The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Hypothetical question.
I just wondered if you have an action and you want to fit a new barrel:
1: Could you send the action to the gunsmith and have them thread and chamber the barrel to it.
2: Can they thread and chamber a barrel then send it to you to fit it your self to the action.

1 yes.
2 you’d need to send them your old barrel first.

2: Erm...how are they expected to head space without the action unless it is something like a Savage with a locking ring and even then it would need to be Proofed before being shipped to you.

Ovenpaa wrote:2: Erm...how are they expected to head space without the action unless it is something like a Savage with a locking ring and even then it would need to be Proofed before being shipped to you.

So they can fit a barrel if they only have the action. They would be able to head space it.

Not a good idea to thread and chamber a barrel with out having the action I guess.

Just wondering.

Alpha1 wrote:So they can fit a barrel if they only have the action. They would be able to head space it.

Not a good idea to thread and chamber a barrel with out having the action I guess.

Just wondering.

Well possibly not quite... In theory if your action had a barrel blank that was screw cut and chambered on a CNC and the co-ordinates recorded, a replacement could in theory be machined by your gunsmith to fit without need for the action. I say in theory as it is not really a practice carried out for individual rifles here in the UK. I can think of one company who apparently did it however I do believe the people behind it have gone their separate ways.

I routinely machine and thread barrel tenons by CNC and have experimented with solid carbide tooling for boring parallel wall type chambers, so it can be done exclusively by CNC. I also know of a few people outside of the UK who are running CNC for chambering with a reamer and I do have the dedicated tooling and reamer holder here, I have just not spent time setting it up and experimenting with it yet.

Interesting.

I think one the big issues is with the proofing; the gunsmith who chambered the barrel can't just give it back to the owner until it's proofed and for that they'd need the action. (Assuming the owner was going to fit the bits together.)