Looking for Lathe Opinions

I don't know anything about gunsmith lathes--but that won't stop me from talking about them.:) I think older south bends in general have excellent reputations and that one certainly looks good. What I can't tell is whether you can chuck a full length barrel blank and machine it and chamber it--from the photo it doesn't look like it. Maybe Scorch will come along and provide a real professional comment.;)
 
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I'm not sure by looking but my 1941 Navy Signal Corps South Bend Heavy 10 is
a good gunsmithing lathe.
Check the headstock spindle bore diameter. My lathe accepts a 5c collet drawbar and taper,
It also accepts full diameter barrel "rough blanks".

Mine has a slightly different cabinet and a taper attachment so I can't say "Yours is just like mine"
I'm not sure where the fuzzy line is between a "Heavy 10" and a "Light 10" is,

It might be a 9 inch spindle,which would have maybe an 11/16 bore.

I'd sure prefer the larger bore. That said, a lot of the smiths of the 1950's and 60's got by with the smaller machines. They used a steady rest.
 
South Bend

Made great Lathes.
If it is a 10" it will be great. If a 9" the spindle has too small an I D for barrel work.
 
Im getting tooled up in my basement shop for post retirement hobbies. Size was a consideration and i do want the capability to do some chambering . I ended up buying a new Grizzly G9972Z 11x26. Not a true "gunsmith" lathe but much cheaper an very capable for all my needs.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-11-x-26-bench-lathe-with-gearbox/g9972z

Done several mods such as a 2hp brushless VFD conversion, DRO , and some helpfull gunsmithing fixture upgrades.

Heres a few links to my mods and upgrades.

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/11x29-lathe-mods-w-pics.105103/

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/g9972z-dro-and-brushless-vfd-mods.104507/
 
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If I were tooling up

Patience Grasshopper.:)
Research is your friend. Work on your Google Fu with regard to the specifications required for the machine tool in question.
Once you have the specifications nailed down it's time to start searching.
A good friend outfitted his entire shop for a few thousand dollars. Many many tons of machine tools are sitting idle thanks to the shift in manufacturing to Asia. My friend has both CNC mills and lathes all bought used cheap from the same source a landlord that wanted the stuff gone after his tenant went BK.
Companies routinely go BK, there is not a strong market for used tooling. The equipment is very costly to move.
We can cry in our beer over the loss of manufacturing in this country, better still is to take advantage rather than sit at the bar and complain.
 
Yes, that is a good lathe. None other than Harry Pope used a South Bend Heavy 10. That one is an older machine, but if it is in good shape, it is likely to be a good machine for you to use. It may well be a 3 phase machine if that makes a difference to you. 3 phase is great for machining, but it creates some issues for basement workshops.
 
South Bend is a good lathe. Things to consider are: Is the headstock on bushings or bearings ? Bearings is better. Is the quick change gearbox fully functional ? Is the apron feed mechanism functional and does it engage/disengage smoothly ?

Does the cross slide move freely ? Is the cross feed functional ? Check for excessive backlash in cross slide screw ? Does the compound rest move ( I like it to be on the snug side)? Does compound rest swivel and lock in various positions easily ?

Is the threading half-nut functional and not worn out ( check carriage backlash when engaged ) ? Does it thread ? Does the bed have severe wear near the headstock ? Does the tailstock work smoothly ?

How well is the lathe equipped ? Does it have extra chucks, collet chuck w/collets ? Does it have a tool post ? Lantern style is ok, Aloris type is superior. Does it have steady or follower rests ? Accessories can cost as much or more as the lathe if you want a fully equipped machine

Now for the serious business... Chuck up a piece of stock about a foot long, put a dial indicator on chuck near you and push away then pull towards you. Any indicator movement ? A lot of movement here is not good. Reposition indicator above or below and check for play as done before. IMO, .001" or less is best, more then that will force you to learn the "secrets of the machinist trade"...

There is more but above should give you a good idea of what to look for. If you have any questions please PM me and I will try to help.
 
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Old South Bend and not made in Taiwan South Bends. I'd get that lathe in the photo but be sure to find a steady rest if you want to do rifle barrels. You'll also need gage pins to ensure the barrel is concentrically mounted. We did a lot of face plates and dogs.
 
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