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Thread: Looking for Smoothbore .22 LR Barrel

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Looking for Smoothbore .22 LR Barrel

    Does anyone know where I might be able to purchase a .22 LR, (0.2165"-ish bore), barrel blank with no rifling? Truly a .22 RF barrel BLANK. I need it to be at least 24" long.

    And before someone suggests "all the regular suspects", like Green Mountain, or Pacnor, or Lilja, or E.R. Shaw, let me tell you that I have been very disappointed with their UNwillingness to simply "pull out a blank before you rifle it". You'd think, (or at least I would), that doing that is actually SIMPLER than making a custom barrel. But not one of those manufacturers is willing to do that based on phone conversations with their "telephone person".

    Thanks,
    Paul

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Last one I needed I reamed from an old used barrel.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    Yah.

    Paul

  4. #4
    Boolit Master



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    Sounds like you might need to start with a .17 barrel and go from there.

    You might be able to find someone with a bearable price on a .22 "garden gun" on Armslist. Those were smoothbore. But I suspect they are more than the 0.2165" target bore you mentioned.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Y'know, that "start with a .17" idea isn't a bad one!

    My ultimate goal is to get a .22 RF barrel (.2165-inch bore, .221-ish-inch groove diameter) barrel with a 1:9 twist. Again, before someone points out all the 1:9 twist .22 rf barrels "out there", let me point out that the LONGEST one is 20 inches, and that one has fluting (which I personally wouldn't be caught dead 'wearing').

    What I'm trying to get my hands on is a 21-inch barrel with a 1:9 twist in order to take advantage of the FULL potential (factory MV of 950 f/s) of the cartridge. I have several 16.5" barrels with 1:9 twists, but they ALL - to a barrel - shoot the Aguila SSS at ~850 f/s. At subsonic velocities and relatively short ranges (50 - 100 yd), velocity MATTERS to trajectory. I'd REALLY like to have a barrel that spits these 60-grain bullets out at 950 f/s. I have a rifle that spits them out at 938 f/s. That would be 'close enough' for me, but it's in a Stevens 416 with a 1:16 twist. Which... means they key-hole badly.

    What most people don't appreciate is that 'key-holing' doesn't really affect precision unless you are looking at target shooting. The center of mass of the bullet still travels a 'straight line' regardless of if it hits the target sideways or not. However, key-holing DOES affect "BC". The 60-grain SSS has a "good" BC (for rf bullets) of ~.150. Key-holing causes the effective BC to be significantly less. While it is true that BC is relatively unimportant at ranges less than 100 yd and subsonic velocities, as I mentioned, TRAJECTORY is seriously affected by lessening BC OR... lowering velocity. So...

    Still on the hunt for a "long" (21 inch) .22 RF barrel with "fast" twist. Starting with a .17 caliber barrel, drilling out to bore diameter of .2165" and then getting "someone" to rifle it with a 1:9 twist, is 'the plan' until I can find a different solution.

    Paul

  6. #6
    Boolit Master



    NavyVet1959's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gitano View Post
    Y'know, that "start with a .17" idea isn't a bad one!

    My ultimate goal is to get a .22 RF barrel (.2165-inch bore, .221-ish-inch groove diameter) barrel with a 1:9 twist. Again, before someone points out all the 1:9 twist .22 rf barrels "out there", let me point out that the LONGEST one is 20 inches, and that one has fluting (which I personally wouldn't be caught dead 'wearing').

    What I'm trying to get my hands on is a 21-inch barrel with a 1:9 twist in order to take advantage of the FULL potential (factory MV of 950 f/s) of the cartridge. I have several 16.5" barrels with 1:9 twists, but they ALL - to a barrel - shoot the Aguila SSS at ~850 f/s. At subsonic velocities and relatively short ranges (50 - 100 yd), velocity MATTERS to trajectory. I'd REALLY like to have a barrel that spits these 60-grain bullets out at 950 f/s. I have a rifle that spits them out at 938 f/s. That would be 'close enough' for me, but it's in a Stevens 416 with a 1:16 twist. Which... means they key-hole badly.

    What most people don't appreciate is that 'key-holing' doesn't really affect precision unless you are looking at target shooting. The center of mass of the bullet still travels a 'straight line' regardless of if it hits the target sideways or not. However, key-holing DOES affect "BC". The 60-grain SSS has a "good" BC (for rf bullets) of ~.150. Key-holing causes the effective BC to be significantly less. While it is true that BC is relatively unimportant at ranges less than 100 yd and subsonic velocities, as I mentioned, TRAJECTORY is seriously affected by lessening BC OR... lowering velocity. So...

