Modifying a barrel

S

Saltydog235

New member
Anyone ever had luck in cutting and recrowning a barrel? Machine shop or Gunsmith?

After aquiring my Savage Precision Carbine in .308 I'm just about nuts for the 20" barrel in the treestand. That 2" to 4" difference over a standard barrel makes a huge manueverability advantage in most of our stands. While the .308 has been great, I want a short barreled 7mm08 with that heavier profile tube on it. I thought about and have had Savage price the gun, about $1100.00 on the same platform as the PC.

However, I have located a Remington 700 SPS VAR in 7mm08 for $600.00 or so asking price. I was thinking about buying the gun and having the barrel worked on to get what I want then later dropping it in a decent stock over that crappy factory one.

I've inquire about having the gun custom made but cannot see the cost associated with a 100-200 yard rifle given the conditions and environment I normally hunt in and I have beanfeild and other longer range guns already.

As I said its a want not a necessity. Just asking about the feasability of making said modification without ruining the barrel.
 
Oh boy...can of worms, here...

You will no doubt find that the vast majority of those that will respond to this post will tell you- absolutely- that this MUST be done by a gunsmith, with a lathe on a live center.

IF I were building a competition rifle, or was playing with a $1,000 custom barrel, you bet your azz I would agree with that sentiment.

However, there are muzzle crowning tools for hand use sold by several companies, full gunsmithing sets by Brownells, and individual cutters made by PTG, that make this task very simple to do by hand.

My take is this- if you're a DIY guy and like the satisfaction of a little amateur gunsmithing- give it a try. Leave the barrel a bit longer than you might otherwise, if you screw it up- you can always send it to the smith. No harm, no foul...

I did mine (shortened from 27" to 22") and an 11 degree target crown and have no regrets.

Have you checked to see if you can find a bull or varmint contour Savage barrel from Northland Shooters in 7-.08 that you can just swap out?

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I did it to a messed up cheap revolver once. Cut it with a dremel. filed it level (time consuming and frustrating but can be done) and I crowned the bore with, and no I am not kidding, a slotted screw with a head larger than the bore. Chucked the screw in a drill (threaded end in, head out) and used it to cut the crown.

Worked fine. PITA, but it worked.

Get the right tools and I am sure you could do it. Worse comes to worse get a smith. Write it off as a learning experience.
 
I wouldn't. It can be done, and it's not the stupidest thing you could do. It can be fixed if you mess it up, unless you totally destroy the rifling in the end of the barrel.

Go to any gunsmithing source, and get a crowning too, as was said.
 
Barrel shortening

I've shortened a number of barrels. I've cut the barrel off with a hack saw, squared it off with a sanding disc in an electric drill (aluminum oxide sanding paper), then chucked a round head brass screw in the drill slathed on the grinding compound and completed the job. I've also used the 11 degree cutter from Brownells. A word of caution using the Brownells cutter, steel shavings will fall down between the brass spud and the bore and may scratch the bore. The end result has been fine both ways.
 
When using the Brownell's crown cutter, it may help to mount the rifle upside down, so the steel chips fall away instead of in the bore.

I've got a Brownell's cutter, but haven't had to use it yet. All my rifles are okay, so, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
 
Nothing to lose by trying yourself unless you cut it too short. You could always cut it longer than you want for a few practice runs before cutting to the length you actually want. If you're not satisfied with your work you can always take it to a smth and pay for a professional job. Just leave him some barrel to work with.
 
It can be done, it's easier with the correct tools but possible even with what's in your toolbox. I have cut numerous barrels in 22, 243, 25 and 30 caliber. I use the barrel facing cutter and pilot studs from PTG and a crowning cutter from Brownells.

I recently put a Rem 700 in 308 together from parts I purchased from various guys on the forums. I cut the 24" barrel to 20 and used a Rem take off ADL camo stock trying to make a 6 & 1/2 pound 308. Despite everything I could do it came out at 6# 14 oz with an overall of 38.5". It makes a handy package and without drilling holes or buying a 200.00 Kevlar stock it's about the best I can do.

PM me if you would like me to walk you through the process.
 
Sorry I think most of you missed the point. I'm not going to attempt a hack job on a barrel. Cutting high carbon steel like that and doing a decent job requires the right tools. I want it to look like someone knew what they were doing.

No I want to know if and when this was done if anyone had an adverse issue on the accuracy out to 100-200 yards.
 
Anyone can cut/crown a barrel but I wouldn't. Gunsmith I use his lathe crowning tools takes Pilot bushing so he can get the crown concentric to the bore.

Without using the lathe type tools you never get it 100% no other way to center the pilot in the bore and keep it centered to the bore during cutting.
The hand isn't that stead.

After posting I should say you can cut/crown how much it would effect short yardage groups hard to say.
 
Should be fine

It's been my experience that shortening a rifle barrel and properly recrowning it will not have an adverse effect on accuracy . In fact it may shoot a little better , a shorter barrel is a stiffer barrel . Loss of some velocity and increased muzzle blast , will happen too !
 
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