I live in the SE and hunt either in the jungle or from a stand. A short rifle is often very handy. At one time I was going to shorten a Tikka T3 stainless from 22.4� to 20". I was advised by a friend that you should not do a cut and crown on a Hammer Forged barrel due to variable stresses caused by the manufacturing process. He stated that accuracy would be a real crap shoot regardless of the crown job.
Is this a real potential problem? Do any of you have experience with shortening a Hammer Forged barrel?
Regards,
GW
No.
Yes.
Take a hacksaw or cutoff saw to the barrel. Crown with a brass screw spun in a drill. Apply valve grinding compound liberally while it's being spun. Take off the outer edge on the barrel with a file.
Go hunting.
Just cutting the end off won't hurt it a bit.
One of my shooting buddies has a 527 varmint with the barrel shortened to 20". Consistently shoots sub 1/4" at 100 yards.
No, it's not an issue.
Even if it was, Tikka triple stress relieves their barrels.
Thanks for the many quick reply's!
Cutting two inches off of an accurate Tikka barrel is about the dumbest idea I've heard in a LONG time. If you do it, Prarie's hacksaw method will work but it'll produce a schidt crown. Find a smith who owns a Manson Crowning tool and get him to crown it for you.
Have you ever tried it? If not, STFU. I've only done it on about a half dozen barrels, and they shoot as well as before.
Have you ever tried it? If not, STFU. I've only done it on about a half dozen barrels, and they shoot as well as before.
I'll bet you think torque wrenches are overkill doncha? "Just torque them headbolts good and snug, its all good".
So you're saying you've never cut and crowned a barrel yourself. Just like I thought, another thing you haven't done. Congratulations.
No.
Yes.
Take a hacksaw or cutoff saw to the barrel. Crown with a brass screw spun in a drill. Apply valve grinding compound liberally while it's being spun. Take off the outer edge on the barrel with a file.
Go hunting.
Brings back memories, dad took a hacksaw to a rifle once, he was a bodyman and he if I recall after hacksawing the barrel off he did basically what you said, only I think it might have been a ball bearing he used, will have to ask him, he is 90 now, but he may remember, anyway it never diminished its accuracy and I have it now, can't recall all the stuff he used to do but he could not afford in the early years with four boys to spend money foolishly, so did for himself, and it all worked well, brother and I even started doing little amateur things, like lapping lugs, polishing barrels and actions before bluing, even did some blueing ourselves, heating and bending bolts, mounting scopes after drilling and tapping, so I am sure one can do it, but only if one feels confident.
Use a 60" bolt cutter. Lops them barrels off real fast.
Now the crowning begins!
Some CHF barrels, like those made by FN, have a tapered bore at the muzzle end to increase accuracy. If you shorten them you lose the taper. Depending on whether the bore behind them is still tighter than the rest of the barrel you could or could not have a change in accuracy.
Brownells has the barrel facing / crowning tools needed.
Make sure you cut from the muzzle end and all is good.
Have you ever tried it? If not, STFU. I've only done it on about a half dozen barrels, and they shoot as well as before.
I'll bet you think torque wrenches are overkill doncha? "Just torque them headbolts good and snug, its all good".
This is how TAK explains "I learned everything I know on the internet."
Good job TAK.
Travis
My dad had a 20 gauge single shot Stevens shot gun. He must have stuck the barrel in the mud or something. He took a shot at a pheasant out behind the house one day and blew about 6 inches off the end of the barrel. Dad cut the banana peel off with a hacksaw, and filed the rough cut smooth. Did not seem to affect accuracy at all. Still have that shot gun and it still is a accurate at ever.
I shortened at least a dozen barrels with the method prairie goat describes, ranging from at least one .22 rimfire on up to .30+ caliber centerfires, and never had a problem. Probably read about the method in one of my gunsmithing books.
Then about 20 years ago started using the Brownell's hand tool, both when shortening barrels and just for touching up crowns. One of the rifles, a heavy-barreled Remington 700 .223, turned out to be the second most accurate rifle I've owned, a genuine quarter-incher for 5 shots at 100 yards. Would guess I've shortened at least two dozen barrels since getting the tool.
Have you ever tried it? If not, STFU. I've only done it on about a half dozen barrels, and they shoot as well as before.
I'll bet you think torque wrenches are overkill doncha? "Just torque them headbolts good and snug, its all good".
This is how TAK explains "I learned everything I know on the internet."
Good job TAK.
Travis
I didn't say it wouldn't work dumbschidt. In fact, I did say that it WOULD. I stated that a Manson Tool would work much mo'betta. Spending twenty or thirty bucks to obtain an 11-degree crown at a perfect 90 axis to the bore as it exits the tube is a smart thing to do, 100% of the time.
Edit:
I'd also like to re-state that cutting off an accurate Tikka barrel 2in don't strike me as overly bright.
I may have seen the technique in Gunsmith Kinks, but know for certain it was in an old Finn Aagaard article. IIRC, Finn mentioned how Phil Shoemaker had used the technique on Old Ugly.
Some CHF barrels, like those made by FN, have a tapered bore at the muzzle end to increase accuracy. If you shorten them you lose the taper. Depending on whether the bore behind them is still tighter than the rest of the barrel you could or could not have a change in accuracy.
