Fixing an off-center crown job???

B

briang2ad

New member
Saw a little 22 in a shop. VERY nice shape OTHER than it looks like someone used a high Speed drill bit to fix a crown, and got is a little off-center - more bare metal on one side of the crown than the other. Can this be fixed with a brass lap and hand drill???? Is it hard to do? (Its $75 gun, so I wouldn't want to take it to a smith). Thanks.
 
If the crown is cut off-center, the only way to fix it is to have someone with a lathe recut the crown (usually this is the best option anyway(. I see a lot of "home-shop" crowning jobs that need to be fixed. Most are from cutting a barrel back, but some are from someone's attempt at accurizing a rifle. I usually buy these rifles, recut the crown, then resell them for more than I pay for them, often the same day.:D

If the bore is centered in the barrel, anyone can do it on a lathe in just a couple of minutes. If the bore is off-center, or the rifle has an octagon barrel it will be more difficult but not a big deal.
 
I guess I was extremely fortunate that a real riflesmith charged me $25 to cut an inch off one of my barrels and recut the crown. (recessed, target crown):)
 
You sure do get to decide how you stack your chips and make your choices.
A piloted crowning tool from Brownells,as I recall,is about $65.With the exception of a person highly skilled at hand work,re-establishing a concentric crown from an eccentric crown cannot readily be done with the ball type lapping tools.A piloted tool that follows the bore is required.
It takes some time to set up a bbl with a 4 jaw and spider,indicating a pin gage in the bore.

Relative to the $85 an hour flat rate you must pay a mechanic,your smith's price is not out of line.

Does your $75 rifle live up to your expectations of a $75 rifle?If it does,perhaps enjoy it as is.If it does not,may I respectfully suggest you paid $75 for what is perhaps a $50 rifle.So really,it is a $50 dollar rifle + $50 for a crown job =a $100 rifle with a nice,fresh crown.Not badThat other $25? Tuition ! I'll bet you check the crown on everything from now on.
You have it,might as well enjoy it.
 
Thinking about it,if you had about a 3/8 dia round carbide or hi-speed burr that was sharp,you could try putting a chuck or handle on it and twisting it in your hand on the muzzle, (no motor! I mean like in an exzacto saw handle)You can study close and push the chamfer over a little,till it all looks concentric and clean.A little magic marker will help you see the concentric ring as you cut it.I only suggest this because it won't hurt anything to try,given your description of what you have.
 
Hacksaw the tip of the barrel off. Use a machinist's square and file the muzzle straight. Then use the ball type crowning tool. Of just chamfer the bore.
 
briang2ad, I have salvaged many a bad crowns with this "fix". If you have a disk sander with a miter gauge (or a friend does) that will "square" up the muzzle and take off as little as possible. Once the muzzle is squared up again, I recrown with a Dremel Tool and ball/bell grindstones by "eye". I have had a lot of experience doing this so can "eyeball" this phase of the recrown. If you are not comfortable enough with this, then set the barrel up on a floor length drill press table and "center" the chuck with the bore center line and use the ball/bell grindstones. This should put you back in the "bacon"!................Dick;)
 
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