That video was interesting, I was not aware that I had a cord and a half stack of gunsmith specialty tools on my back porch.
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Barrel straightening.
- Thread starter J E Custom
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J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Primitive is and understatement. It would work In a pinch or the apocalyptic end but I would not expect much from a barrel that was straightened this way. Looks like a good way to induce another bend instead of straightening the bore out and ending up with an S curve that the bullet has to negotiate.
In this time period, If you bend a barrel it is time to get a new straight one and cut your losses. or at least a bigger log so the new bend would be more gradual.
Besides, runout doesn't indicate a straight barrel bore, Just a bad contour.Many barrels straightened this way or other ways are done so after the barrel is contoured. so if the barrel is straightened after the barrel is contoured it will have the same amount of runout as needed to straighten the bore.
I was taught that if it wasn't worth doing right, It wasn't worth doing.
J E CUSTOM
MNbogboy
Well-Known Member
I recommend "the real gunsmith" videos to anyone suffering from insomnia. Two or three minutes into any of them will have you snoring like a baby....lol
david g ranes
Well-Known Member
I've heard of people wacking a shotgun barrel on an Aired up tire to change point of impact. David
Yup, I agree. A new barrel would be in order. I was always under the impression that once a barrel was bent, it was over. I just found it interesting.Primitive is and understatement. It would work In a pinch or the apocalyptic end but I would not expect much from a barrel that was straightened this way. Looks like a good way to induce another bend instead of straightening the bore out and ending up with an S curve that the bullet has to negotiate.
In this time period, If you bend a barrel it is time to get a new straight one and cut your losses. or at least a bigger log so the new bend would be more gradual.
Many barrels straightened this way or other ways are done so after the barrel is contoured. so if the barrel is straightened after the barrel is contoured it will have the same amount of runout as needed to straighten the bore.
I was taught that if it wasn't worth doing right, It wasn't worth doing.
J E CUSTOM
That video reminds me of something my Dad used to say. "poor people have poor ways"
ntsqd
Well-Known Member
I wonder how the top names in barrel making deal with a barrel that isn't straight? Are ANY of them perfectly straight from the start and they stay that way? Most of us are familiar with what removing material can do to metals with pre-existing internal stresses or stresses induced by previous machining operations. What then? Seems like they would have a very high rejection rate if they don't straighten to some degree or other. Maybe part of the cost in a premium name's barrel is funding that high horse shoe production?
antelopedundee
Well-Known Member
Who is/was the barrelmaker who advertised that their barrels were never straightened?
now that's some hillbilly redneck crap right there
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
My favorite barrel makers have the instruments to verify the straightness of their barrels Depending on the process, straightness is one of the last things they check before shipping.
They have their standards for rejection and stick to it. Some barrels "DO" end up absolutely straight. others are within their tolerances. This is the stage separates the good from the also ran boys.
.00000 Is the goal but often .0005- is the norm. for the maker with good procedures and quality control. Some set their maximum standards at .005 to .007 and will tell you that it will shoot. I have no doubt they are right, but how well is my problem.
My favorite barrel maker limits his to .0001 bore straightness and .0015 Run out on the contour.
Others will have as much as .0003 for bore straightness. Everyone has their favorite barrel baker and should know what he excepts buy checking "Every" one they use and decide which one is the best for them.
Some build barrels and sell them based on their quality and have 3 or 4 grades, so you must decide what quality you will pay for. a few build to a spec. and produce only one grade. they are on the upper end of cost but are as good as you can get.
I have never found an out of tolerance barrel from my favorite barrel maker (The reason he is my favorite) I do find an occasional reject barrel by their standards from some makers (The better ones) and some barrels will just not pass even My standards so they are not used.
I also questioned some of the top 4 makers as what was done with their barrels that were out of their acceptance tolerance. They said that they re bored them to a larger caliber and re rifle them. If they don't meet the tolerance after this they are tossed.
Also If barrels are properly stress relieved, they will retain their dimensional integrity. If not properly stress relieved they can change especially if any additional machining is done (Like fluting) so it is best to get any work like this done at the barrel makers because he should do final tolerance checks before shipping.
In my opinion, Barrels are the heart of an accurate rifle and if the barrel is not the best, accuracy will also not be the best no matter How well you do everything else.
Like everything else, barrel makers will produce the quality that you except.
J E CUSTOM
They have their standards for rejection and stick to it. Some barrels "DO" end up absolutely straight. others are within their tolerances. This is the stage separates the good from the also ran boys.
.00000 Is the goal but often .0005- is the norm. for the maker with good procedures and quality control. Some set their maximum standards at .005 to .007 and will tell you that it will shoot. I have no doubt they are right, but how well is my problem.
My favorite barrel maker limits his to .0001 bore straightness and .0015 Run out on the contour.
Others will have as much as .0003 for bore straightness. Everyone has their favorite barrel baker and should know what he excepts buy checking "Every" one they use and decide which one is the best for them.
Some build barrels and sell them based on their quality and have 3 or 4 grades, so you must decide what quality you will pay for. a few build to a spec. and produce only one grade. they are on the upper end of cost but are as good as you can get.
I have never found an out of tolerance barrel from my favorite barrel maker (The reason he is my favorite) I do find an occasional reject barrel by their standards from some makers (The better ones) and some barrels will just not pass even My standards so they are not used.
I also questioned some of the top 4 makers as what was done with their barrels that were out of their acceptance tolerance. They said that they re bored them to a larger caliber and re rifle them. If they don't meet the tolerance after this they are tossed.
Also If barrels are properly stress relieved, they will retain their dimensional integrity. If not properly stress relieved they can change especially if any additional machining is done (Like fluting) so it is best to get any work like this done at the barrel makers because he should do final tolerance checks before shipping.
In my opinion, Barrels are the heart of an accurate rifle and if the barrel is not the best, accuracy will also not be the best no matter How well you do everything else.
Like everything else, barrel makers will produce the quality that you except.
J E CUSTOM
mwkelso
Well-Known Member
If you wouldn't mind sharing, which manufacturers have you found to be the most consistently true in their manufacturing? To the degree that you accept them rather than reject.
good point.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
The last time I listed the 4 top barrel makers In order, I started a fire storm and everyone had there opinion and my choices were wrong according to them. Of the 100 plus barrels from this one maker, I have never had to reject one of his barrels and everyone will consistently shoot well below 1/2 MOA with many reaching sub 1/10th MOA.
Of all the other barrels I have used, I have had one or more rejections. These were the top 3 remaining. Some barrels were rejected every time and are no longer on my list of barrels to use.
Everyone has their point of rejection of a barrel and it is/may be different than mine. so I recommend forming your own list based on your needs and experiences with different barrels.
Many people have a habit of knocking some other brand that the one they have, when they actually only have experience with one or two barrels. Other smiths have there preferred list
that have served them well, But the best way to find their real preference is to ask what brand of barrels they use on their personal rifles.
I check every barrel (Even My favorite brand) before performing any work for straightness and the quality of the bore. This will still not guarantee it will shoot sub 1/2 MOA but it does eliminate any concerns and allow me to identify the real problem If it crops up.
Sorry I didn't answer your question. But hopefully you understand why.
J E CUSTOM
mwkelso
Well-Known Member
I completely understand. Thank you.
