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Switching Barrels
- Thread starter branrot
- Start date
Most revolvers have the barrels "just screwed in". This is not a chore for the average tinkerer tho. Should be done by a competant gunsmith. Bit of a trick gettin the proper torque and sight alignment at the same time, then there is the matter of adjusting the cylinder to barrel gap properly and probably re-cutting the cone. Kinda like watch making, piece of cake if it is your bag. Neigh on to impossible if tis not your cup of tea.
Dan Wessons are an exception, their barrels are changeable in the field.
Sam
Dan Wessons are an exception, their barrels are changeable in the field.
Sam
Dfariswheel
New member
Sams right, I've seen a number of guns ruined by improper barrel work. I still occasionaly see articles telling people to "Carve some blocks of wood to fit the barrel, lock the barrel and blocks into a vise, stick a hammer handle through the frame window, and 'twist'er off".
To rebarrel a revolver takes custom made barrel blocks, (either aluminum or nylon), and an action wrench with inserts for that particular gun. Then there are throating cutters and gauges, and barrel facing cutters.
If you're willing to put up the money to buy the proper tooling, and get some training, you can do it. Otherwise, I've seen some very expensive paper weights that used to be S&W's and Colt's.
To rebarrel a revolver takes custom made barrel blocks, (either aluminum or nylon), and an action wrench with inserts for that particular gun. Then there are throating cutters and gauges, and barrel facing cutters.
If you're willing to put up the money to buy the proper tooling, and get some training, you can do it. Otherwise, I've seen some very expensive paper weights that used to be S&W's and Colt's.
switching barrels
I have to agree with dfariswheel its a job for a competent gunsmith, in order to get the right barrel/cylinder gap I believe most smiths would relieve the shoulder of the barrel ,set the barrel back one turn ,square up the breechface of the barrel,recut the forcing cone.This requires some lathework aside from the action wrench and lead barrel blocks that dfariswheel mentioned,but this would give you a truly perfect barrel/cylinder relationship,unlike what you get on even the best production revolvers whose breechface is always slightly out of square ,and whose forcing cones are rarely coincentric to the bore,
I have to agree with dfariswheel its a job for a competent gunsmith, in order to get the right barrel/cylinder gap I believe most smiths would relieve the shoulder of the barrel ,set the barrel back one turn ,square up the breechface of the barrel,recut the forcing cone.This requires some lathework aside from the action wrench and lead barrel blocks that dfariswheel mentioned,but this would give you a truly perfect barrel/cylinder relationship,unlike what you get on even the best production revolvers whose breechface is always slightly out of square ,and whose forcing cones are rarely coincentric to the bore,