hers a sample of a smith's costs, but they could be all over the map
Shorten and crown barrels of Rem. 760, 740;
Savage 99; Win. 100 and 88
(or any rifle barrel under 18") $150.00 Shorten and crown rifle barrels other than above 65.00
Cut and crown shotguns and re-install bead 65.00
Cut, crown and install bead on double barrel 75.00
I had a few old surplus guns that needed to be recrowned, so I bought the tool and did it myself. There are different levels of tools. I bought the basic set from brownell's for around $100. For another $100 or so I could have the fancy option to do a better job.
It is actually surprisingly easy, and the results are good.
You can do surprisingly well with a hacksaw and files and a small toolmaker's square, if you know how to use them. M. L. McPherson has been known to do this when trimming a barrel at the range. You can use a small hose clamp as a guide through most of the cut, then the square and draw filing to clean the cut flat. I have a lathe, so I don't need to do that. Nonetheless, I cut the crowns themselves by ball lapping them, as this self-centers in the bore. A little Oxpho-blue to dress the color at the end and you are good to go.
I did exactly what Unclenick mentions on a Win. 70 .30-06 I got for a song because it had a ringed (bulged) bore about an inch back from the muzzle on its 22" barrel. Cut it to 20" long then squared it off as best I could with a file. Borrowed an M1 Garand crowning tool to clean up the land/groove edges. Shot M72 match ammo quite well; much better than before. Bambi's Daddy didn't know the difference when the bullet it shot took him down.
^^good point. I scoped my mosin so I didn't care about the front sight. wouldn't be too hard to put a new sight on, but would likely double the price. I bought on of the receiver mounted scope rails for like 20$, but that also takes some decent tooling to install correctly.
I have used this method several times when I didn’t have enough room between the end of the muzzle and the front sight to use a hacksaw.
You can take the barreled action and place the muzzle on the side of a bench grinder wheel and take off enough metal to get a new crown. The grinding stone must be flat.
If it is not, a new stone at Harbor Freight is pretty cheap.
Once you have removed enough of the old crown ,use a good file to square the muzzle up and then lap in the new crown.
I needle file can be used to clean up any burs in the lands and groves it needed.
You just need to remove enough of the old crown to get a new crown lapped in.
I have seen people take over 1/3 inch off thinking that what it took to get a new crown.
Yes, if all he wants is a new crown, the just flattened the end ouy and start over but i think he saod he wants the barrel shortened. Prob cause its about impossibe to find a gun bag to fit a mosin, i took about 3" off and still cany get it in my huge backpack gun bag, what a pain
This is how I did my 98 Mauser.
I cut it with a pipe cutter.
I filed it flat, then used a large drill bit with a shallow cut. I don't know the angle it was.
I used a carriage bolt with a top that was larger than the barrel. I drilled the end and force threaded a machine screw. I ran it with a battery operated hand drill. Emory paste to start right on the bolt head. After it was shaped right I did the same with jewelers paste. Then I used a polisher (on the drill) from my dremmel with the jewelers paste.
It looks off center, but that is the shadowing due to my poor photography.
TP