Browning a Green Mountain Barrel

[FRJ]

I have a 58 caliber Green Mountain straight barrel I'm going to use in a Hawken rifle I'm building. Question is how much do I want to polish the barrel from the way I got it? Or another way of saying it is it looks preety good right now out of the box and maybe I dont need to finish it at all? Frank

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I'm not familiar with GM Barrels but in general I usually finish my barrels smooth with a 240 grit paper. Takes out any milling marks. If I want really smooth I use 400 grit.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have a 58 caliber Green Mountain straight barrel I'm going to use in a Hawken rifle I'm building. Question is how much do I want to polish the barrel from the way I got it? Or another way of saying it is it looks preety good right now out of the box and maybe I dont need to finish it at all? Frank
   

Unless they are better finished than the ones that I have used it will need to be draw filed then I start with 220 then go to 320 then brown or sometimes I go to 360. I think the barrel takes the browning better if I leave it there rather than go to 400 or 600 grit.
Dennis

[FRJ]

Dennis I really appreciate your input. This barrel just doesn't look bad to me maybe its just my lack of experience but I'm going to try to take it down with 240 grit first . Doesn't seem like I can do any harm. Frank

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

All of the GM barrels I've seen - maybe 150 - have been ground lengthwise to about 80 or 120 grit.  I always draw file them which in itself is a smoother more uniform finish than their grind.  Then I polish to 180 or 280 and brown.  If you card heavily, you may wish to polish finer, say to 320 or even 400 grit, to remove the courser marks, as heavy carding will produce a smooth and shiny finish.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...original barrels are often just draw filed, or so it seems to me.

[David Rase]

I have not sanded a barrel in years.  They call it draw filing for a reason.
Dave

[Dphariss]

I have a 58 caliber Green Mountain straight barrel I'm going to use in a Hawken rifle I'm building. Question is how much do I want to polish the barrel from the way I got it? Or another way of saying it is it looks preety good right now out of the box and maybe I dont need to finish it at all? Frank

Draw file and then polish to no more the 320 or not.  A too high polish will interfere with the browning solution wetting the surface uniformly and makes the first coat more problematic.  Cold browning or rust blue will not show a higher polish anyway.
Use a sharp mill file and keep the teeth clean.


Dan

[ken]

I would draw file anmaybe some 220 wet sandpaper. That takes browning well and removes the milling marks,not many milling machines around back in those days

[FRJ]

Well as usual I bow to experience and will be draw filing the barrel, it isn't hard so I dont know why I was balking. Thanks for all the info guys. Frank

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Green Mountain barrels are harder to draw file than some others, but the end result is the same.  Hold the file's handle in your left hand, and pull (draw) it toward you to cut.  I do half a flat at a time, then reverse the barrel and do the other half of that flat.  I hold the barrel in a piece of thick, clean leather, and never touch the barrel again, with bare fingers, until after it is browned.  So the rifle is practically finished by this stage.

[FRJ]

I don't want to beat a dead horse here but believe me this barrel comes out the same after draw filing as it is before. A little polishing with 240 wet or dry and its ready to brown. Not hard to draw file and it has no more than .001 variance front to rear on a 36" barrel. I must be doing something wrong but I'm not new to using a file. Used to own a polishing and plating shop and know how to do this part of the job I hope. Frank