Steyr does the same. Saco M60 barrels had a marked crimp at the muzzle, they actually shot better once that wore out. The crimp was there to induce a "cone of fire".
My dad had a 20 gauge single shot Stevens shot gun. He must have stuck the barrel in the mud or something. He took a shot at a pheasant out behind the house one day and blew about 6 inches off the end of the barrel. Dad cut the banana peel off with a hacksaw, and filed the rough cut smooth. Did not seem to affect accuracy at all. Still have that shot gun and it still is a accurate at ever.
I've heard that shorter shotgun barrels will throw tighter patterns due to being stiffer...
I've heard that shorter shotgun barrels will throw tighter patterns due to being stiffer...
[/quote]
I know mine does.
tighter patterns are good right?
right?
Theoretically, wouldn�t shortening an accurate barrel only help? Shorter barrels are stiffer. The only benefit to bullet performance from longer barrels is velocity.
I didn't say it wouldn't work dumbschidt. In fact, I did say that it WOULD. I stated that a Manson Tool would work much mo'betta. Spending twenty or thirty bucks to obtain an 11-degree crown at a perfect 90 axis to the bore as it exits the tube is a smart thing to do, 100% of the time.
Edit:
I'd also like to re-state that cutting off an accurate Tikka barrel 2in don't strike me as overly bright.
The only crown you could polish is on a guy's dong.
Travis
I'd also like to re-state that cutting off an accurate Tikka barrel 2in don't strike me as overly bright.
I agree 100%. Unless the guy wants a shorter barrel.
Billy,
I remember Finn's article well! And Old Ugly is still shooting well enough to whack bears.
I may have seen the technique in Gunsmith Kinks, but know for certain it was in an old Finn Aagaard article. IIRC, Finn mentioned how Phil Shoemaker had used the technique on Old Ugly.
You are correct goat, I have cut off dozens of barrels, including cutting the 28" bbl of my 22lr 40X target rifle back to 18", and in every case the accuracy was as good or better than the original. So long as the cut is square to the barrel, or filed that way, the crown doesn't seem to matter. It is only there to protect the muzzle from being damaged..
By the way the 40X was, as is, a 1/2 moa rifle after being chopped off.
What is the offical name of that Brownells tool? The search function on their website totally sucks.
45-degree muzzle/cylinder chamfering cutter.
I recall them talking about cutting the barrels back to a specific length in story about "the Houston Warehouse" can't recall the magical length, somewhere around 20 3/4" or something like that. But point is even if they had an accurate barrel they cut it back to their magic length. If the guy wants a shorter barrel because it will work better for him overall I say go for it and good luck. Don't forget to let us know how it turned out.
The 20" barrel on my model 70 compact is the best thing about it. Cut that barrel back and let the good times roll.
I've shortened alot of barrels by the hacksaw/round headed bolt method over the years. All have shot as well and many better than before. I like to lightly score the barrel with a tubing cutter first, then cut a little forward and file back carefully to the mark to insure the muzzle is square.
I live in the SE and hunt either in the jungle or from a stand. A short rifle is often very handy. At one time I was going to shorten a Tikka T3 stainless from 22.4� to 20". I was advised by a friend that you should not do a cut and crown on a Hammer Forged barrel due to variable stresses caused by the manufacturing process. He stated that accuracy would be a real crap shoot regardless of the crown job.
Is this a real potential problem? Do any of you have experience with shortening a Hammer Forged barrel?
Regards,
GW
I'd have no concern over accuracy, it may even shoot better via being stiffer. My concern would be overall balance and handling of the rifle. If the rifle balances well cut at 20" vs balances poorly at 20" would be my only thoughts. I've seen it cut both ways where a shorter barrel made a marked improvement and where a shorter barrel moved the balance point too far. My current favorite rifle is light and sports a 20" barrel. It handles like a dream in close quarters, yet has accuracy in spades. If given a choice to have this same rifle balance as well with the barrel at 22 1/2" vs its current 20", I'd stick with the current shorter length as it has proven itself too handy.
Hacksawing on a $500 rifle.....c'mon, he's not looking to win the Olympics.
Why not hacksaw the thing if you can finish the job? There's nothing wrong with chopping a barrel or rasping a stock to make a weapon more functional. We're not talking about collectibles here.
because a Sawzall is quicker...
The simple answer to shorting a barrel is that the barrel usually shows a improvement in accuracy.
If you are worried about balance simply cut it off an inch at a time.
Thanks again to everyone for the input. Particularly JB. If I do this myself I will certainly get the tool, otherwise I know it would get jacked up.
GW
Why not hacksaw the thing if you can finish the job? There's nothing wrong with chopping a barrel or rasping a stock to make a weapon more functional. We're not talking about collectibles here.
I wonder how many Krags and 1903's heard those same words before their demise.
Travis
I'm not talking about military stuff, that's a whole different world. Nothing wrong with whacking the barrel of commercial rifle.
GW,
My stainless .308 T3 went from the gun shop to my gunsmith. I had the barrel cut to 19 inches. Because of this I can't give you a before and after comparison. With the cut down barrel I've had no problem getting sub inch loads with 150 and 165 bullets.