Question on cutting a barrel.

[cajun]

Today I picked up a nice Green Mountain barrel at an estate sale. I finally found a gunsmith to install the breech plug for. I will be doing the dove tails myself. While we were talking on the phone, I told him I wanted to cut the barrel from 36-inch to 32-inch. He stated that if I cut the barrel that the breech would have to be cut and re-threading due to visible run-out at the muzzle. Is this true, thanks.

 

[necchi]

He stated that if I cut the barrel that the breech would have to be cut and re-threading,,
due to visible run-out at the muzzle.
Is this true, thanks.

,, Uhm? Wha??
Find another shop.

 

[rich pierce]

Not true. He’s stuck in the 1960s and Douglas barrels.

 

[tenngun]

???
Does he know breech from muzzle?
Guns were often cut by being dawn off.
Placement of the breech plug should be centered on bore. I cans see where one would effect the other

 

[Stony Broke]

I have a friend that builds rifles and he stays backed up a couple years as locals love his work. He once told me that he has to check out a new barrel and figure out which end is the closest to center, to figure out which end to use for the muzzle. I guess a lot of barrels center better on one end than the other..

 

[EC121]

Today's barrels are drilled then the flats are machined on centers. There shouldn't be any runout. Douglas barrels had some runout because they were made from cold rolled octagon stock that was then drilled. The bit could wander a bit. If you put the flat with the runout up or down in the barrel channel, it didn't matter.

If you cut a 36" barrel with muzzle runout, it will have less runout at 32".

Green Mountain barrels were made from round stock that was then machined. A GM barrel shouldn't have any noticable runout. Jim Kibler is using them today.

 

[Rifleman1776]

,, Uhm? Wha??
Find another shop.

Yep!

 

[Rifleman1776]

If you cut a 36" barrel with muzzle runout, it will have less runout at 32".

Bingo! Amen, Bro. Git out the hacksaw.

 

[bubba.50]

I have a friend that builds rifles and he stays backed up a couple years as locals love his work. He once told me that he has to check out a new barrel and figure out which end is the closest to center, to figure out which end to use for the muzzle. I guess a lot of barrels center better on one end than the other..

Sounds like he’s using those old Dixie Gun Works barrels. They always had a warning about using the off-ceenter end for the breech end.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Doesn’t it already have the breech end treaded, seems the last few I did were.

 

[ord sgt]

I purchased a Colerain barrel from TOW. I wanted a shorter barrel to make the rifle lighter weight, for ease of instructing women in the joy of shooting muzzle loaders. TOW sent the finished barrel, along with the piece removed. I did ask TOW to seat the breech plug. This they did. The 10 inches that were removed was from the breech. TOW tapped new breech plug threads and installed the breech plug. Good tight fit. Plug threads were coated with anti seize compound and I placed a witness mark on the bottom of the barrel.
Yes, cutting the breech end is a good choice as opposed to cutting the muzzle. This is my experience and point of view.

 

[Rifleman1776]

cutting the breech end is a good choice as opposed to cutting the muzzle

When considering run out, you are correct. But, the improvement will often be so minimal as to be a non-factor. Place the run out up or down and and any poi deviation can be adjusted with the sights. If the run out is so bad as to be a big deal, git another barrel and make pistol barrels from the baddie.

 

[cajun]

Doesn’t it already have the breech end treaded, seems the last few I did were.

Phil Coffins
Yes, the breech end is treaded, it's a Green Mountain Barrel.

 

[Phil Coffins]

On a new barrel with out dove tails fitting a breech is pretty easy. I don’t know your compete project but let’s say it’s a TC and you have the proper breech. Your main tool kit is a file, a wrench, one C clamp and some spotting dye. The die can be lipstick or such. With these things a plug can be fitted very well. There’s a misconception that a breech needs a crush fit that requires special tools, not true. If you care to tackle it I’m inclined to talk you threw it on the phone.

 

[EC121]

It used to be routine to cut(about 4") the muzzle off a Douglas barrel because they were drilled from the muzzle end, and the drill would wear the first few inches of the muzzle. I just used a hacksaw and a try square to even the muzzle face. Then as even as I could, I filed in some sort of crown. It worked fine that way.