Prefit Defiance cut turned to a Terminus cut barrel

[Longtine88]

So today I got bored. I've been in the process of switching from most all my Defiance actions over to mostly Terminus actions and a couple Impacts. So I find a prefit barrel that a named carbon prefit maker screwed up the dimensions and too short of a headspace. So since Terminus tenons are shorter I decided to chuck it up and rechamber and cut for an Apollo Lite. To my surprise the tenon was cut with a runout of 0.015" out of the bore alignment! That was in 0.946". So it turned out to be a bigger deal than I thought. Refaced shoulder and face. Cut the face. Thread relief recut. Threads all nipped cause the threads were 1.0629" still so took the tenon down to 1.0620" and deeper the threads to get the runout and it back into alignment. Recut and trued the threads. Now all I have to do is recut the chamber. Tomorrow. I was really floored how poorly it was cut as a prefit. And the outside was way out of whack with the alignment of the bore. More so than any barrel I've come across. Just had to rant a little sorry.

 

[JuddL]

More out of curiosity (because I would've chucked it) can you post a picture of the final tenon?

I've learned these little one off projects are (or can be) a major time suck

Sounds like the hard part is over, assuming the chamber is straight?

 

[Longtine88]

I haven't been back to the shop to try and chamber it. I got it aligned at where the lands will be and to the 0.200" line in the chamber. But after examining with a bore scope I'm not sure it's even worth my time. There's a slight play in the threads so I'm about to the point of trashing the barrel. The tenon measures work. But since it was out of alignment with the original bore the threads after trued up have a little too much slack for my taste.

I just can't believe how they screwed it up. Disgruntled employee I don't know.

 

[6.5saum/300rum]

I haven't been back to the shop to try and chamber it. I got it aligned at where the lands will be and to the 0.200" line in the chamber. But after examining with a bite scope I'm not sure it's even worth my time. There's a slight play in the threads so I'm about to the point of trashing the barrel. The tenon measures work. But since it was out of alignment with the original bore the threads after tried up have a little too much slack for my taste.

I just can't believe how they screwed it up. Disgruntled employee I don't know.

What caliber was it? It's too bad you can't send it back to the manufacturer now.

 

[Longtine88]

It's chambered in 22 creedmoor.

 

[Tex_Hunter]

If it was a Proof... I guess I am not terribly surprised.

Either way, its one of the reasons that even for my actions that take prefits, I still buy a blank and have a reputable gunsmith cut it for the action (at least still saves me having to send them the action).

 

[DUCKMAN11]

I haven't been back to the shop to try and chamber it. I got it aligned at where the lands will be and to the 0.200" line in the chamber. But after examining with a bite scope I'm not sure it's even worth my time. There's a slight play in the threads so I'm about to the point of trashing the barrel. The tenon measures work. But since it was out of alignment with the original bore the threads after tried up have a little too much slack for my taste.

I just can't believe how they screwed it up. Disgruntled employee I don't know.

Sounds very similar to what I just got finished dealing with on a tikka t3x action.

Heck gob some red loctite in the tenon threads that are .035" under size and call er good!

Thankfully me and the guy I bought it from were able to work out a return. But good lord there is a large difference between a gunsmith a machinist and a lathe operator. Sadly now the seller has to deal with a most likely ruined barrel and a "local smith" who had no problem turning out that kind of work in the first place.

Weird thing was is the headspace dimensions were almost exactly perfect.

 

[JuddL]

I haven't been back to the shop to try and chamber it. I got it aligned at where the lands will be and to the 0.200" line in the chamber. But after examining with a bite scope I'm not sure it's even worth my time. There's a slight play in the threads so I'm about to the point of trashing the barrel. The tenon measures work. But since it was out of alignment with the original bore the threads after tried up have a little too much slack for my taste.

I just can't believe how they screwed it up. Disgruntled employee I don't know.

Wheeler posted some threads once that someone else had done that were so loose it would shock you but the barrel shot amazingly. If it'll tighten against the shoulder good and you can get the chamber straight, I bet it's worth finishing.

I too am generally against a prefit…just can't be as good as a fitted barrel but lots of folks buy them.

 

[Longtine88]

Hmmm well then I'll chamber it tomorrow and give a whirl. Worse thing just lose a little time.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

If it was a Proof... I guess I am not terribly surprised.

Either way, its one of the reasons that even for my actions that take prefits, I still buy a blank and have a reputable gunsmith cut it for the action (at least still saves me having to send them the action).

I'd call that a prefit.
But you know who is doing the fitting and what to expect based on his previous work.
I don't know that I could do it that way regardless! With my luck I'd have an action with some quirk that could've been easily accounted for on the front end but now it's going to take A-b-c-d-e

 

[DUCKMAN11]

Wheeler posted some threads once that someone else had done that were so loose it would shock you but the barrel shot amazingly. If it'll tighten against the shoulder good and you can get the chamber straight, I bet it's worth finishing.

I too am generally against a prefit…just can't be as good as a fitted barrel but lots of folks buy them.

Man I don't know about that! I just got done dealing with the exact same issue. Threads were .035" undersized and the barrel rattled around in my action a half turn out from the shoulder. Threaded portion was also missing about 5-6 threads.

I'm not putting an explosion 4" from my brain in something that has about 40% thread engagement.

There is a difference between fitting and fitting correctly. Ymmv

 

[Longtine88]

Man I don't know about that! I just got done dealing with the exact same issue. Threads were .035" undersized and the barrel rattled around in my action a half turn out from the shoulder. Threaded portion was also missing about 5-6 threads.

I'm not putting an explosion 4" from my brain in something that has about 40% thread engagement.

There is a difference between fitting and fitting correctly. Ymmv

Yeah that's what I'm worried about! It didn't have as much slop as mentioned above but I'm gonna extend the chamber and take some measurements after ward and see what the chambers mics out to be. Glad I have internal mics

 

[JuddL]

Man I don't know about that! I just got done dealing with the exact same issue. Threads were .035" undersized and the barrel rattled around in my action a half turn out from the shoulder. Threaded portion was also missing about 5-6 threads.

I'm not putting an explosion 4" from my brain in something that has about 40% thread engagement.

There is a difference between fitting and fitting correctly. Ymmv

No doubt. Loose and undersized aren't the same. We have thread specs and ways to measure them but .035 undersized is something that needs cut off and redone.

The spec he did provide isn't undersized. 1.062, matter of fact it's at the top of the spec range. Going from memory, 1.062 - 1.053 are the major spec range.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

No doubt. Loose and undersized aren't the same. We have thread specs and ways to measure them but .035 undersized is something that needs cut off and redone.

The spec he did provide isn't undersized. 1.062, matter of fact it's at the top of the spec range. Going from memory, 1.062 - 1.053 are the major spec range.

Yes sir it was bad. And from the measurements I took it couldn't be set back and re worked. The sellers "smith" is the bad actor in my situation I believe.

The seller made it right and we came to an agreement that made the best of the situation.