Can I re-chamber a Encore 243 barrel to 243AI??

Thanks
Doug

I have rechambered several rifles to various AI's.

I've not done an Encore barrel, but I don't think it should pose a particular difficulty.

I am certain someone here has.

quote:

Originally posted by DuggaBoye:
I have rechambered several rifles to various AI's.

I've not done an Encore barrel, but I don't think it should pose a particular difficulty.

I am certain someone here has.

Not trying to be a smart-ass here, but to ask a serious question.

Doesn't one have to set the barrel back to get a true cartridge base to AI shoulder length that will headspace correctly? That would be a little tough with an Encore barrel.

Of course one can just run the reamer in and cut a new 40-degree shoulder which looks like a true AI cartridge, but I seem to recall that it would come out just a hair longer from the base to the datum point.

Of course, my "recaller" often breaks these days.....

And even so, it wouldn't make any practical difference for most folks, since one has to handload for most of them anyway.

AC, you are correct. To do this, properly, the barrel should be set back. Not easy or, cheap on an Encore. If the shooter plans to keep the barrel for himself and, adjust the dies accordingly, there should be no real issues.
Until the barrel is sold to the next guy without the dies or the info!

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:

Doesn't one have to set the barrel back to get a true cartridge base to AI shoulder length that will headspace correctly? That would be a little tough with an Encore barrel.

Of course one can just run the reamer in and cut a new 40-degree shoulder which looks like a true AI cartridge, but I seem to recall that it would come out just a hair longer from the base to the datum point.


And even so, it wouldn't make any practical difference for most folks, since one has to handload for most of them anyway.

Technically you are correct--
but in practicality,
when done with care,
it is largely a moot point--
since, as you said, most of us were/are handloading.
The firefoming to the chamber results in mine or your AI chamber differing ever so slightly.

The smith I worked with as a youngster was a friend of P.O. and that is where I learned the technique.

I am aware that P.O. said set back was the method, but that is very often not the case.

Accuracy and/or excessive headspace have not been issues for the rifles I have converted over the years.

quote:

Originally posted by Possumcop:
Can I re-chamber a Encore 243 barrel to 243AI??

Thanks
Doug

Asked a friend that has Encores, he said to call:

David White: (918) 244-6284

It should...



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Appreciate all the info and comments. I have a fellow interested in my TC factory 243 barrel, so I most likely will just sell and buy a new MGM custom barrel.

Thanks
Doug

Was it me I'd go with the JDJ version which would clean up the headspace concrens & give more speed.

The reason Ackley said to set back the barrel was THAT HE WAS RIGHT.

To truely be an Ackley chambering, you must be able to chamber the parent case safely. The headspace datum on the 308 Win family is out partway on the shoulder. Same with the '06 based family. The ONLY was to clean up the chamber is to have the 40 deg shoulder completely remove the 25 deg shoulder. This cannot be done w/o setting the barrel back. I drew this up in AutoCAD a while back. You WILL end up with a stepped shoulder if you do the chambering to published dimensions.

Yes you can do it, but technically it would be just a 243 Impoved 40 degree and not a 243 AI. It would make forming brass just a little harder, your headspace might be a little too much to just fire factory 243's to form brass. You'd have seat the bullets to the lands, size up to 7mm befor sizine in you AI die set to crush fit in you chamber or size 260 or 7mm/08 brass for a crush fit in your chamber. You can get a set of shell houlders from Redding that will add .002 to .010 to the length of your sized cases.

Few choices are poorer than the Encore,irregardless of chambering.

The 243AI shines in a svelte boltgun.

A 243 Gibbs would be the best choice because of all the reasons Ackley gives for setting the barrel back, #1 reason, an Ackley Improved reamer can not remove all of the original chamber, because the Ackely Improved version has a longer neck than the parent chamber, when fire forming the short neck of the parent case gets sized when chambered, that is the reason some claim the parent case head spaces in the Improved chamber.

Datum line?

When fired the parent case head spaces when the neck is formed when chambered, the rest of the shoulder and case body blows out to to fore the rest of the shoulder and body, unless reduced loads are used, then it may require 3 firings, and if the barrel is not set back part of the original shoulder will still be there and evident when the case is examined.

Then there is the person operating the reamer and knowing when to stop. Some understand the ideal and choose to advance the reamer to remove all of the old chamber.

F. Guffey