Wanting to Learn

[Bully]

I am really wanting to learn how to chamber and cut threads on barrel and true and re-cut threads on a Remington 700 action. I'd love to learn to do my own work but no one in my area (there are very few) that does 'smith work is willing to teach.

I'm not a kid and don't want to make a living at it I'd really just like to build my own rifle from the ground up. I also, because I don't want to make a living at it, don't own the equipment to do so.

It seems that the folks I've spoken to think that they will lose business. However the custom 1911 guys don't seem to be lacking in workload and there are classes by several top notch 'smiths every year.

Anyone have a thought on how a guy could learn to build his own rifle?

For what it's worth, I'm in northern NJ. I have a family and am pretty busy at work. I've spoken to the two rifle guys around me as well as a couple of local machine shops (the machinists are slammed with work and having guns on property without an FFL is an invite to disaster) and trade schools. The trade schools around me only offer full time options to learn which isn't something I can do.

 

[Ggmac]

Adding parts and tuning pistols aren't even close to what your asking to do . Not even apples to oranges , more like apples to monkeys .
The classes offered by MOST pistol running/building are glorified sales / armorer courses .
The liability of a non employee working tools that can kill or mame are immense . Courses are offered books are available .
General machine shop practice is required before you could expect anyone to use /abuse a very expensive machine .
If no machine shops are near you and your serious , start reading all you can ( not internet videos ) and plan a course at your nearest trade school .
Sorry for the short real life answer .

 

[shortgrass]

Are you a machinist? Do you know how to run a lathe,,, single point thread on an engine/tool room lathe? Know how to measure using micrometers, know how to use a dial indicator? It is not difficult to learn, but it can take some time, depending on the individual. Personally, nobody but me operates my gunsmithing/tool room lathe. I bought it new 19yrs ago and have avoided any major 'crashes' and I'm in no hurry to have any! Most haven't the time to teach, and why should they,,, they are in business to make money not give instruction. They have customers waiting who want their work when it was promised or before. Take a basic machining class at a community college, if you can find one that's not centered around CNC. Consider attending a 2yr gunsmithing school, or at minimum, a NRA Summer Gunsmithing course in 'basic machine operation'. Or buy a lathe yourself and learn all kind of bad habits by watching U-Tube videos.

 

[Riesel]

Hey, there's some pretty good You-Tube videos out there Gordy, Viper. Sticks videos are pure enjoyment on how I would like to do it.

 

[Bully]

Wow. Thanks a ton for the encouragement.

 

[Bully]

Hey, there's some pretty good You-Tube videos out there Gordy, Viper. Sticks videos are pure enjoyment on how I would like to do it.

Thank you. I'll give that a shot.

 

[jkohler]

Best thing I could tell you is to buy a nice used lathe or a new import that would fit your needs. Buy some basic tooling to get started cutting threads and normal turning operations along with some indacators and micrometers. Get some old southbend lathe books read and lurn how to set up and level your lathe and just operate the lathe first. Then start practicing to turn things on size and practicing threading and indicating part in a four jaw chuck. There are a few guys on YouTube you can learn some basic machining skills. Mrpete222 abom79 oxtool would be some of them.

 

[R.Morehouse]

www.viperbench-rest.com Get in touch with Bob Pastor he may have some time for you......

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Theres nothing really specific about chambering a barrel other than how its dialed in and held. Other than that its all basic machining practices. Just get a lathe and learn to turn, thread, bore, and ream. If your mechanically inclined I think you will be surprised how simple it really is. You need to use your brain, look at what your doing and ask yourself, is this the best way? Measure your work and improve your techniques until you cant measure any errors. I have worked with a lot of apprentices and you either have a mechanical mind or you dont, training and school wont help those that just dont seem to have mechanical abilities IMO.

 

[Ggmac]

Well said . If you can't feel the dif in a 308 bullet and a 8 mm , or look at a 1/2 bolt and know it's a 1/2 , not a 7/16 or 9/16 , you may be beating your head against the wall . My examples aren't the greatest but you get the idea .

 

[Bert]

www.viperbench-rest.com Get in touch with Bob Pastor he may have some time for you......

What this guy said......went thru some training with Bob. Top notch for sure.

 

[shortgrass]

Hey, there's some pretty good You-Tube videos out there Gordy, Viper. Sticks videos are pure enjoyment on how I would like to do it.

