Bore Guide Idea

[Jud96]

Hey all, I am working on a modular bore guide idea. My goal is to make a bore guide equal to anything on the market with the ability to simply swap a couple parts and it will work with a large variety of actions and cartridges. I have made a couple prototypes from Delrin, but they're not where I want them to be. I had an idea to use aluminum for the bore guide and the section that will be in the action. How do you guys feel about a 6061 aluminum bore guide inside of the action? I feel better about the Delrin, but for the idea I am wanting to do, I feel the aluminum will be better for machinability and holding tolerances in a production setting. Any input would be very much valued! Thank you!

 

[VA_XTC_Shooter]

Depends on the interaction between the interchangeable parts and the tolerances needed there. I would agree, prefer Delrin in the chamber. I don't think delrin would be an issue for production tolerances, they are already produced and work just fine.

 

[Jud96]

Depends on the interaction between the interchangeable parts and the tolerances needed there. I would agree, prefer Delrin in the chamber. I don't think delrin would be an issue for production tolerances, they are already produced and work just fine.

Delrin would be used in the chamber. The chamber ends would be interchangeable, but my thought was for the main body to be made of a single piece of aluminum and it would fit inside the raceway of the action. The Delrin has a tendency to not machine as well between centers when turning the body portion of the bore guide. In my own experience the delrin tapered a lot and was flimsy when machining it between centers and part to part consistency wasn’t what I’d like. Looking at currently available delrin bore guides, there’s some chatter and tooling marks visible on them and I don’t care for that. Aluminum is excellent to work with and turns well, but I don’t know how others will like the idea of the aluminum inside the bore of the action.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

I wouldn’t have trouble with aluminum inside the action. I assume it’s not all that tight and you’re using an 0-ring.

 

[BoydAllen]

IMO the best guide that I have used was like a combination of the front of a Jones grafted onto a Barrel Saver. http://www.benchrest.com/products/barrelsaver/
For me the thing is to have an insert that is a good fit, for the rod and that it go as far forward as possible in the body of the guide.

Chet Whitebread made my guides and they are superb. He came up with the tube within a tube on his own, not as a copy. His have a built in delrin nose, and a piece on the back that incorporates a solvent port. The pieces that go on the rod are very similar to the Barrel Saver. If you make the parts on the front so that it threads on, that would allow different diameter action adapters to be used on the same guide. His do not have an O ring seal at the front but they seem to get along fine without one, with just a close fit at the shoulder of the chamber, which is adjustable with a piece that drops into the bolt handle cut, and is adjustable.

 

[jpx2rk]

I have and used a Mwerks bore guide for a Annie 64 action that fit and functioned fine/great when I was using it before I sold the Annie. Could get it with different inserts for a 20 or 22 cal rod, and slip fit into the part that locked into the action with O rings.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I would have no problem with aluminum, even anodized if you go that route. Actually, I'd recommend that if feasible but not a deal breaker either way. I do think some solvents will attack aluminum but would probably take a lifetime to amount to much, so a non issue. It'd just retain good looks longer, imho. Go with it and keep us posted. Good luck with your project.

 

[Jud96]

I would have no problem with aluminum, even anodized if you go that route. Actually, I'd recommend that if feasible but not a deal breaker either way. I do think some solvents will attack aluminum but would probably take a lifetime to amount to much, so a non issue. It'd just retain good looks longer, imho. Go with it and keep us posted. Good luck with your project.

I was thinking anodizing them as well, I think it would give them good looks, and keep them looking nice for much longer. The aluminum body would be .003-.004 under the diameter of the action bore, and an o-ring on the chamber insert would provide a snug fit and seal the chamber. I want to have a rod guide that's pretty long and provides a close fit to the rod of choice and fits nicely inside the bore guide's main tube. My thought is to simply change out the chamber end if going from say 6PPC to 6mm Creedmoor and using the same action, or one with the same size bore, and still using the same rod guide and action guide. If you bump up to a 308, then you just change the chamber end and the rod guide. I think it would save cost for those that shoot multiple cartridges, it would also save some space in the cleaning box without needing complete bore guides for each individual cartridge, and at the same time it wouldn't sacrifice the quality or functionality of the bore guide.

