I have been on this forum for a while, but do not shoot often due to circumstances that I will keep private. As I have played around with rifles, I have learned some lessons I thought other newer people may benefit from. This is one.
Back in September, I started a post in the Gunsmithing forum regarding a 26" Brux barrel that did not sit straight in a H-S Precision stock. The barrel was affixed to a Savage Precision Target action with custom nut and recoil lug.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/mysterious-cause-barrel-misalignment-in-stock.3961021/
I, and others here, had ideas on why the custom chambered barrel did not sit straight in my H-S Precision stock. Was the barrel not threaded straight, barrel bent, crooked Savage action threads, stock warped, recoil lug that was not dead flat, etc. I forgot one BIG thing. Barrel bores are NOT straight and can be slightly curved, even if the outside of the barrel is straight. Not a big deal as far as the fit in the stock goes, UNLESS the smith sets up the barrel to ensure the rifle bore for the first couple of inches is dead straight when chambering. If that is done, it is entirely possible the barrel muzzle end may be cocked off to one side. Mark Gordon of Short Action Customs, makes this very clear.
In my case, I installed the barreled action and marked the barrel at 90 degree intervals. I snugged down the barrel with the nut to remove any slop between barrel and action, observed barrel alignment, I repeated at 90, 180, and 270 degrees. The muzzle end DOES move around in a small circle. This means the smith did as Mark did, OR, the barrel tenon threads were cut crooked.
A few things lessons learned.
1) Any barrel that is externally straight, spins straight in a lathe, and chambered concentric with the external barrel, offers some pros and cons.
2) Any barrel that is custom chambered in such a way to ensure the first few inches of the rifle bore are dead straight, will result in a chamber perfectly aligned and concentric with the barrel bore. Some pros and cons.
My lesson? I made the mistake of trying to marry high end components and gunsmith work with a ill-suited technology (barrel nut). I bought a cut-rifled Brux barrel and had it chambered with a custom reamer, and then affixed using a barrel attachment approach that has some shortcomings, resulting in a slightly crooked barrel in the stock.
I've no idea how much of an effect on accuracy a perfectly aligned chamber with barrel bore has, but if that kind of chambering is desired as well as a perfectly aligned barrel in the stock, it appears to me, one has to enlist the services of a professional gunsmith and use a shouldered barrel.
I welcome any comments, whether to add something or correct some mistake I made.
Phil
Back in September, I started a post in the Gunsmithing forum regarding a 26" Brux barrel that did not sit straight in a H-S Precision stock. The barrel was affixed to a Savage Precision Target action with custom nut and recoil lug.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/mysterious-cause-barrel-misalignment-in-stock.3961021/
I, and others here, had ideas on why the custom chambered barrel did not sit straight in my H-S Precision stock. Was the barrel not threaded straight, barrel bent, crooked Savage action threads, stock warped, recoil lug that was not dead flat, etc. I forgot one BIG thing. Barrel bores are NOT straight and can be slightly curved, even if the outside of the barrel is straight. Not a big deal as far as the fit in the stock goes, UNLESS the smith sets up the barrel to ensure the rifle bore for the first couple of inches is dead straight when chambering. If that is done, it is entirely possible the barrel muzzle end may be cocked off to one side. Mark Gordon of Short Action Customs, makes this very clear.
In my case, I installed the barreled action and marked the barrel at 90 degree intervals. I snugged down the barrel with the nut to remove any slop between barrel and action, observed barrel alignment, I repeated at 90, 180, and 270 degrees. The muzzle end DOES move around in a small circle. This means the smith did as Mark did, OR, the barrel tenon threads were cut crooked.
A few things lessons learned.
1) Any barrel that is externally straight, spins straight in a lathe, and chambered concentric with the external barrel, offers some pros and cons.
- Should always sit straight in the barrel channel. No matter if the barrel is shouldered, uses a jam nut, or is screwed onto another action, the barrel should always be externally straight.
- Inexpensive to manufacture.
- Chamber may or may not be aligned and concentric with barrel bore. Chamber may be pointing in a slightly different direction than the barrel bore. Possible negative affect on accuracy.
2) Any barrel that is custom chambered in such a way to ensure the first few inches of the rifle bore are dead straight, will result in a chamber perfectly aligned and concentric with the barrel bore. Some pros and cons.
- No possible accuracy issues due to chamber/barrel bore misalignment.
- May result in a slightly cocked barrel in the stock channel (see above video) with a barrel nut, since where barrel will stop on action is unknown.
- With a prefit shouldered barrel (yes, available for some custom actions), misalignment likely unpredictable. I say "likely" because I do not know the chambering process for shouldered prefits. I rather doubt they do all that is shown in the video.
- With a custom gunsmith, any muzzle runout can be positioned at 12 o'clock, eliminating stock fitment or aesthetics. However, this is likely only true for the one action the barrel is fitted to.
My lesson? I made the mistake of trying to marry high end components and gunsmith work with a ill-suited technology (barrel nut). I bought a cut-rifled Brux barrel and had it chambered with a custom reamer, and then affixed using a barrel attachment approach that has some shortcomings, resulting in a slightly crooked barrel in the stock.
I've no idea how much of an effect on accuracy a perfectly aligned chamber with barrel bore has, but if that kind of chambering is desired as well as a perfectly aligned barrel in the stock, it appears to me, one has to enlist the services of a professional gunsmith and use a shouldered barrel.
I welcome any comments, whether to add something or correct some mistake I made.
Phil
