On Aug 11, 7:22 am, gspaff wrote:
I'd like to experiment with sleeving a rifle barrel both for looks, to
add weight and rigidity as well. My thought was to use an epoxy
filler between the original barrel and a piece of heat treated 4130
tube. Firing will not be rapid so I'm not worried about heat
dissipation.

I also considered building up the barrel using something like Lab
Metal but am wondering if it will last or start chipping and fall
apart over time. I could put a 4130 tube over it I suppose.

Part of my challenge is that I don't have a lathe and wanted to
tinker. I was going to chuck this up in my big drill press and then
use a ******* file to downsize whatever filler and then either press
fit or glue the sleeve to whatever.

What are your thoughts about how I can do this?
I don't think it's going to do much for you. If you were going to
just add the tube as a bloop tube so you could get a longer sight
radius, fine. Just free float the barrel ahead of the chamber. But
to pack the tube full of whatever isn't going to do much but damp some
vibrations or at least change them. Hard to say what it would do for
you. Benchresters used to sleeve their actions back when they were
using standard hunting-type actions, that would probably give you more
benefit than what you want. Pillar bedding would probably gain you
more than that, too. If it was a good idea, benchresters would have
done it already and would still be doing it.

I rather think it's going to let loose after a number of shots, just
from differential expansion. Several old military rifles had full-
length sleeved barrels, they were threaded onto the barrel at the
chamber end and the muzzle end floated free to alow for expansion from
heat.

Stan