Tokarev
12-09-2021, 05:37 PM
Have been working today on an ancient Winchester 22 barrel from a single-shot.
I chuck it by its cylindrical breech, to part it, and its muzzle end begins to make wide circles near the tailstock. ***?
Un-chuck, look down the bore yet again - straight as an arrow.
Chuck again, and its entire length snakes and wiggles. ***?
So I give up the idea of parting it, whip out my handsaw and do it old way. On the new face, the bore is off center by 1/8". ***?
Put the donor between centers, take the eccentricity out, arrive at the practically concentric chamber and breech end.
So, looks like back in the 30s-40s, Winchester drilled and rimmed that barrel blank bendy as slinky.
Then they contoured it, looked down the bore and probably said '****!'
Out comes the straightening fixture, and they get the bore straight, but now the barrel is bendy as slinky.
But who cares? They press it into the action and throw the rifle into a box. Problem solved.
Except that the straightening process left some residual tension, and the barrel blew. This is how I got a donor barrel practically for the co$t of shipping.
I chuck it by its cylindrical breech, to part it, and its muzzle end begins to make wide circles near the tailstock. ***?
Un-chuck, look down the bore yet again - straight as an arrow.
Chuck again, and its entire length snakes and wiggles. ***?
So I give up the idea of parting it, whip out my handsaw and do it old way. On the new face, the bore is off center by 1/8". ***?
Put the donor between centers, take the eccentricity out, arrive at the practically concentric chamber and breech end.
So, looks like back in the 30s-40s, Winchester drilled and rimmed that barrel blank bendy as slinky.
Then they contoured it, looked down the bore and probably said '****!'
Out comes the straightening fixture, and they get the bore straight, but now the barrel is bendy as slinky.
But who cares? They press it into the action and throw the rifle into a box. Problem solved.
Except that the straightening process left some residual tension, and the barrel blew. This is how I got a donor barrel practically for the co$t of shipping.