Guns as an excuse

[xs hedspace]

Wow, you do great work! I love it when the super accurate smiths claim that you will ruin a barrel, if you don't crown it in a lathe, with the bore zero'd out at both ends to .0001" or so. Hell, I did many muzzles with a hacksaw, square, mill file, and a round head screw with valve grinding compound. I still use the screw and grinding compound to touch up crowns on my target rifles, one of which got me a Master Classification at Highpower Long Range, before the cataract ruined my peep sight view. I now shoot F-Class(scope+sandbags) at 800-1000 yds, trying to get above 94 average for another Master rating, with a rifle I built.

[radkins]

Wow, you do great work! I love it when the super accurate smiths claim that you will ruin a barrel, if you don't crown it in a lathe, with the bore zero'd out at both ends to .0001" or so.

I know some will insist that a bore must be perfectly centered for good accuracy but like you I have to ask why? Why should it affect accuracy if the bore is not perfectly centered even at the muzzle? Certainly if the bore is way off center then there could be issues with uneven stresses in the barrel, especially as the barrel heats up, but being off center a few thousandths should not hurt a thing, how could it? I know this has been argued but it's the bore alignment with the sights that determines accuracy and the bore couldn't care less where the outside walls of the barrel are located, within reason of course due the stress issues if the bore is grossly off center. As far as the muzzle crown that is a whole different animal as far as needing to be as perfect as practical but I bet a lot of very accurate barrels have been done without a lathe although it would seem that a lathe is by far the easiest way.


I got quite an education on muzzle crowns recently when I started to sight in my 45/90 that has a Green Mountain barrel that was crowned on my lathe. I was not very impressed with groups after the first few rounds but since it was a new rifle I expected less than stellar performance so I set about trying to "tune it up". The first thing I did turned out to be the only thing needed and that was to lap the crown which I did using using a brass lapping tool I made and fine compound, I was surprised at how much difference just a small amount of lapping made! Groups tightened up considerably after the first light attempt at hand lapping the muzzle, amazing at how accuracy improved with such little effort but it sure made the point about how critical that muzzlle crown can be.

[Alphawolf45]

Wow, you do great work! I love it when the super accurate smiths claim that you will ruin a barrel, if you don't crown it in a lathe, with the bore zero'd out at both ends to .0001" or so. Hell, I did many muzzles with a hacksaw, square, mill file, and a round head screw with valve grinding compound. I still use the screw and grinding compound to touch up crowns on my target rifles, one of which got me a Master Classification at Highpower Long Range, before the cataract ruined my peep sight view. I now shoot F-Class(scope+sandbags) at 800-1000 yds, trying to get above 94 average for another Master rating, with a rifle I built.

Thanks for the positive comments xs hedspace. You sound like you are quite a marksman..I want to try some of all of that- different guns at different ranges, various competitions.I've never been in an organized shoot..Wanna try it..

These shown here are all of my gun projects except for several single shot .22 Stevens Marksmans that I built first..I am proud of them too but they arent as well made as these later projects.....and I want to add that I am pretty good machinist but have only begun to learn gunsmithing..I think I'll give it another 20 years or so 'fore I get plumb arrogant about it. LOL

The local gun club has 500 meter range... I am building a Highwall in .45-70 specifically for that Black Powder Cartridge Silhouette..Am not concerned with winning, merely hope to finish better than last place..My eyesight is poor and I havent ever shot such guns on such a range. Hope to avoid humiliation.
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I have noticed there are all sorts of guys online..Reading threads is interesting..Lot of the advice offered is real comical..

[Rustybolt]

The restoration on that reciever is truly impressive. How long did it take?

[Alphawolf45]

The restoration on that reciever is truly impressive. How long did it take?

Thankyou Rustybolt..That rust pocked Winchester 1873 receiver was worked on as the mood struck..I couldnt guess the number of hours I have in it....Then when I had the rifle almost completely finished I set it aside for a year while I worked on other things ( such as my mower) ..Initially I bought that receiver as a paper weight and then I decided to practice my tig welding..First thing I did was throw it in the tank for electrolytic rust removal. I think that helped a lot to clean the metal prior to tig welding..Amazing to see all the open pores in the steel after part comes out of the tank..Those pores held contaminants that would have made tig welding difficult..........................But ..After all that welding it appears that length of one side was decreased/shrunk a couple thousands from the considerable amount of welding..Result in barrel being crooked..So I welded in a plug that I then drilled and tapped nice and straight for a slightly smaller barrel shank..

[hddriver1]

Hey all,
I lurk a lot, 'cause if I lurk I don't say anything stupid LOL. I just had to say something on this one though. You do great work. I'm one of those "readers" but I'm not much of a doer LOL but I can truly appreciate the skills you have. I'm a power plant mechanic so I do some machining, some repairs, some welding, etc... The only thing I have for "readers" (including me) is get out a set of files, mark a straight line on a piece of metal and get back to me when it can be done ( filed to.in a repeatable manner ) on a regular basis. LOL That's all it takes to humble me when I get to big for my britches, or when I run across folks like you guys, I have nothing but respect.
Keep up the great work 'cause it can inspire people to "do" more than reading a book can!!.
Pat

[Alphawolf45]

Thanks Pat
Metalsworking is real good hobby if a guy has time and a place for it..Can learn what you need to know as you need to know it. Plenty of worthy projects to choose from .Lots to do other than gun projects...I like to buy antique outboard boat motors and repair them, 'cus I can weld or cast aluminum I am able to repair or make some parts.. I run a 66 year old motor on my little fishing boat. Older and real interesting motors are available- hope I find time ( and money) someday to fix up a couple more.....Have also enjoyed buying really old fishing reels and repairing them....Always plenty of things to work on 'round here..Reading your post sounds like you could find uses for a few machines..I absolutely recommend metalsworking as a hobby.