Threading the end of a tapered gun barrel
 

I want to make a muzzle break for my gun. I am just learning to run my
lathe. The question I have is how do I hold on to the tapered barrel so
that I can turn the threads on the end of my gun barrel? Those with
experience pleas help me.

Thanks, KT

In article ,
wrote:

I want to make a muzzle break for my gun. I am just learning to run my
lathe. The question I have is how do I hold on to the tapered barrel so
that I can turn the threads on the end of my gun barrel? Those with
experience pleas help me.

Mount the bbl between centers & turn with a dog?

Chuck the straight part of the bbl near the chamber?

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

wrote:
I want to make a muzzle break for my gun. I am just learning to run
my
^^^^^
lathe. The question I have is how do I hold on to the tapered barrel
so
that I can turn the threads on the end of my gun barrel? Those with
experience pleas help me.

Thanks, KT

You just had to go and push one of my buttons. That's "brake" as in
"stop" or "halt", not "break" as in "bust". I hope you're going to
"brake" your gun, not "break" it.

There's a number of ways you could do this. Turn precision plugs for
both ends with centers and do it between centers with a dog, I usually
do it this way. You could also chuck the breech end using copper pads
and use a plug on the other end. You could also just run the center
right into the muzzle and figure on crowning afterwards, I don't
recommend this. If you've got an action hanging off the back end,
you'll either have to pull the barrel or turn up a mandrel to fit the
bolt way. I've also seen guys use a steady rest with a cathead on the
barrel and pad the cathead's centering bolts. Seemed like a hard way
to do it to me unless they figure they're going to re-crown at the same
time. You could bore out an aluminum sleeve to match the taper of the
barrel, drive that on the barrel with a little Loctite, put the barrel
between centers and true up the outside, then put the barrel back
through the headstock and use the aluminum sleeve for chucking. You'd
want an off-end support on the other end of the spindle to center that
end up, too. You could re-crown it that way, too. That assumes you've
got a spindle hole big enough to take the barrel. Lots of different
ways to do the same thing.

Between centers using the plugs has worked well for me.

Some states don't allow threaded barrel muzzles, CA is one. Check
state and local laws before doing it.

Stan

I do it by making a short steel bushing with a taper bore to match the
barrel contour about 3" from the muzzle. The bushing OD can be whatever is
convenient, but make the wall thickness at least 1/4" . The bushing is
seated firmly on the barrel on a piece of heavy paper cut to fit the bushing
bore. The paper protects the finish and gives a good friction fit to the
bushing. Then chuck the barrel threads in your 3-jaw (brass or aluminum
shim stock over the threads). Put a live center into the tail stock and
engage bore at the muzzle. Install your steady rest on the lathe bed but
moved to a spot away from the muzzle. Run the lathe at about 250RPM and
true up the OD of the bushing, taking very light cuts. Don't be alarmed if
the barrel OD seems to wobble as many barrels are not perfectly straight and
many have an exterior that is not concentric with the bore.

Now move the steady rest to bear on the bushing and adjust to a close
running fit with plenty of lubrication. Move the tailstock back and you now
should have full access to the muzzle end for threading, recrowning, etc.
The bore should appear motionless when the lathe is running. If it doesn't,
you did something wrong.

If you have a non-tapered barrel, a split(one side) bushing with a clamp
screw will work the same. Just make the bushing long enough so the steady
rest jaws don't have to ride over the screw hole.

Randy



wrote in message
m...
I want to make a muzzle break for my gun. I am just learning to run my
lathe. The question I have is how do I hold on to the tapered barrel so
that I can turn the threads on the end of my gun barrel? Those with
experience pleas help me.

Thanks, KT

wrote:

snip


Some states don't allow threaded barrel muzzles, CA is one. Check
state and local laws before doing it.

Stan

Gee officer, I thought that was decorative grooving.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Tim Wescott wrote:
wrote:

snip


Some states don't allow threaded barrel muzzles, CA is one. Check
state and local laws before doing it.

I'm pretty sure that only applies to pistols in CA. I believe that a
muzzle break threaded on to a long gun is fine. Just don't put a flash
hider on a semi-auto with a detachable magazine. That makes it "evil".

-G

In article ,
Tim Wescott wrote:

wrote:

snip


Some states don't allow threaded barrel muzzles, CA is one. Check
state and local laws before doing it.

Stan

Gee officer, I thought that was decorative grooving.

I thought it was for installing a 'mussle lock" ;)

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/