big honkin jeep
08-14-2012, 08:10 PM
My last build was a 16" .308 that started with a 22" factory sporter barrel. I left the cutting crowning and threading for a brake to a very good local smith.
Here's a pic
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/100_1205-1.jpg
After the project I started wondering about doing the cutting and crowning myself. Being a cheapskate I really didn't want to spend the $ on the proper crowning tools from brownells.
I have a couple of gunsmithing books that suggest using a brass screw with some abrasive compound chucked up in a drill for the crowning but was a bit reluctant to try it myself.
After reading a post on another forum I saw the results of using a Lee case trimmer and a chamfer tool to cut a crown and was impressed. I have had an old British Enfield for quite some time that was bubbaed up pretty good by the previous owner with a shortened barrel and a really messed up crown and didn't know what to do about it so I figured I'd use it for an experiment. I got out my Lee cutter and lock stud and a .30 cal case length gauge.
I also used a chamfer tool to knock off the sharp edge.
Here are the results
The first pic is after a couple of file strokes to square up the barrel when I realized I oughta take a pic
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/crown/7f4f577a.jpg
This is after I was done but before I re blued it.(which I still haven't completed)
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/crown/769f6d2a.jpg
I finished it off by spinning the rifle muzzle down on some 800 grit on top of a thin sponge to remove the file marks and polished it by spinning the rifle muzzle down on a scotch brite pad.
I still don't know how it will shoot but it's gotta be better than the hacksaw crown it had :)
Comments welcome
Here's a pic
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/100_1205-1.jpg
After the project I started wondering about doing the cutting and crowning myself. Being a cheapskate I really didn't want to spend the $ on the proper crowning tools from brownells.
I have a couple of gunsmithing books that suggest using a brass screw with some abrasive compound chucked up in a drill for the crowning but was a bit reluctant to try it myself.
After reading a post on another forum I saw the results of using a Lee case trimmer and a chamfer tool to cut a crown and was impressed. I have had an old British Enfield for quite some time that was bubbaed up pretty good by the previous owner with a shortened barrel and a really messed up crown and didn't know what to do about it so I figured I'd use it for an experiment. I got out my Lee cutter and lock stud and a .30 cal case length gauge.
I also used a chamfer tool to knock off the sharp edge.
Here are the results
The first pic is after a couple of file strokes to square up the barrel when I realized I oughta take a pic
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/crown/7f4f577a.jpg
This is after I was done but before I re blued it.(which I still haven't completed)
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w188/bighonkinjeep/crown/769f6d2a.jpg
I finished it off by spinning the rifle muzzle down on some 800 grit on top of a thin sponge to remove the file marks and polished it by spinning the rifle muzzle down on a scotch brite pad.
I still don't know how it will shoot but it's gotta be better than the hacksaw crown it had :)
Comments welcome