How to Cut a Barrel

[Semisane]

I received a number of likes when I posted the following as a comment to a recent thread. So I figured I would repeat it as a stand-alone thread so as to be easier to find with the forum's search function.

There's no need to pay a gunsmith to shorten a barrel. It's a simple job you can do at home with hand tools.

Here's how I went about it.

The first step was to mark the barrel for the cut. I used a copper tubing cutter to do that. These things are about $8 from Ace Hardware.

It made a nice little shallow groove around the barrel perfectly square to the bore.

Then I used a fine cut six-inch three corner file to carefully deepen the grove., laying the barrel across my lap and rotating it slowly as I filed.

I wanted a groove deep enough to serve as a starting guide for a hack saw blade.

Then I wrapped the barrel with tape to protect it from any slips when I went at it with the hack saw blade.

With the barrel across my lap once again, I began the cut using a new 32 tooth per inch fine cut hack saw blade held in my hand. I could probably have mounted the blade in a handle, but figured I would have more control holding the blade. I started off with very light cuts, rotating the barrel as I went.

Here’s what it looked like after about ten minutes of careful work.

It was going slowly, but nice and even. Again, mounting the blade in a handle at this point would make for a faster and easier job. But I was in no hurry and stuck with the handheld blade. It took longer to get all the way through, but I ended up with a nice even cut.

Then I began dressing the face of the muzzle with light strokes of the fine three corner file, making sure to keep the file flat and rotating the barrel as I progressed.

It didn’t take too long to remove all of the lines and scratches left by the saw blade.

I then used 240 grit emery paper backed by a flat piece of aluminum to continue dressing the muzzle flat and smooth, keeping it flat against the muzzle and using a circular motion. I followed the 240 grit paper with a final polish of 400 grit paper.

Once it was flat and smooth, I used the 240 grit, then the 400 grit the to slightly chamfer the outside edge, removing the sharp corner.

Then used one-inch squares of 240 grit and 400 grit paper and my thumb to slightly chamfer the inside of the muzzle

The final product was quite satisfactory. I don’t know how a smith could have done any better.

As you can see, I managed to keep everything flat and square.

By the way, I did all of the work sitting on a chair in my man cave.

 

[MrTom]

You do nice work.

 

[jims]

How was accuracy after that?

 

[Semisane]

Removal of the QLA reduced the average 100-yard groups from 1.5" to 1".

 

[bronko220002]

How was accuracy after that?

I can probably tell you that accuracy was the same even tho it wasn't my barrel. I did pretty much the same thing only to put in the crown I used an appropriate sized cap nut on a bolt in my drill. Put some valve grinding compound on the cap nut and spun it in the muzzle until I had about a 1/16" deep bevel.

 

[Semisane]

Here's my hunting load for that gun. Note the 5" drop in the impact at 150 yards from point of aim. Not a problem for me since I seldom shoot game beyond 100 yards, and when I do I simply raise my point of aim a bit.

 

[Semisane]

I can probably tell you that accuracy was the same even tho it wasn't my barrel. I did pretty much the same thing only to put in the crown I used an appropriate sized cap nut on a bolt in my drill. Put some valve grinding compound on the cap nut and spun it in the muzzle until I had about a 1/16" deep bevel.

I agree with bronko. Except when a QLA or muzzle damage is involved, shortening a barrel will likely have no effect on accuracy. If there is a change it will likely be a slight improvement. I've never seen a loss of accuracy as a result of cutting a barrel.

 

[bronko220002]

I hear a lot of guys talk about removing the QLA from a barrel. Most say they do this because the QLA is/was machined off center which would cause unequal pressure on the bullet. Although I see this as possible I don't see it as plausible as long as the bore and QLA were machined during the same set up. Where I could see an issue is when the rifling was put in and at the bottom of the QLA there is a burr or other defect which would effect accuracy.
Another issue that could occur is the QLA not finished exactly square with the end of the rifling. This could result in varying pressure issues.
I was never at a gun manufacturer so I don't know what the steps are in making a barrel with a QLA.

 

[SilverHairPatriot]

I received a number of likes when I posted the following as a comment to a recent thread. So I figured I would repeat it as a stand-alone thread so as to be easier to find with the forum's search function.

There's no need to pay a gunsmith to shorten a barrel. It's a simple job you can do at home with hand tools.

Here's how I went about it.

The first step was to mark the barrel for the cut. I used a copper tubing cutter to do that. These things are about $8 from Ace Hardware.

It made a nice little shallow groove around the barrel perfectly square to the bore.

Then I used a fine cut six-inch three corner file to carefully deepen the grove., laying the barrel across my lap and rotating it slowly as I filed.

I wanted a groove deep enough to serve as a starting guide for a hack saw blade.

Then I wrapped the barrel with tape to protect it from any slips when I went at it with the hack saw blade.

With the barrel across my lap once again, I began the cut using a new 32 tooth per inch fine cut hack saw blade held in my hand. I could probably have mounted the blade in a handle, but figured I would have more control holding the blade. I started off with very light cuts, rotating the barrel as I went.

Here’s what it looked like after about ten minutes of careful work.

It was going slowly, but nice and even. Again, mounting the blade in a handle at this point would make for a faster and easier job. But I was in no hurry and stuck with the handheld blade. It took longer to get all the way through, but I ended up with a nice even cut.

Then I began dressing the face of the muzzle with light strokes of the fine three corner file, making sure to keep the file flat and rotating the barrel as I progressed.

It didn’t take too long to remove all of the lines and scratches left by the saw blade.

I then used 240 grit emery paper backed by a flat piece of aluminum to continue dressing the muzzle flat and smooth, keeping it flat against the muzzle and using a circular motion. I followed the 240 grit paper with a final polish of 400 grit paper.

Once it was flat and smooth, I used the 240 grit, then the 400 grit the to slightly chamfer the outside edge, removing the sharp corner.

Then used one-inch squares of 240 grit and 400 grit paper and my thumb to slightly chamfer the inside of the muzzle

The final product was quite satisfactory. I don’t know how a smith could have done any better.

As you can see, I managed to keep everything flat and square.

By the way, I did all of the work sitting on a chair in my man cave.

Just what I was looking for! Thanks for a great explanation with photos. Any layman can do this.

 

[Swamp]

Wow nice job! I just might try this on one of my Omega's to make a Carbine version.

 

[txhunter58]

You don’t crown the muzzle?

 

[txhunter58]

I hear a lot of guys talk about removing the QLA from a barrel. Most say they do this because the QLA is/was machined off center which would cause unequal pressure on the bullet. Although I see this as possible I don't see it as plausible as long as the bore and QLA were machined during the same set up. Where I could see an issue is when the rifling was put in and at the bottom of the QLA there is a burr or other defect which would effect accuracy.
Another issue that could occur is the QLA not finished exactly square with the end of the rifling. This could result in varying pressure issues.
I was never at a gun manufacturer so I don't know what the steps are in making a barrel with a QLA.

Mine evidently was cut off center. When I tried to shoot full bore conicals, I got 8” groups at 25 yrds with some going thru the target sideways.