit, a nice spider like Bobs makes the whole thing a lot easier, and more controlable.

Bob,

Would you mind posting some dimensions on that puppy?

Ben
 
dimensions

Hi Ben,

I'm just leaving for Wisconsin but I will send you more detailed photos with dimensions on my return.

Bob
 
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