    Still on the hunt for a "long" (21 inch) .22 RF barrel with "fast" twist. Starting with a .17 caliber barrel, drilling out to bore diameter of .2165" and then getting "someone" to rifle it with a 1:9 twist, is 'the plan' until I can find a different solution.
    OK, that is completely different that what I expect most of us were thinking you were trying to do. It seemed like you wanted a smoothbore barrel for shotshell so that you don't get the donut pattern of the shot.

    What about just a raw barrel for a 5.56x45 and then you cut off the 5.56x45 chamber and use the rest of the barrel?

    Here's one for $57.95 (+ S/H, of course).

    http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/556-bla...raw-blank-1-9/

    25"x1.062", so that should give you plenty of room for your target of 21".

    Bore / groove of 0.220" / 0.224", so you would have to decide if that is acceptable.

    If you're willing to spend a little more, here's a 28" already chambered in .22LR for the exact groove / bore you specified for $198.95 in stainless. I'm not sure of the twist rate though. Many of the barrels in that section of their website are 1:9, but they don't list it for that one.

    http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/ruger-1...28-x-920-22lr/

    And then there 25" one for $97.95. Bore / groove of 0.220" / 0.224", but in a 1:9 twist.

    http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/bx223-9...ber-1-9-twist/

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks for the links NavyVet1959. I've been talking to Green Mountain. They have 1:9 twist barrels ONLY in 16.5" and one in 20" with flutes. (I wouldn't be caught dead with a fluted barrel.)

    Also, the problem with .223 barrels is that they are 'large'. .22RF bore is nominally 0.2165" with groove diameter between 0.221 and 0.223 according to SAAMI. I would have thought someone at CastBoolits would have "objected" to a 'large' bore, as everything I read here says "small" bullets in "large" bores equals serious leading. Regardless, I would want the .2165 bore.

    I think I have found a solution. I can get 'tubes' with 0.2165" 'holes' in them (up to 650mm) from Slovenia for $55 delivered. I can get 'push' buttons and rods for rifling to my specs from Russia for less than $130. Properly set up in a shop press, and I'm in business.

    Thanks again for the suggestions.
    Paul

  8. #8
    Boolit Bub bcp's Avatar
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    Long ago there was an article comparing 22LR smoothbore guns. The best pattern was from one that had about a 10 inch 22 smoothbore portion, while the rest of the barrel was about 410 dimensions.

    This has made me think the best barrel might be a 10 inch 22LR smooth insert in a 410 barrel.

    Bruce

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    I have made a few 22 shot barrels. You can get a blank from X-caliber barrels. Smooth bore barrels are not listed so you need to call and talk to them. The bore size you want is .219", this is what Winchester used on theirs. The Rutledge barrel used on the model 61 is 24" with a counter bore .390" diameter and 13" deep. The Winchester counter bore was .265 and 8.5" deep. I don't know about the velocity of 22 shot shells but the LR gets the best at about 16" barrel length. Counter boring back to 11" may reduce velocity.


    I guess I missed on what you are planing on doing. Try X-caliber for the bore size you want. They sell me blanks often. If you plan to button rifle your own , it will need to be stress relieved after. A cut rifled barrel does not have stress added during rifling.
    Last edited by John Taylor; 06-16-2017 at 12:43 PM.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks, I haven't done business with X-Caliber before. I'll give them a call.

    'For the record': Got in touch with the Slovenians supposedly selling bored 'tubes', (ANY bore diameter and up to 25.5" long), for "$38 +S&H". When it came down to brass tacks, the actual price was $120. Which isn't horrible, but a "bait and switch" lie nonetheless. SO MANY foreign companies that want to do business in the US, just FLAT OUT LIE. Too bad really. They get their perspective of Americans from American television and movies.

    So... I'll be getting some rifled barrel from somebody; drilling it out; and then installing a liner. I found a fellow that makes 27" 22 RF liners in 1:9 twists. With all the barrel makers 'out there' and all the people shooting Aguila's 60-grain SSS, what a stupid way to HAVE to do things to get a barrel that the AMMUNITION MANUFACTURER recommends.

    And by the way, there are a lot of people, (ones don't actually SHOOT the 60-grain SSSs), that bad-mouth their precision. Here's a 10-shot group at 35 yd from a 10/22 with factory trigger and from an Ebay 1:9 twist barrel. The "bad" news is that I can't get the 950 f/s MV FROM A 16.5" BARREL!


    I'm sure that target would be a 'yawner' to many here. However, considering the rifle from which this was shot, and the ammo that so many like to bad-mouth as "inherently inaccurate", I think groups like this put the "inherently inaccurate" comments in their place. What I WANT, is groups like this at the advertised MV of 950 f/s, instead of the 16.5"-barrel-length MV of 850 f/s.

    Paul

  11. #11
    Boolit Man El Gato's Avatar
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    Check out Urban Rifle supply....

    They make a smoothbore 10/22 barrel. They maybe willing to help you.

    http://www.urbanriflesupply.com/inde...=97&Itemid=535

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