1st time issue, DYI fix, end results. THANKS ART!
Have to start by saying thank you to member nf1e for so freely sharing his "tricks of the trade" whether it be to have folks over to his place to assemble rifles, or via PMs.
This one will be another XM21 for my Buddy Nick.
1st time issue, I've barreled prolly somewhere between 25-30 M1 Garands and M14 types and by sheer luck they have always spun on and even head spaced without issues. Some minor lapping at the most.
To start, bolt was lapped using a Brownells lapping tool (again, thanks Art for recommending I buy it several years ago). Approx 300 strokes to get it to a happy place.
Barrel spun on to hand tight and was nowhere near the acceptable range when hand tightened.
Purchased a 28mm ceramic hole saw.
3 passes were made, I only took pics of 1st and 2nd pass to show how little metal was removed. Not much at all.
Art recommended 10 degrees. Well barrel when tightened in barrel vise ended up at 0.3. After using the hole saw I came in at 10.7 degrees at the receiver. Close enough to proceed.
Barrel tightened on perfectly, final result is 0.3 at front Badger gauge, and 0.3 at receiver. (I don't rely on that digital level, I use a 4ft stablila level for my final check.
Clean it all up, drop in a Pacific Tool and Gauge "go Gauge", hummm did not seat 100%.
Used the old trick, cut in half brass case and hammer spring, another 50-75 strokes with the lapping compound and wala. Head spaced at 1.6300.
Again, thank you Art, and also Ted Brown. You both have never left me hanging when I thro Q's your way.
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This one will be another XM21 for my Buddy Nick.
1st time issue, I've barreled prolly somewhere between 25-30 M1 Garands and M14 types and by sheer luck they have always spun on and even head spaced without issues. Some minor lapping at the most.
To start, bolt was lapped using a Brownells lapping tool (again, thanks Art for recommending I buy it several years ago). Approx 300 strokes to get it to a happy place.
Barrel spun on to hand tight and was nowhere near the acceptable range when hand tightened.
Purchased a 28mm ceramic hole saw.
3 passes were made, I only took pics of 1st and 2nd pass to show how little metal was removed. Not much at all.
Art recommended 10 degrees. Well barrel when tightened in barrel vise ended up at 0.3. After using the hole saw I came in at 10.7 degrees at the receiver. Close enough to proceed.
Barrel tightened on perfectly, final result is 0.3 at front Badger gauge, and 0.3 at receiver. (I don't rely on that digital level, I use a 4ft stablila level for my final check.
Clean it all up, drop in a Pacific Tool and Gauge "go Gauge", hummm did not seat 100%.
Used the old trick, cut in half brass case and hammer spring, another 50-75 strokes with the lapping compound and wala. Head spaced at 1.6300.
Again, thank you Art, and also Ted Brown. You both have never left me hanging when I thro Q's your way.
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OK, what I want to know is what did you remove with the hole saw????
the FACE of the barrel ???
or the SHOULDER of the barrel ???
that would of been a great picture of the after part !!!
the FACE of the barrel ???
or the SHOULDER of the barrel ???
that would of been a great picture of the after part !!!
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Knocked the shoulder back for better timing on the barrel with reduced torque. The barrel threads fit nicely inside the hole cutter.
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5,897 Posts
THIS ^^^^^^^
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Yep, I made 3 passes with the hole saw, each one yielded about the same, I just didn't take a pic of the last pass. Art warned me to "lather rinse, test fit, repeat". My Dads old Craftsman drill if you look close has a black knob just above/left of my knuckle. I can adjust and lock the speed, and did, so the drill didn't get out of control. Very slow RPMs as this was my 1st time doing this process.
Too boot, Nick and I usually "walk" in the torque. A little at a time till barrel times perfectly. Nick took grip of the barrel wrench expecting to do what we normally do. He cranked on it one time, great resistance, but not too much, and hit it dead on to that 3 degrees. Ya just gotta love it when a plan comes together. As much as I really appreciate gunsmiths, I have always been a DYI Guy with everything I do. Been in construction since , well heck if I count on repairs to my Dad's 1820s house, 55 or so years.(I'm only 62, but Dad had me doing repairs and painting when I was 7). My 1st paint job was the stairs, railings and balusters in the pic below: No lie GI, I was 7. The summers I was 12 and 13, I scraped, primed and painted (each and every original cedar shake shingle under the now aluminum siding)
I have no problem "asking for help" when needed, but have always liked the challenge of DYI projects.
I have always planned to bed my M25 with the Brookfield liner myself. JD Russell (Jon Wolfe) when I wrote him, freely offered to give me tips and walk me thru it all when I'm ready.
There is absolutely NOTHING better, or more satisfying than trying things that challenge you, especially if you succeed!! If you fail, get the heck back on the horse and try, try again.
Anthonypd. As offered before, next time I spin a barrel, you're welcome to stop by as you're close.
