How many people........

[Gaeckle]

Reading another post concerning an antique rifling set up, I was wondering how many people here are rifling their own barrels? I have a machine in my garage that I haven't used in years, but I am that I should dust it off and put it to use.

There are many variables involved, there's the machine, a twist rate, the type of cutter (mechanical, shim type, hook, multi tooth) the intended depth of the grooves and the actual depth, what kind of lube used, the construction of the cutting head.....there's a lot of interesting factors to consider. The cutting heads I have were made by others who are now no longer living.

Just kinda wondering how many other guys or gals are active in this rifling

[Goo]

With the cost of Barrels these days I would like to have a rifling set up.  Then there is the problem of getting the barrel blanks, calibre diameters seem to rise and fall in popularity.  Right now it might be the jug choked turkey barrels, next year who knows? and can you sell them at a profit? or can you afford the rest of the parts if not you have to make those as well. then there is casting equipment shop space it just goes on and on.   Then at the end will they buy it or will they go with a kit from a supplier with name recognition?  what is one to do?   

[Gaeckle]

It used to be a barrel blank would cost about 40 bucks. I think last I heard a blank will run about 150, maybe 175 bucks. Rifling is a total labor of love, it's so much easier to buy a ready made barrel and more practical.

However, if you have access to a rifling set up, it is quite rewarding to rifling your own, especially when you build a gun around that barrel and use it to harvest deer or other game. I'm fortunate that I can re-use old original barrels provided that individual that reems them is in good health and willing to do it, but there is soooo much to learn and I need to learn more

[rich pierce]

Many of us want swamped barrels. I’m not sure one can buy a swamped barrel blank or what it would cost.

[HSmithTX]

Swamping an octagon, or round to octagon to swamped, barrel isn't that hard, but the machinery to do it is either very large and very old (shaper) or it is very expensive (CNC).  CNC time around here is $125 an hour or so, getting the process sorted to get a clean enough finish isn't that hard.  Maybe find someone to trade machine time for rifled blanks?

[Carper]

We still cut barrels.  This was my family’s spiral from the 1800’s.  Who ever said it was a labor of love got it it 100% right.  It’s easy to get 8 hours tied up in one. I save about 20 bucks over buying it rifled but I can get any geometry I want.  I’m sure a modern set up will produce a better , smoother product.  We also cut narrow grooves , just we have been doing.  Not sure that is the absolute best configuration.  However I must say our  rifles have won considerable shooting matches and such over the decades. I use a standard of under 2” at 100 yards for round balls as my expectation.

[hudson]

I have not rifled allot of barrels but have had good luck with all, yes it is a labor of love. I get my bored and reamed blanks from Rice and have been completely satisfied. I lap, rifle, and lap again. Groves are cut .010 deep. I prefer odd number of groves usually seven with lands narrower than the groves. My rifling head is all heat treated steel. I use a hook cutter start the groves at .0001 deep until established then go to .0003 every few times around will go through a round without increasing the depth of cut. Finishing the last .001 at .0001 per cut then without adjustment on the last .0001 until no cuttings (more like dust) is found. After rifling and lapping  I cut off the last two or three inches and crown. With twist, less than one hundred yards faster twist (less powder) one hundred and over slower twists. Twist, probably should stay out of that area everyone has an experience and some different results. This works for me with my machine, it is understood everyone has their own method and different machine that works for them. Good luck keep us posted.

[LynnC]

I have rifled one old wrought iron barrel.

I was a 32 with a ruined bore. I drilled it and hand smooth bored it with armors bit to .36 then hand rifled it on a rifling bench I built.  It made a fine shooter on my grand daughters rifle.

Drilling, hand reaming and hand rifling a barrel are a very time consuming process. I did it just to prove to myself that I could. If I could get modern blanks at a reasonable cost, I would revive my rifling machine.

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I am usually active in rifling barrels.  Now I re-rifle old wrought iron barrels rather than using new blanks.  Here is a link to my machine.

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=33134.msg317737#msg317737

Jim

[Pukka Bundook]

I made a rifling rig but have only rifled one barrel.
 it worked V well and used it for a few deer.
It was drawn tubing I used. forgot the spec on it now, but 1 1/16" round and hole about .40.
Fine bored it  and rifled it, then put swamped flats on by hand.
Was just to see if I could do one, if push came to shove!

Cutter was made from a file and  mounted in wood. It cut very smoothly.
Took a .43  cal ball..

[Bob Roller]

I have not rifled allot of barrels but have had good luck with all, yes it is a labor of love. I get my bored and reamed blanks from Rice and have been completely satisfied. I lap, rifle, and lap again. Groves are cut .010 deep. I prefer odd number of groves usually seven with lands narrower than the groves. My rifling head is all heat treated steel. I use a hook cutter start the groves at .0001 deep until established then go to .0003 every few times around will go through a round without increasing the depth of cut. Finishing the last .001 at .0001 per cut then without adjustment on the last .0001 until no cuttings (more like dust) is found. After rifling and lapping  I cut off the last two or three inches and crown. With twist, less than one hundred yards faster twist (less powder) one hundred and over slower twists. Twist, probably should stay out of that area everyone has an experience and some different results. This works for me with my machine, it is understood everyone has their own method and different machine that works for them. Good luck keep us posted.

Alex Henry in Scotland preferred 7 grooves VERY wide ones and a ribbon for lands and mine shot beyond my ability to manage it.
The extreme grooves made it a polygonal  bore but not as radical as Whiworth's and it worked well with patched round balls.Let me explain my Henry barrel.It was on a Whitworth semi military match rifle with a 1 in 18 twist for a bullet over 500 grains and I used it from 1962 until the Fall of 1974. My eyes were really good then and 100 yard groups like those shown were not hard to get that fine rifle.I also would load it with reduced loads and a patched ball so children could fire it without the recoil of 80 grains of 3fg and a 485 grain bullet and did the same for an older man in a wheel chair that really enjoyed it and gave him something to look forward to.He shot modern pistols and loaded all his ammo for them and that unique muzzle loader was a new experience,
Bob Roller