Never experienced this with a barrel before

[draken]

I finally have my "C" weight swamped barrel inletted and printing inletting black from breech to muzzle.  I laid a small level across the top flat about an inch in front of the breech and the bubble is slightly to the left of center.   Moving the level about 8-10 inches toward the muzzle and the bubble is a little to the right of crnter.  This continues all the way to the muzzle, ending with the bubble slightly to the right of center. 

This is my fourth build with a swamped barrel but the first time I've experience this.  Isn't this a little unusual or am I just being too picky?

[WadePatton]

Please don't confuse me with the experts available here, but it's late and I'm up...(and I never crossed my bbl with a level)

Sounds completely irrelevant to me.  The flats are not the bore-and the contours are just that.  They are shapes added after the barrel was bored and rifled and maybe even on different machinery.  

The alternative might be to drawfile it plumb-as best you can because you are committed to the side flats and would then have to transition corrections into them via the next higher flats without making a mess of parallelism. Of course you'll hereinafter be more cognizant of this possibility and like work on it during your draw-filing process for the desired result.

So, i'd sight it, drill it, mount it, and shoot it.  Then pitch a hissie if it wouldn't group with a well-developed load.  


I seriously expect it to shoot and your dilemma to be purely "cosmetic"-That is, only if others tend to notice.  If they don't then it's


nothing
 

[Pete G.]

Have you filed the flats yet? Draw filing is not exactly a real accurate process. We are used to square and parallel CNC machined parts, yet we are emulating (or at least attempting to) the handmade parts of old, where a bit of deviation was never given a second thought. Do what you can with it when you draw file the flats and move on.

[Acer Saccharum]

Some barrel makers sand the flats after milling. They are not perfectly level square, flat. After I draw file, the flats are actually crowned a little, and it's impossible to get a good read with a level.

We tend to over engineer things these days, wanting to make the most perfect product we can. I would advise on making it as level as you can, but don't obsess about it.

What you describe sounds like a slight twist in the top flat. If you can see it, then file it until it looks right. If you can't see it, leave it alone.

[draken]

Thanks for the response(s) friends.  You've affirmed my hopes that it was nothing to worry about.       

[Acer Saccharum]

Usually I encounter problems MUCH bigger than this. 

[ddoyle]

When you shoulder it and look down the barrel can you see the wonkiness?  If you can discern the slant when sighting then IMHO it is not cosmetic it is a recipe for hating the rifle.  If you cant see it then confirm the bore is straight and carry on.

 

[Robby]

One of my specialties is creating problems for myself where none previously existed. 
Robby

[hanshi]

One of my specialties is creating problems for myself where none previously existed. 
Robby

I do that too, Robby.  Remember it takes skill to screw something up. 

[WadePatton]

One of my specialties is creating problems for myself where none previously existed. 
Robby

I do that too, Robby.  Remember it takes skill to screw something up. 

and it are the Craftsmen who learn to unscrew it

in two or fewer tries.