I'm considering doing a half octagon half round barrel. How do they compare to inletting a round barrel, this will be my first. Thanks, Rob.

SDH, thanks. I'll do a few more regular contours first before I tackle it I think. I'm glad I asked, I was picturing the process in my mind lying in bed last night and was convinced it'd be easier to avoid gaps with a octagon.

It goes a lot easier if you use one of these - and spend a lot of time setting it up first

http://www.who-sells-it.com/images/catalogs/1854/pdf_7642.pdf

quote:

Originally posted by dempsey:
I'm considering doing a half octagon half round barrel. How do they compare to inletting a round barrel, this will be my first. Thanks, Rob.

Octagon's are a lot more difficult than round ones. You would probably be better off doing a round barrel or two first.

When you ARE ready to do an Octogan getting tips from SDH is like having Babe Ruth help you pick out a baseball bat. SDH is one of the finest rifle makers in the world and an extremely nice and helpful gunsmithing mentor. We're lucky to have him post here......................DJ

dj, I've done several round barrels, no octagons yet. I'm still kicking it around. SDH's work certainly speaks highly of his skill.

Part of the fun is in the planning. I'm still not sure if I want a steel buttplate on a 9.3x62 Still kicking that around too.

I will agree that they are more difficult than the round barrels. One thing to check and double check; the sides of the octagon have to be perfectlty parallel with the veritcal plane of the guard screws. They have to both drop straight down into the blank. If not, you will have a gap on one side and be tight on the other.

Jim

If you want a lot of anguish and self-doubt, try a swamped one for your first octagon project. I've ended up making a pattern stock for it to put myself out of my misery.

I order a round 9.3 barrel today. I will do a half octagon/round on my next one, a 7x57. I'm hoping just maybe I'll win the lottery by that time and buy a nice mill, just in case that brilliant plan falls thru I'll just dive in head first.

Thanks, that is all excellent information. I really like how that barrel makes the transition from octagon to round, simple and clean. I'll book mark this thread and go over it several times.

Man I hope I get that good before I take permanent residence in the dirt.

Nice!

Nice example, Steve! For what it's worth, whenever possible, I like to file a slight "draft" on the flats that enter the fore end...a significant draft would be even gooder, but you gotta stop somewhere!

this is a good thread, and that's a graceful rifle.

SDH

Absolutely gorgeous work!!

Dempsey

I once read an article by Jim Carmeichal in which he talked about doing octagon barrels. I think he also wrote the same article into one of his gunsmithing books. What he used was a router (and guide attachment) with a straight bit and a 45 degree bit for doing those octagon barrels. Of course he was working from a blank and the barrels were straight where he was ineletting them. But it might be worth a couple of two by fours and a couple of router bits to do some practice to see how close you could come before doing some hand work to get real close.