Widening Barrel Channel on Stock

If you don't want to pay for a barrel rasp, sand paper wrapped around increasing sizes of deep socket will open the channel evenly. I know it was mentioned already, but the trick is to keep going up in socket size as you go, so that the opening stays even, right, left and bottom. It takes a while with 50 grit sand paper but if you are only doing one or two, pretty effective and very inexpensive.
 
I use dremel and still sanding drums and dowel with sandpaper around it.
These threads might help also.
 
When I widened the barrel channel on my Bell and Carson for the Proof on my Savage I started with just sand paper in my hand to get going. I then moved to a piece of sand paper wrapped around my 1" lapping bar, that made it nice because it has a handle for it too. The inlet was originally for a sporter barrel. I did discover some voids in the stock that were easily filled with some bedding material. I had to remove quite a bit of material. A mill would've made much easier, cleaner, and quicker work of the whole thing. I'd ask the smith to do it if I was already having him do work on the gun. Personally, I did all the work on my rifle, since it was a pre-fit barrel.
 

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Just watch 2 videos on Youtube and that certifies you as a fully qualified Dremelsmith. After that you can do anything you want to any of your guns!!🤪

Seriously tho, I'd have the gunsmith do it with re-barrel. They should have to right equipment to do the job quick and clean.
 
The dowel works well on BBL but for tapered barrels I take a deep well socket and wrap it with sandpaper and do sections then feather them together to match the barrel taper
 
I've got a Bergara Premier Approach that I eventually want to rebarrel with a shorter barrel, likely a Proof Sendero. Wondering how you go about widening the barrel channel on the stock since the Proof is a bigger profile to remain free floated. Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!
I purchased many different tools to open up barrel channels. Most would ride up over the channel and gouge the top of the barrel channel. Then I realized I already had the tool to easily. A deeper socket set. Choose whatever diameter socket and wrap 80 grit sandpaper around it. Dont need a long handle, I just grab the socket. It makes a perfect shaped channel. Then I use tru-oil to seal.
 
If you don't have a mill or a dremel setup like a drill press do not use anything powered.

I've done a few and the socket wrapped with sand paper method is easy and takes very little time to get right. I don't use as aggressive grit as all the ones above me because I like a clean finish, but it takes me longer if I have to remove a lot of material.

This is something you can do…but your gunsmith can definitely handle it and likely use a mill.

Good luck'
 
Shortgrass and ntsqd have right idea, thats what I use.
But I also have a mill to use.
Finish out with sandpaper and seal!
Good to go!!
 
I haven't tried this yet,but on the next one I have to open up. I'm going to try setting the barreled action in the stock with piece of emery cloth between the two and work it down the barrel channel. Should come out with the perfect fit.
 
I haven't tried this yet,but on the next one I have to open up. I'm going to try setting the barreled action in the stock with piece of emery cloth between the two and work it down the barrel channel. Should come out with the perfect fit.
That really isn't going to work well at all. You can try it so you see for yourself but that is just going to get in the way of efficiently opeing up the barrel channel. Even for final finish work that is not a good setup.
 
Why's that?
Most simply because with the barrel in the way you can't get any pressure on the sand paper. If you use the barrel to push down on the sand paper you have to get the pressure perfect and u now have resistance to the paper moving, both above and below the paper. Wrapping the paper around ever larger sockets is way easier. Put the action in, draw the lines of the barrel on the stock and work from there.

The other issue you have to deal with is the action goes into its opening and then the barrel will sit at an angle with the muzzle much higher than the chamber, just due to the overall configuration of a barrelled action.
 

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