Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Turning Down A Barrel??

A long while ago I had a new barrel made and installed on my Win 70, 7mm because the factory barrel just didn’t cut it accuracy wise. At that time I wasn’t thinking huntability and I had a longer and heavier barrel installed. I sighted it in, hunted with it a few times and it has become a safe queen because I don’t feel like carrying it around. I guess my question is, can I just have this barrel shortened a bit and turned down, or do I need to install a new barrel? It has a very low round count so I’d hate to scrap it for a new one. If it can be turned down, anyone recommend anyone? I’m in the Pittsburgh area. Thanks for the input.

it can be turned down and shorten. Finding a smith to do it will be the hard part. Shortened and crowned easy, turning it down not so easy.

Check the prices for turn down vs replacement. I ruined the accuracy of a rifle I once had by turning the barrel down to a feather wieght. Others may have had better luck doing it.

Try Randy Gregory at Accuracy Unlimited in Medford, WI. He turned one down for me and it did great.

Turning down a barrel is nothing cosmic, it used to be a standard skill for a gunsmith but not many do it anymore. People have gotten the idea that it's some kind of voodoo since they can't find many that do it anymore.

I'll check out Randy. Thanks for the scoop

I'd really like to work with someone close to home, any ideas?

Thanks guys

Hart Barrels is in Nescopeck, PA. They would have the ability to turn yours, or would make you a good new one. There should be a lot of good smiths in your general neck of the woods.

I'd also recommend Randy Gregory if you are going to ship it.

I have turned down a bull to a heavy sporter. It is labor intensive!! I am still not happy with the contour and want it thinner yet. I do not look forward to turning it again, but I will, or the rifle will be a safe queen.
I have heard that it can hurt accuracy. One option is to have it stress relieved after you get the contour you want. This is what I am going to do. I never shot the barrel as a bull or haven't even shot it the way it is now. However it shoots when I'm done with the contour, is going to be how it shoots.

You might consider Twisted Barrel. They will flute it deeply and really get some weight off of it.

You will probably find it less costly to replace than to turn.

Most barrel makers will turn a barrel for you, but only if the barrel is from their company

I turned down a few barrels like cowboybart said it's labor intensive. They turned out ok but i wouldnt know how to charge someone for doing this, alot a man hours.

I've had several of them turned and the most it's ever cost was $45. Most gunsmiths aren't set up for it, but if they have the equipment it's no big deal. Now everybody wants to just slap a new barrel on there, but in years past most any gunsmith could do it. Just gotta find someone that can do it properly. I guess turning barrels is kind of like making buggy whips.

Due to the availability of reasonably priced barrels from a variety of manufacturers turning a barrel has become not cost effective. While not voodoo it has become something of a dying skill amoungst gunsmiths, pretty labor intensive and the outcome can sometimes be unpredictable. Most manufacturers offer a range of standard profiles and some will turn to match your existing barrel.

Another thing - if you can pull the barrel off the receiver, any machine shop with a taper attachment on their lathe can do it. I'm guessing you could find a small machine shop in the Pitts area that could turn it around in a week or so, much faster than a 'smith.

I had Pac-Nor turn one down for me, one that they had originally made, this winter. It was really cheap. I'm not positive if they will turn down another maker's barrel or not. Worth a call.

talk with Dave at ITD.. I'm sure he would do it rather quickly

he has turned down several Blanks I sent him.

Blanks don't have the threaded tenon though. Pac-Nor told me that made a big difference on their end, that they would have to essentially make a tenon that fit my barrel as a fixture for it.... Those tenons are fitted to actions, often slightly oversized actions, there's not really a standard there. Could make a difference for the guy at IT&D.

When I turn down a barrel which is already threaded, I use a piece of aluminum flashing between the dog and threads and put a penny under the screw. Of course, the alternative is to run the breech end on the center and taper in toward the chuck. One barrelmaker I knew preferred to do it this way. Pac-Nor probably uses a CNC machine and holds the barrel in a chuck but I don't know for sure.
The greatest difficulty is to avoid chatter. This is mostly achieved by tool shape and feed rate but there are times when it is necessary to devise a way of damping vibrations. GD

Reading this about turning down barrels being labor intensive scared me.

I cut threads, chambers, headspaced, trimmed the muzzle and crowned 3 barrels this week.

That is about ALL I got done this week.

As many have said turning down a barrel is very labor intensive, and this is why most gunsmiths will not do it. Well they will, but the work will cost you more than the barrel is worth. I turned two of mine down in the last couple weeks. The threading, chambering and crowned took a couple hours and I bet the profiling took me 12 hrs..

This is the one I finished today