crowning a barrel

[Smk50]

I have a couple of building books, but what tpe of tools would I need to recrown a barrel.

 

[FTW]

I don't know any other way but with a lathe.

 

[Bookie]

You can crown by hand with a round stone in a drill or even a countersink. Bookie

 

[Birddog6]

I have cut off allot of them & crowned them with a countersinking bit & then finished them with a coned grinding stone. Have not yet had a single problem with any of them. :thumbsup: Don't have a lathe & had to make it work & it does.

 

[Zonie]

I have successfully cut off several new barrels and "recrowned" them with a 60 degree included angle stone.
The stone I use is the kind made for use in an electric drill but I rotate it with my fingers so that it can center itself in the existing bore.

I think using a tapered stone like this in an electric drill for this job is highly risky because just the slightest "accidental" sideways movement can ruin the job.

I only remove the barrels material until all traces of the rifleing is gone. Then I use 220 grit wet/dry paper on my thumb to round off the sharp edges of the rifleing where it meets the cone, and the cone where it meets the muzzle.

Every barrel I have used this method on has shot consistently well and to the point of aim.

zonie

 

[bennypapa]

If you surf over to Brownells you'll find they sell tools to do this type of work by hand. The tool itself is available with various sized brass guides that fit inside the bore to align things. I don't know if they have anything as big as 50 or 54 cal but that would be easy for a guy in the machine shop bis to make. Take a look at their website. Not the cheapest in town but their quality is top notch.

Bennypapa

 

[Vaino]

Do you want to "crown" the muzzle end w/ a radius like a modern rifle or just ctsk the bore to eliminate the sharp edges? To do the latter, I use a ball bearing and valve grinding compound....takes a little time but does an excellent job. To install a "crown" as on modern rifles, using a lathe would be one way ....Fred

 

[WRussell]

I too use a ball bearing - hard soldered a handle on it. Goes quickly enough and you can tell if it's centered by eyeball.

 

[Stophel]

I've only done one a long time ago. I just used a large round grinding thingy, and turned it with my hand, constantly rotating, turning, and changing position as I go. Worked fine.

 

I use a 5/8th" cherry (round rotary file)in a drill motor and I use the reverse switch. The cherry is layed on top of a cotton patch and ran backwards to prevent chatter. Run it slow and check often for depth. Like Zonie, I just take enough out to remove the rifling. Works every time for 30 years. I have a 3/4 inch cherry for bigger bores.

 

[Smk50]

Thanks guys, I think I can get a arbide burr at work, and a supplier can get round mandrel mounted abrasive stomes(very, very fine) I guess it isnt as hard as I thought.