You've got to be able to 'think' your way through the problems you may have. Just because this guy does it this way, or that guy does it another way doesn't do much for me. It takes "hands on" to get a real 'grasp' of what and why you are doing what you are doing. You've got another thread with a guy asking "what material for a spider and where do I get it". This is 'basic' stuff! You should be able to think your way through something as simple as this. Lots of ways to skin any cat thought up every guy with a skinning knife. Use some imagination, for Gods sake! Fitting up a barrel isn't really much of a challenge. Now fit your metal to wood using chisels, gouges and scrapers without using 3 Acra-Glass kits to try to cover the gaps and boo-boos,,,,, now there's a challenge,,,,,,, for a lot less $$$$$$ than setting-up a hobby machine shop.

 

[Bully]

www.viperbench-rest.com Get in touch with Bob Pastor he may have some time for you......

His "Contact" button doesn't work. Not sure if you are busting my chops, but if you are, it worked.

 

[Bully]

Theres nothing really specific about chambering a barrel other than how its dialed in and held. Other than that its all basic machining practices. Just get a lathe and learn to turn, thread, bore, and ream. If your mechanically inclined I think you will be surprised how simple it really is. You need to use your brain, look at what your doing and ask yourself, is this the best way? Measure your work and improve your techniques until you cant measure any errors. I have worked with a lot of apprentices and you either have a mechanical mind or you dont, training and school wont help those that just dont seem to have mechanical abilities IMO.

Understood. I am relatively mechanical and can work my way through a lot of stuff. However I do like having someone show me the very basics. Additionally I don't necessarily want a machine shop in my garage. I'd just like to find someone to show me how to do it once. For a week.

I'm heading to your neck of the woods in June for my Sister-in-law's wedding. If I'm close enough, may I stop by?

 

[Jay Christopherson]

As I recall, Gordy Gritters holds in-person/hands on classes on chambering barrels and that sort of stuff. They're like 4 or 5 days. Might be worth checking out.

http://www.extremeaccuracyinstitute.com/classesschools.html

 

[butchlambert]

As I recall, Gordy Gritters holds in-person/hands on classes on chambering barrels and that sort of stuff. They're like 4 or 5 days. Might be worth checking out.

http://www.extremeaccuracyinstitute.com/classesschools.html

Jay, isn't Gordy on the Northwest part of our great country?

 

[Bully]

As I recall, Gordy Gritters holds in-person/hands on classes on chambering barrels and that sort of stuff. They're like 4 or 5 days. Might be worth checking out.

http://www.extremeaccuracyinstitute.com/classesschools.html

That's pretty much exactly what I am looking for. Thank you. I will contact him tomorrow.

ETA: I got impatient and gave a call. His classes are observation/demo. No real hands on. I'll give it a think.

 

[hogpatrol]

It isn't rocket science, but it's not for someone who is in a perpetual hurry, can't think in the abstract or thinks money or a new machine will buy skill. As posted earlier, a community college with a shop and A GOOD INSTRUCTOR would be a solid start.

Jay, isn't Gordy on the Northwest part of our great country?

Website says Kansas City, MO, around 900 miles west of the OP.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Understood. I am relatively mechanical and can work my way through a lot of stuff. However I do like having someone show me the very basics. Additionally I don't necessarily want a machine shop in my garage. I'd just like to find someone to show me how to do it once. For a week.

I'm heading to your neck of the woods in June for my Sister-in-law's wedding. If I'm close enough, may I stop by?

I am chambering barrels a few days a week. If you want to stop by and watch I dont have a problem with that, assuming I have a barrel to do that day. You wont get any hands on, but you can see how I do it.

 

[shortgrass]

Out of curiosity, I checked out the NRA Summer Gunsmithing Schools web sites. Mongomery would be closest to you, but basic machining and barrel fitting/chambering are full. Same at Trinadad. Murry State might still have some openings. Everyone wants to 'chamber their own barrel'. You'll get "hands on" at any of these where you can find 'space' for far less than about anywhere, and they're taught by those who have the credentials to be "instructors". Your local community college with a manual machining program (really a thing of the past) might frown on doing any "gun work", depending on school policies. Those in New Jersey are probably "Gun Free Zones".