Good smith that will chamber stainless LW barrel.

[Duvel]

Yes, I've heard the horror stories about stainless Lothar Walther barrels. I'm not here to debate why I should or shouldn't use their barrels. I'm looking for a smith that can rebarrel my Winchester 70 in 300 H&H using one of these stainless "Devil Barrels" and correctly true the action. Someone that has plenty of experience with this barrel material. Any leads would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Cody

 

[J E Custom]

Yes, I've heard the horror stories about stainless Lothar Walther barrels. I'm not here to debate why I should or shouldn't use their barrels. I'm looking for a smith that can rebarrel my Winchester 70 in 300 H&H using one of these stainless "Devil Barrels" and correctly true the action. Someone that has plenty of experience with this barrel material. Any leads would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Cody

I think the reason most smiths don't like these barrels is the material. They are reportedly
made of 17-4 PH and are not free machining steel so they are rough on reamers. You might have more success buying your own reamer and furnishing it with the barrel. That way they should be
ok with using your reamer and nor hurting/wearing theirs.

When steel does not cut well it is hard to make a really nice chamber.

Like everything else It can be done but some just don't like it so they decline.

J E CUSTOM

 

[msalm]

I didn't see any more or less wear on tooling with the LW Stainless, but it does cut 'differently'. Muzzle flush coolant is supposedly the way to go with them, but I did it without. You need to feed pretty hard as the steel will workharden if you don't keep the reamer cutting. While cutting it almost feels 'gummy' and seems to tear easily although the threading came out excellent. After chambering I would finish at 1000 RPM with 320 grit wet/dry and Kroil and the finish was every bit as good or better than any other chamber. The rifles shot extremely well also so I guess that's what matters the most.

 

[shortgrass]

Installing a LW is not that much different than installing any other barrel.

 

[Duvel]

All good stuff, thanks!

 

[Trickymissfit]

I think the reason most smiths don't like these barrels is the material. They are reportedly
made of 17-4 PH and are not free machining steel so they are rough on reamers. You might have more success buying your own reamer and furnishing it with the barrel. That way they should be
ok with using your reamer and nor hurting/wearing theirs.

When steel does not cut well it is hard to make a really nice chamber.

Like everything else It can be done but some just don't like it so they decline.

J E CUSTOM

the steel is tough as you say, but not hard as others think. So welcome to the world of nickel. It will work harden like a lot of stainless steel, and you must always keep that in mind. In the old days it was trial and error (lots of error), and the steels were not as good as todays production lots. Reamers have a different grind, and inserts are somewhat selective. A phone call to Valenite or Sandvik (K&M, and a couple others) will get you all the data you need. It may even be overwhelming! They're good people. Coolants are (or can be) an issue, but once again a phone call away. The trick with 17ph-4 is in always cutting clean metal. In other words getting under the first .010" of surface metal (all the way around). Now as many of you already know; I'm big on MAR-10. It's pretty much nothing but a very highly refined 17ph-4 that also only comes in a prehardened state. That one's a different kind of beast, and will eat you alive if you fail. Yet once you learn it traits (like any other metal), it's doable. I've cut threads on 17ph-4 with high speed steel (Gorham Cobalt, Vasco Supreme [best], and Rex 95) without too much trouble. I actually encountered more problems using inserts! Tool pressure creates a work hardening effect. Small thread forms are easy, but something like a modified Acme is a bitch! Have used basic inserts, but always found ceramic and coated ones to be best. Diamond inserts are very good if you get the good ones

The hardest job I ever had with 17ph-4 was with a small valve body that had a series of identical holes in it (4 if I remember right). Each hole had four steps and just looked like a 100mm long 30-06 case). The window of tolerance was .0004" compound error. There were four diameters that went from 25mm down to 10mm, and the added error between all four was .0004" total. Then there was the surface finish that had to be held to a single digit micro (think it was under 10). I planed on just grinding these bores to size in a Moore jig grinder, but was informed that this would cause issues with the valve spools. I ended up borrowing a Mapol reamer from a production group, and using mineral seal for a coolant. I think I could have had a better coolant when I look back, but the parts were good even though I was called names that even Hitler didn't deserve.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

I didn't see any more or less wear on tooling with the LW Stainless, but it does cut 'differently'. Muzzle flush coolant is supposedly the way to go with them, but I did it without. You need to feed pretty hard as the steel will workharden if you don't keep the reamer cutting. While cutting it almost feels 'gummy' and seems to tear easily although the threading came out excellent. After chambering I would finish at 1000 RPM with 320 grit wet/dry and Kroil and the finish was every bit as good or better than any other chamber. The rifles shot extremely well also so I guess that's what matters the most.

that "gummy feeling" comes with the high nickel alloy. A touch more chrome might have helped. Supposedly there maybe a new form coming out that uses graphite in the alloy to aid machining. Avoid high sulphur stainless steels like you avoid your mother inlaw!
gary

 

[toader]

Dave Bruno in PA barrels a lot of Sako's with LW barrels - may give him a call & see if he can help you out.


Dave Bruno Precision Rifles, LLC
919 Kittanning Ave.
Dayton, PA 16222
Phone: (814) 257-8089
Email: [email protected]
(Shortrange BR, 1K, and X-Course rifles.
Many record-setting BR rifles.)