 

[shoobe01]

My thinking is the AL is fine because it doesn't touch anything. Make a TRULY universal one, with delrin for chamber AND for raceway. Something like bayonet lug attachments of two rings for the action, similar for the chamber.

At least one of my (non-modular) boreguides is like this. Al tube the size of the brush, plastic things stuck to it. Works fine, light. The solid machined delrin ones are giant and heavy, seem overkill. Modular seems a great idea generally but also minimalist overall. ONLY give them what is needed for bore guide, no more.

 

[Jud96]

My thinking is the AL is fine because it doesn't touch anything. Make a TRULY universal one, with delrin for chamber AND for raceway. Something like bayonet lug attachments of two rings for the action, similar for the chamber.

At least one of my (non-modular) boreguides is like this. Al tube the size of the brush, plastic things stuck to it. Works fine, light. The solid machined delrin ones are giant and heavy, seem overkill. Modular seems a great idea generally but also minimalist overall. ONLY give them what is needed for bore guide, no more.

My idea was to have the entire bore guide be aluminum, minus the chamber end. I have had the thought of using a Delrin sleeve over the aluminum to fit in the action, but attaching that to the aluminum and making it easily removable is where I’m hung up. I don’t like the idea of nylon set screws because people have a tendency to break things and a nylon set screw would be easy to break, but the set screws are the best solution I’ve thought of so far. I haven’t completely given up on that idea though.

If you don't mind, could you share a picture of the bore guide you're using and the bayonet style lug attachments you're referencing? Thank you!

 

[ebb]

I have a bore guide made of solid aluminum that came with a Hall 6PPC, the guide has a neat groove cut in it that locks it in with the Hall bolt release. The guide has Sealy Masker stamped into it, if aluminum would have been a problem I doubt he would have made it.

 

[Intheshop]

Well,you can swage aluminum.... delrin,not so much. From a manufacturing standpoint.

 

[dthomas]

The bore guide I use is aluminum with plastic adapters that go into the chamber and I have no issues with it. It is made by pro shot. Sounds like what you are making is a better version of it. When you complete the design I would like to get one.

 

[nmkid]

I would probably buy one.

 

[Jud96]

I thought about this more and have come up with an idea that I think will work really good. I'll be using Delrin bushings inside the action, so any concerns for aluminum inside the action will be a non issue. Thanks guys! I will keep you updated when I get the bore guide where I want it to be.

 

[divingin]

Hey all, I am working on a modular bore guide idea. My goal is to make a bore guide equal to anything on the market with the ability to simply swap a couple parts and it will work with a large variety of actions and cartridges. I have made a couple prototypes from Delrin, but they're not where I want them to be. I had an idea to use aluminum for the bore guide and the section that will be in the action. How do you guys feel about a 6061 aluminum bore guide inside of the action? I feel better about the Delrin, but for the idea I am wanting to do, I feel the aluminum will be better for machinability and holding tolerances in a production setting. Any input would be very much valued! Thank you!

Aluminum may react with some acidic solvents (though anodizing will deter that.) Oxidized aluminum is pretty ugly as well. Delrin is pretty inert, but from what I understand small bits from machining can be an inhalation hazard (don't recall where I heard that.) Nylon, perhaps?

 

[shoobe01]

My idea was to have the entire bore guide be aluminum, minus the chamber end. I have had the thought of using a Delrin sleeve over the aluminum to fit in the action, but attaching that to the aluminum and making it easily removable is where I’m hung up. I don’t like the idea of nylon set screws because people have a tendency to break things and a nylon set screw would be easy to break, but the set screws are the best solution I’ve thought of so far. I haven’t completely given up on that idea though.

If you don't mind, could you share a picture of the bore guide you're using and the bayonet style lug attachments you're referencing? Thank you!

Oh no, I have NO modular one at all. My aluminum tube is just a generic old one I have that doesn't fit into anything but the chamber, doesn't really well fit the bolt raceway. Your concept made me think how it could be a base that's improved.

I was just thinking how you could change out sleeves. I also do not love set screws so was trying to think of something changeable that doesn't give a chance for damaging the bore (no metal setscrew) and ideally is toolless even. Thread the whole over-sleeve and tighten front/back halves?