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Well done! Floors, sheet rock, framing,...that sort of stuff I can do. The painting and finish work I just don't have the patience for. I skip that part of DIY because I'd prefer to not see my sloppiness!
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You and I really need to get together and talk. Much as I hate painting and sheet rocking, I'm damn good at it. Never have used painters tape, I freehand everything. As for finish trim work, I have all the tools, knowledge and talent to do all the trim work in a house.. Ever hear of a Lion Mitre trimmer? Ifin ya want a guaranteed perfert mitre, ya just gots to own and use one of them.
Or "Clam Clamps"? Ya can build your door and window trim on the floor, glue and clamp, let dry, and install in one piece with perfection!!!
Hummm, new business opportunity???
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PS, the living room just off to the left in the above pic.. Dad had to repair the ceiling, which of course meant "hey Rob, get the ladder (10' ceilings), get the bag of plaster, get the putty knives, and get your a-- (butt) over here. As we pulled down the old plaster, I asked what da heck is this hair like stuff in the plaster. Sure nuff, Dad explained they actually DID use hair, horsehair, to strengthen the plaster. I think I was 10 or 11.
I remember going back to school (grammer school) after summer vaca, teachers always asked, what did you do over the summer. Kids always answered "we went to Disney, we went to Bush Gardens, we went to the Jersey Shore", etc.
My answers were always stuff like "I learned how to use a jig saw, I learned how to repair a plaster ceiling, I mixed by hand 82 (back then cement came in 100 pound bags) bags of cement for our back patio, I learned how to use a screw gun and install sheetrock.. This all before I was 14 yrs old.
Don't get me wrong, we went on vaca, but it was what I learned from Dad that was most important.
I remember going back to school (grammer school) after summer vaca, teachers always asked, what did you do over the summer. Kids always answered "we went to Disney, we went to Bush Gardens, we went to the Jersey Shore", etc.
My answers were always stuff like "I learned how to use a jig saw, I learned how to repair a plaster ceiling, I mixed by hand 82 (back then cement came in 100 pound bags) bags of cement for our back patio, I learned how to use a screw gun and install sheetrock.. This all before I was 14 yrs old.
Don't get me wrong, we went on vaca, but it was what I learned from Dad that was most important.
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I’ve really come to appreciate those sorts of things.
My father owned a hardwood flooring company all of my life. He started at age 13, not because he wanted to, but because my grandfather had 2 boys and that made them workers. Growing up, I was encouraged to learn how to work with my hands, but also subtly discouraged from doing so for livelihood.
Seeing some people my age have to call a plumber to reattach a toilet chain when theirs doesn’t flush has me really happy for those summers lugging bundles of wood up stairs, sanding floors with a Hummel, and trying not to shoot myself with a nail gun (only happened once putting molding on a cabinet). It’s sort of like why I try to soak up knowledge on this forum. Some problems will require experts. But I’d like to still have enough skill to troubleshoot the less serious stuff.
Glad you added a new m14 skill to your playbook!
My father owned a hardwood flooring company all of my life. He started at age 13, not because he wanted to, but because my grandfather had 2 boys and that made them workers. Growing up, I was encouraged to learn how to work with my hands, but also subtly discouraged from doing so for livelihood.
Seeing some people my age have to call a plumber to reattach a toilet chain when theirs doesn’t flush has me really happy for those summers lugging bundles of wood up stairs, sanding floors with a Hummel, and trying not to shoot myself with a nail gun (only happened once putting molding on a cabinet). It’s sort of like why I try to soak up knowledge on this forum. Some problems will require experts. But I’d like to still have enough skill to troubleshoot the less serious stuff.
Glad you added a new m14 skill to your playbook!
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Shot myself with a trim nailer while really crouched/curled up in a small bathroom installing baseboard quarter round molding. Was trying to get into a better position, musta had my finger on the trigger, shot my upper inside thigh with a 2 inch trim nail. All I could do was laugh. Did the old carpenter thing, pulled out my Stanley 1099 utility knife and dug it out.
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247 Posts
I’ve heard of this technique along with peening with a brass hammer to bring out the metal some. I’ve used barrel shims before as well to get the timing clocked with the receiver. I know it’s kinda in reverse, adding material vs taking away. Are there any negative effects with using barrel shims vs the method in this thread ?
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Adding shims is for when the barrel times too far past and you can't get it tighten correctly against the receiver. This method is for when the barrel tightens too early.
I've never used shims but folks who have had had good results. Hope that makes sense.
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The real old guy’s used a few strands of copper wire.
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Rolling the should has been my preferred method.
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Too date, my preferred method too.
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Well I have ran into this issue installing a new Criterion barrel on an old Winchester M1 receiver. While trying to clock the barrel, it will not go past 70 degrees when pretty tight in the vise. I’m going to carefully follow the instructions here and try to slowly remove a little material using the method you used to try to get it to 80 degrees. The barrel is 28mm O.D. so hopefully this method will work.
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