I don't know how you feel about Wilson barrels, but the guys at ragged hole barrels will cut .010 oversize remage if you standardize your truing of the threads. I'm not looking for benchrest accuracy, just replacing hunting guns I"ve had to sell. Also going to smaller calibers due to neck and back problems. I truly enjoy getting a rifle made, but the Borden and Pierce rifles I have left are much more accuracy than I need for the rifles I am replacing.
Lathe size
- Thread starter johnfred1965
- Start date
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
I don’t wanna tell anyone what to do - just stating the new cnc’d Rem actions are pretty true in many cases. If you put a good remage barrel on one you’ll probably get what you are looking for without trying to true it. With the money you save you can buy criterion remage instead of Wilson’s to help insure you’ll get the accuracy you’re looking for.As far as doing barrels, I was thinking of all the extra tooling(reamers) for them. Looking at REM/AGE barrels on trued actions. I only need the tooling for the actions.
As far as tooling, I mean gunsmith specific. I can get carbide or HSS cutting or threading tools from my brother. For that matter, If I begged and pleaded with him and gave him a fifth of good whiskey, I could get him to make me an action bar and bushings! Really good whiskey.
Hoz, I've been looking at R700 actions, and I think the lower priced ones may be old stock. I emailed GrabaGun, and the new stock they are getting in are quite a bit higher. When I saw the price increase, I started to look for rifles, and found a few in the same price range as the action alone. May have to do like others and sell the barrel and stock and build from there. I've been progressing from cheap factory guns to more expensive factory guns, to customs, and now I'm looking at building a few for myself. I have been looking at lathes for a couple of years now, still haven't taken the plunge. I may have to get one before this winter, bout went crazy last winter, sitting around the house.
hoz53
Gold $$ Contributor
Well if a guy wants it for his hobby than I say go for it. That’s what I do. I’d have to second the other guys and say get one you can do chambers to. You don’t have to have a long bed as long as the hole in the headstock is big enough. ( 1 1/2 or so) . So as has been said you could get a lathe with a 24” bed and 1 5/8 spindle bore if you really want to. There is a way to identify the rem actions. It has to do with the qr code on the side. Dan 40x knows all this. I’ve bought some 379 plus tax complete rifles lately that are the CNc ones made in the southern plant.
But one and get Started! You wont have many regrets, as long as you don't try to make any money with it!!!!
PWS
Silver $$ Contributor
My circumstances weren’t quite the same but small size and “economical” were top on the list when I went lathe shopping. Shipping cost to Kodiak runs about $1/lb so a 1500lb lathe just wasn’t an option.
I went with a discontinued modern South Bend 8x18 with a 1.375 spindle bore and it’s done everything I’d hope it would. Barrel fitting has to be done through the headstock but it’s almost like it was made to be just big enough to work well and no larger. It’s really too small to hold an action truing jig so what I’ve been doing is truing on a mandrel - including the internal thread chasing and lug seat truing. The trick to that is that the SB8x18 is so small that I fit a hand crank to the gear train and turn the work manually. My cutters a highly ground HSS bits and not the most rigid but the cuts are light and I’m not doing it for money.
That PM1127 looks like a lot more machine than my 8x18 and would be perfect for an “apartment” lathe!
I went with a discontinued modern South Bend 8x18 with a 1.375 spindle bore and it’s done everything I’d hope it would. Barrel fitting has to be done through the headstock but it’s almost like it was made to be just big enough to work well and no larger. It’s really too small to hold an action truing jig so what I’ve been doing is truing on a mandrel - including the internal thread chasing and lug seat truing. The trick to that is that the SB8x18 is so small that I fit a hand crank to the gear train and turn the work manually. My cutters a highly ground HSS bits and not the most rigid but the cuts are light and I’m not doing it for money.
That PM1127 looks like a lot more machine than my 8x18 and would be perfect for an “apartment” lathe!
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
We have some lathes that make that look like a mini lathe. The operator rides on a seat
B Nettesheim
Gold $$ Contributor
If its big eniugh to do action truing its most likely large enough to handle chambering a barrel
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Found this portable combo lathe/mill on an image search. Perfect for basement shops
Cloudrepair
Silver $$ Contributor
LOL He was half in the bag when he helped shingle my roof. Walking on that angled roof leveled him out!
ckaberna
Gold $$ Contributor
I have that exact lathe. Parts can be had on eBay and very good lathe, weighs about 1100 lbs.
I had a 12x36 or 37 grizzly. Loved it worked great for me. Picked it up for 400 bucks. Had to let it go about 2 years ago. Needed funds.
Sounds like a good deal, those are over 3 grand new aren't they?
Yes sir they are well north of that now. At the time they were about 2300 or maybe 2500
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