If it's 30cal, and not 8mm, bring it out and I'll crown it for you. I've the Dave Manson set.

She'll never be the same after loosing two inches.

What started with a hacksaw, ended with a end mill.



It wasn't square after the hack job and some filing but, about .008" taken off squares it and still right at 20" with enough to make a crown later and still call it 20".

It's also sporting a scout mount now from S&K.


While doing some prep work on the stock I saw that someone took the time to bed the action and install a pillar. I was surprised that someone took the time to do all that with this old warhorse.

Good job dreadi, and bonus on the pillar bedding.

Thank you. Next weekend it gets blasted. Oh I should get some pics of the bolt post polishing too. It's nice.

Anyone have tips on polishing a bolt knob? It's round and kind of weird to cross polish.

Did you weigh it to start? Are you aiming for Scout weight??

NICE on the cut. It's looks like there is a crack in your 2 incher.

Even after cutting off the 2", it still doesn't look like you've reached any real rifling yet.

Nice cut and finish however. I'd just get a round head machine screw, chuck it in a drill, and with some fine valve grinding compound lap the sharp edge on the bore. Then just file a radius on the OD. Smooth off with some 600 grit wet/dry cupped in the palm of your hand.

I wouldn't worry about using a crowning tool unless you have one readily available. You'll still be limited to the capabilities of the worn rifling.

Look like a smooth bore still. Maybe hack off another chunk?

Will need to remove the ID burr first, methinks.

I have the action wrench and vice blocks

Pics

This ^^^. Then just take it out and shoot it. See what it does.

What's the grit of valve grinding compound? I've got some 600 diamond lapping compound.

This rifle won't get shot again until after blasting, Duracoat, reassembly, and scope mounted. So...maybe 2017 before. Duracoat recommends 24 before reassembly and light use but, from my experience unless you're accelerating the curing, you're better off waiting three weeks until it's fully cured.

From the pic's the rifling looks better than I thought although it doesn't show at the cut like most do.

The 600 grit you have will work fine for lapping the muzzle. Don't overdo it, you just want a slight bevel with a width of 1/32 or so. Just "break" the edge" and don't "countersink" it

As for the bore, you really need to lap that. Get a metal cleaning rod with a metal patch loop. Wrap some twine around the rod about an inch back from where the loop screws in and insert it the bore. Easy if you put the rod in from the breech, push through so it extends out the muzzle then wrap the twine. When you pull the rod back use a BBQ skewer or small metal rod to push the string into the bore so you can maintain the 1" separation with the loop.

Now melt some fishing sinkers and pour the lead into the muzzle. It often helps to warm the muzzle with a butane torch at least hot enough where a drop of water will sizzle. Don't worry, your barrel won't melt for anther thousand degrees or so.

When the lead cools, tap the rod and drive the "hard lap" out. You should have a perfect mold of the bore. Now score some grooves around the "lap" to hold some lapping compound. With the barrel clamped in a vise, reinsert the lap in the bore, making sure it lines up with the riflings and preferably the same ones as when it was poured. A witness mark on the barrel and lap helps with this.

Pull the lap through the barrel but don't pull it out of te rifling at the chamber end. Reverse and only push until it shows a half inch or so out the muzzle. Repeat, repeat, repeat, etc. You'll feel the lap get easier to push/pull. When it gets real easy, remove it, flush the bore (Brake Kleen works good at this point) and inspect. You may have to repeat the process up to four times or so, making new laps each time as the lead wears down. You don't want the lap to wear to the point where it jumps the rifling or doesn't follow exactly.

Your 600 grit will be OK for the first one or two "laps" but when you make your third you should use finer stuff like 800 grit and you want a grit for finish that will break down rather than the hard stuff. In the end you're looking for polishing rather than scrubbing metal.

Are you suggesting to lap the entire bore using lead or just the breach end? I'm going to make some coffee and read this again for the fourth time.

Have you considered shooting it before all the additional work to make sure it's doing what you want? Hate to see you do all that work just to go back to the drawing board if accuracy is inconsistent