Chamber Cast on new barrels

[WyoWindage]

I have purchased, and chambered, dozens on new match barrels over the years. Most turned out well, given my pipe fitter machinist skills. These chambers, with new match reamers, left land prints on the bullets exactly like expected. Four lands on up to 8 lands, seat a bullet long and the imprints were unmistakably observed, showing number, uniformity and lead angle. When going into the "massed produced", so to speak, or cottage barrel making realm, of pre-chambered barrels, I wonder how these chambers compare. I have used cerrosafe,

very simple procedure. Will tell a lot about a chamber, roundness, ringing, land and groove uniformity, neck length, shoulder length, diameters, freebore, etc.

I am wondering why barrel mfgs do not provide a chamber cast with every barrel sold? Is it because they are never asked?, They would rather not? They don't want the buyer to see a perhaps sub par config? They don't feel the buyer would know beans about it if they had one?, ??.

The cost would obviously be more, how much, I don't know, could be a optional choice. I realize cerrosafe shrinks some after time. Maybe there is a better material for this now. I got out of chambering about 10 yrs ago, so behind on that. Just a thought, would you like a cast included with your new chambered barrel? Thanks, Ron.

 

[rvn1968]

I agree and I take a cast on every new (to me) barrel.I have found that barrels that improve after break-in have visible changes in the mold.Those sharp corners on the start of the rifling seem to smooth out.It is a godsend on new 6mm barrels to find the right bushing.I can't understand why more people don't do it.An article that shows the process would sell a lot of cerrosafe and help a lot of reloaders. Tom

 

[finnaddict]

I chamber cast all of my rifles with cerrosafe. Occasionally I will redo them to check for changes. All of my chamber casts go with a rifle to the new owner should it be sold. So time back I got a cast from the owner when I purchased it. Thoight that was so cool and helpful. As far as production line barrels I dont think a cast is necessary. A custom rifle yes. I think I would do it if I manufactured custom barrels.

 

[CatShooter]

I have purchased, and chambered, dozens on new match barrels over the years. Most turned out well, given my pipe fitter machinist skills. These chambers, with new match reamers, left land prints on the bullets exactly like expected. Four lands on up to 8 lands, seat a bullet long and the imprints were unmistakably observed, showing number, uniformity and lead angle. When going into the "massed produced", so to speak, or cottage barrel making realm, of pre-chambered barrels, I wonder how these chambers compare. I have used cerrosafe,

very simple procedure. Will tell a lot about a chamber, roundness, ringing, land and groove uniformity, neck length, shoulder length, diameters, freebore, etc.

I am wondering why barrel mfgs do not provide a chamber cast with every barrel sold? Is it because they are never asked?, They would rather not? They don't want the buyer to see a perhaps sub par config? They don't feel the buyer would know beans about it if they had one?, ??.

The cost would obviously be more, how much, I don't know, could be a optional choice. I realize cerrosafe shrinks some after time. Maybe there is a better material for this now. I got out of chambering about 10 yrs ago, so behind on that. Just a thought, would you like a cast included with your new chambered barrel? Thanks, Ron.

No... it would cost too much, and it would be a time burden on an already stressed industry that is 8 to 15 months behind.

Make your own when you get the barrel and then you will know the cast is fresh.

99% of barrel buyers wouldn't know what to do with it anyway.. but they would order it to be "Cool"... and the shops would be bogged down.

 

[WyoWindage]

Good points, both ways, or three ways, actually. Smith cast, buyer cast, or no reason to cast at all. Another tool to evaluate a barrel's potential, at a relatively minor cost and time expenditure. Thanks for the input. Ron.