stupid technical question

26 November 2008, 22:17

loud-n-boomer

Having done so on a couple of rifles, I think that reboring is only warranted if there is something unusual about the barrel such as unique markings, integral features, or intrinsic historical or emotional value on a rifle that is otherwise not shootable.

To answer your question, I have seen the old caliber markings polished/burnished out, milled off, and engraved over to hid them. The choice of hiding method seems to depend mostly on the depth of the original mark. Of the three methods, when practical, the burnishing seems to my eye to be the least obvious.

27 November 2008, 03:28

congomike

Every time I read one of these threads about rebarreling vs. reboring, there is a comment made about the cost being the same. Could someone please let me in on who they use as a gunsmith?
Reboring costs about $350 give or take. Where can I have a barrel, say of McGowan quality, fit to an action, chambered, blued and the open sights attached for a total cost of $350 give or take? I am not trying to be a wise ass here, but I have a 460 Wthby that I am thinking of having rebored to 500 A2. It now carries a McGowan barrel. I believe a McGowan barrel is close to $200 alone.
So if there is someone out there who knows of a good smith that will rebarrel it for the same price as a rebore, please pm me or post a name on the forum. Thanks.

27 November 2008, 20:26

hhmag

Congomike, I realize where you are coming from, and I am not being a wise ass either, but I have never seen a rebore match the quality of one of the barrel makers bores. The quality of the drilling and rifling of the rebores I have seen just don't match up. When you can have PacNor (not the best, but not the worst either) twist up a barrel, thread it for your action and short chamber it for the money they get, that is easily the better route if you want an accurate rifle. Now a 500 A Square doesn't need to be as accurate as, say, a 416 Barret (based on your probable shooting distances with each), but just the same, I'd take the new barrel.

27 November 2008, 21:36

303Guy

Along these lines .... Can a barrel be 're-cut' to a slightly bigger diameter and perhaps ending up with deeper lands? Say like when a barrel is worn or pitted?

28 November 2008, 02:38

Luckyducker

I have a T/C Encore barrel that was rechambered from 6.5/06AI to 264 Win Mag. On the left side it says "6.5-06AI" and on the right side it say "264WinMag". I bought the barrel this way and it doesn't bother me one bit.

29 November 2008, 05:08

MKane160

I have a related question: When a new barrel is installed, is it law that the caliber be stamped on the barrel?

MKane160

01 December 2008, 09:13

Craftsman

When I rechamber I set the completed barrel up in the mill. Take an appropriate size end mill, usually 3/16" and carefully mill out the original lettering, usually only .025" deep. This creates a little "window" in which to stamp or engrave the new chamber.

You can even do this on shotguns when lengthening from 2 3/4" to 3".

It looks very nice and gives a look of fine craftmanship.

05 December 2008, 06:43

Paul H

quote:
Originally posted by MKane160:
I have a related question: When a new barrel is installed, is it law that the caliber be stamped on the barrel?

MKane160

As far as I know the caliber has to be indicated on the gun. If not stamped on the barrel, then stamped on the reciever.

05 December 2008, 06:46

Paul H

quote:
Originally posted by congomike:
Every time I read one of these threads about rebarreling vs. reboring, there is a comment made about the cost being the same. Could someone please let me in on who they use as a gunsmith?
Reboring costs about $350 give or take. Where can I have a barrel, say of McGowan quality, fit to an action, chambered, blued and the open sights attached for a total cost of $350 give or take? I am not trying to be a wise ass here, but I have a 460 Wthby that I am thinking of having rebored to 500 A2. It now carries a McGowan barrel. I believe a McGowan barrel is close to $200 alone.
So if there is someone out there who knows of a good smith that will rebarrel it for the same price as a rebore, please pm me or post a name on the forum. Thanks.

When people are talking about a generic scoped sporter fitting a new stainless barrel, then yes a new tube is typically the best choice considering economics, delivery time and resulting accuracy.

But in your case, where you are factoring in blueing and existing iron sights, then a re-bore and re-chamber may be the better way to go.

When you look at some of the nice historic guns with integral sight bases, barrel bands et al, then a re-bore makes alot of sense to take a possible shot out barrel that would be very expensive to duplicate, and put it back into action.

05 December 2008, 07:15

Cheechako

quote:
Originally posted by Paul H:As far as I know the caliber has to be indicated on the gun. If not stamped on the barrel, then stamped on the reciever.

Paul

I'm not sure where you heard that but it's not true. I currently own several rifles where the caliber is written on the barrel with a fine-tip Magic Marker. I'd bet that 1/2 of Benchrest barrels are not stamped, and few , if any, military rifles are marked. A barrel is an expendable just like bullets, powder, and primers and it's simply a waste of time and money to mark the barrel on a rifle that's going to be shot a lot, as in one prairie dog season.

JMHO

Ray