Chamber my own barrels???
- Thread starter 58weasel
- Start date
Nothing wrong with the idea .
I would recommend you go to Gordy Gritter school. For sure go to a machine shop school
Many JR college have them . Larry
I would recommend you go to Gordy Gritter school. For sure go to a machine shop school
Many JR college have them . Larry
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
That's what I did. If by cheap you mean 5000 for the lathe and 5000 more to tool up, then go for it. I didn't do it to save money cause you won't. I did it to be able to do it when I want/ need it. Also check out the PM machines
You can't take it with you ($ that is ) if you've got the time and about $8-$10 thousand spare dollars go for it . Once you have the lathe and tooling , it doesn't stop at CHAMBERING or guns . You'll find other uses for the lathe , making dies , reload presses , etc .
You'll also find YOUSELF needing , wanting a mill , stock duplicator , surface grinder .
Good luck
PS it would be wise to take a few courses at a trade school , just so you don't loose any parts you were born with .
Let's not forget the new ITAR tax , ATFE and ?
You'll also find YOUSELF needing , wanting a mill , stock duplicator , surface grinder .
Good luck
PS it would be wise to take a few courses at a trade school , just so you don't loose any parts you were born with .
Let's not forget the new ITAR tax , ATFE and ?
billlarson
"Hold Into The Wind"
I would recommend owning your own lathe...........not only to do your own barrels.... you can true actions,make your own action,true bolts,fix household items,turn brake rotors etc.etc..
the satisfaction you will get and knowledge learned will be invaluable.
bill larson
ab_bentley
I fix stuff, sometimes....
I would look for a SB Heavy 10 with d1-4 camlock spindle. Enough power to get the job done not enough to pull you through the ringer
Adam
Adam
It is good to own your own machines and do your own work but there is a learning curve. While you are tooling up your machine I would suggest finding a mentor that knows what he's doing and learn the basics about machining. Lathes have many uses and there is good work and bad. You will have to know the difference.
Before long you will branch out into many other trades. You will learn to be a millwright, electrician, machinery rigger and you will acquire a splendid colorful vocabulary.
There are lots of reasons for owning your own machines but saving money is not one of them.
Joe
Before long you will branch out into many other trades. You will learn to be a millwright, electrician, machinery rigger and you will acquire a splendid colorful vocabulary.
There are lots of reasons for owning your own machines but saving money is not one of them.
Joe
Riesel
Gold $$ Contributor
Hey, why not. I started years ago reworking Mauser actions on a Mini lathe and finishing short chambered Adams and Bennet barrels. Bought a little bit of tooling along the way and with the help of some Timney triggers and Boyds stocks made some pretty good shooters. Bolt forging was the toughest thing to catch on to. Three years ago, I got a Grizzly GO752 and have had a ball building my own rifles, all the way from contouring (trust me, it's tricky and you do learn patience) to threading, chambering, crowning and even touching up Remington, Savage, and Mauser actions and have built some dang fine shooters, even a Savage that would shoot in the teens if I did my part. Don't take it all too seriously, except safety, and enjoy yourself. You too can spend a lot of your "orange money", as my wife calls it, on old beaters and tooling. Have Fun.
carlsbad
Lions don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.
kindo crazy. lots to learn to do it right. If you were already a good machinist, then you'd be fine...of course you wouldn't have asked.
One good think about buying a cheap chinese lathe is that if you survive and get it to work right you'll learn a lot about what it takes to do quality work.
With a reasonable effort you could make barrels that go bang safely when you pull the trigger. But since you own your own reamers I suspect that you expect more from your rifle.
--Jerry
One good think about buying a cheap chinese lathe is that if you survive and get it to work right you'll learn a lot about what it takes to do quality work.
With a reasonable effort you could make barrels that go bang safely when you pull the trigger. But since you own your own reamers I suspect that you expect more from your rifle.
--Jerry
Classic !
If you have any desire to do your own barrels I say go for it. I bought a grizzly g4003g lathe about 5 months ago and love it. I hear lots of bad things on foreign lathes but love mine. I had no prior experience or training, mainly you tube and a lot of conversations with a fellow bench shooter. Common sense goes a long way. I won my first yardage on a ppc barrel I chambered, and i have maybe 5000 dollars invested in lathe and tooling.
Dustin
Dustin
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Look for a NRA Gunsmith Short course on basic machining. There are several located around the country. Community Colleges offer semester courses. You might end up your only game if Hillary gets elected. I wrote to both my Senators about the new DDTC/ITAR Registration. One basically said it was a done deal and nothing his office could do about it. The other said it was a deliberate move to put the small and part-time gunsmiths out of business. I have registered and will change my FFL to an 07. May quit doing rebarrel work except for my existing customers. I will just build custom rifles and sell aftermarket gun parts and tooling. I think you will see more and more serious shooters have to do their own work. It now cost an average over $8,000.00 just to open your doors, with license, registrations, fees, taxes, and insurance. This does not take into account for buildings, machinery, jigs, setups, fixtures, tooling, electricity, coolants, lubricants, abrasives, test ammo, etc.
Last edited:
Used machines will be a bit cheaper - getting them to your shop might prove difficult. Used machines will come with a lot of the extras (steady rest, 3 + 4 jaw chucks, taper attach.,various sized dogs ...)
I inherited a small Atlas. Got some experience on it then sold it and got a larger Logan. I got it to do gun stuff, but I actually use it more for making parts for my aging heavy equipment fleet. It can be addictive and tooling can get expensive. Just remember there are at least 2 ways to skin a cat so try to figure out a way to do it w/o buying more tools. If you are trying to build benchrest type rifles - size is your friend - bigger (rigid) is better. If you are just playing then a smaller hobby lathe could work.
I inherited a small Atlas. Got some experience on it then sold it and got a larger Logan. I got it to do gun stuff, but I actually use it more for making parts for my aging heavy equipment fleet. It can be addictive and tooling can get expensive. Just remember there are at least 2 ways to skin a cat so try to figure out a way to do it w/o buying more tools. If you are trying to build benchrest type rifles - size is your friend - bigger (rigid) is better. If you are just playing then a smaller hobby lathe could work.
You don't need a big heavyweight lathe to do gun smith work. . Just need it to be tight .
Larry
Your right, but in my very limited experience larger machines are more forgiving if you screw up
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.