Barrel Shortening Assistance Needed

[fishteach]

Hi All,

Not sure if this should be in the single shot forum or here, but here goes. I have a 26" Encore .308 heavy barrel that I would like to shorten to 14" or 15" and make into a pistol barrel. This barrel would be heavier than T/C's tapered 15" Encore .308 pistol barrel, so I thought it would a good candidate. I'm a hunter and recreational shooter and it would be for hunting and the range, but I want to do it right regardless because one never knows what their next interest will be.

I've never done this so I am really interested in finding out if this is something that I can do at home without spending over $100 for the tools a gunsmith would have in his shop. I have a cutoff saw that will cut it straight, but I need some insight about crowning & chamfering and what is a must and what's not. I know I could take it to a gunsmith and probably have it done for under $100, but I wouldn't get the experience or learn anything, and the learning is one of my favorite parts of doing anything. Any and all insight is greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Brett

[Junior1942]

I've hacksawed off three so far. See http://www.castbullet.com/misc/hack.htm

PS: I cut about 4" off the barrel of my M93 Spanish Mauser 7x57 and turned it into one of the most accurate rifles I've ever fired.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Brett, Of course a lathe is the right way to do it. If you have a cutoff saw, you'll have to address the taper of the barrel. This is how I do it when mounting a barrel in my Bridgeport to cut sight dovetails.
Measure the width of the vise jaws. Then. mike the difference in diameter the taper gives that distance apart on the barrel. 1/2 of this difference, is the thickness of the shim stock you will need to wrap around the narrower end of the barrel(saw side), to keep it square in the vise(One thickness on each side, and one on the bottom). It would still be a good idea after, to check the cut with a bevel gage or protractor, before smoothing off the cut with a file.

You can crown the barrel with a large round head brass screw, using grinding and lapping compound, and a variable speed hand drill. Use plenty of both compound and pressure, and oscillate the screw head in the bore as you go. If you cant find machinists compounds, valve grinding compound from an auto supply store will work, as will small squares of increasingly fine wet or dry paper as a last resort. All of course, using the round brass screw head.

Morgan

[DLCTEX]

I assume this is going on a pistol frame, not turning a rifle into a pistol? Just checking. DALE

[bcp477]

Shortening a barrel can be done with simple tools (well)...if you are careful and exact. I recently shortened a spare Mauser barrel for my M48, using only a hacksaw, a tubing cutter, a selection of sharp files, an appropriate grinding stone in a Dremel tool, a brass round-head bolt (to lap the finished crown - I used Iosso bore paste as the abrasive medium)....and a carpentry square. The barrel is now installed on my M48 - and shoots beautifully.
I have shortened 3 or 4 other barrels this way, over the years - none with any problems. Just be very methodical, take your time...and be sure to lap the final crown to an absolutely even, mirror-bright finish.

Use the tubing cutter to score a groove around the barrel first - this will help in making as straight a cut as possible. You can complete the cut with the Dremel tool (with several cut-off wheels)...but it is slower than a hacksaw.

Use the square carefully and often, to be sure that the end of the barrel (you are filing) ends up perpendicular to the bore.

Whatever the tools used - be sure to use NEW, SHARP blades and/or files. Old, dull tools are a waste of time and effort.

As for the crown, or chamfer, at the muzzle....a 45 degree cut is easiest...but the exact angle is not that important. (Perhaps an "11 degree target crown" is best, ultimately, in technical terms, but I have never experienced any negative issues with a 45 degree angle, myself.) What IS important is that the chamfer be as EVEN and PRECISE as possible - and that it is as perpendicular to the centreline of the bore as possible. As well, polish, polish, polish the final chamfer to mirror brightness (using the brass lap or bolt and polishing paste). This is the best way to be sure that the crown will perform as intended.

[lathesmith]

I assume this is to be done with hand tools only; otherwise it is a simple, quick job in a small lathe. The most important thing, as far as performance is concerned, is getting the crown of the barrel as uniform as possible. A good eye and the simplest of tools mentioned above can do a surprisingly adequate job. Beyond this, getting it cut off straight and even is most important for looks. Also, keep in mind that by using hand tools to shorten a factory T/C Contender or Encore barrel, you are almost certainly reducing its value considerably. This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but something to be aware of nonetheless.
lathesmith

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Read his post, he has a cutoff saw. Hope he's not "making" a handgun!
Morgan

[fishteach]

Hi All,

Thank you for all of the insight. I'm hoping to make the cut this weekend sometime. I do have a metal chop saw, so cutting the barrel is easy. Encore heavy barrels are straight so no taper to deal with in respect to cutting. It is a rifle barrel and will be going on a pistol frame, so no legalities either - not that any warden has ever asked, or would for that matter. I'm sure they have lots of things to do to keep busy. Mostly this barrel will get used for hunting and at the range. But again, thanks for all of the great information. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanks, Brett

[Blackhawk Convertable]

I would start with the tubing cutter to get a good mark to guide you. Then I would use a band saw and not the chop saw. Most chop saws I've used have a bit of blade wobble. Anyway, when using the band saw, keep the blade oiled while cutting. Stone down the sharp edge and smooth all the tool marks using varying grits of emory cloth. Finally I would chamfer the inside and finish crowning using a brass machine screw chucked in a drill or lathe. Use plenty of polishing compound for this part. When everything is as you want it, give the end of the barrel a few coats of cold blue and have fun.

[dakotashooter2]

Go 16 1/4" then it is legal either way.

[DLCTEX]

Is there a length limit for a pistol? The reason I ask is I have a 308 barrel that was originally 30-06 and has been shortened on the rear to 308. This is for a Savage, which is currently in 243. I wanted to make it a switch barrel, but have just acquired a 24" heavy barrel in 308 and have a stock for heavy barrel standing in the gun cabinet. I have a Savage Stryker in 22-250 and was considering the short barrel for a switch barrel for it. Would it have to be shortened from the current 18 or 19 in. to be legal? Dale

[Scrounger]

The length doesn't matter but don't even think about putting a buttstock on it.

[45nut]

Actually Art, he could indeed put a full length stock on it, hundreds of XP 100's were converted to rifles over the years.
The main thing the feds were after are short barreled rifles, which by definition would be a 03 or 98 action with a buttstock and a barrel length under 16" and a overall length under 26" or a 14" AR or 94 Winchester for instance.
A Pistol action however is always considered a pistol action, for instance a TC except New Encore actions sold as rifles by the factory.

If you were to find a XP100 with a buttstock and carbine or rifle length barrel it is legal to switch it back to a pistol by law since it was manufactured as a pistol.

Pistols may have long barrels by federal law but some states such as NY have their own regulations.