Barrels can be purchased either short-chambered or long-chambered.
Short-chambered barrels are screwed on, but then have too little headspace (too short ) so the gunsmith uses a reamer to give the barrel the proper headspace.
Long-chambered barrels will have too much headspace, so they essentially are measured then the shoulder cut back to achieve the proper headspace.
If you buy a barrel and it screws on and the headspace comes out perfectly, my advice is to immediately sell the gun and buy lottery tickets with the money.
Posts: 7786 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000
Lothar walther barrels are long-chambered (at least mine was), which means you need a lathe to set the shoulder back and face off the breech, until headspace is correct. A short chambered barrel can be headspaced with a hand powered reamer / T-handle.
Todd
Posts: 1248 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 14 April 2001
It has also been my experience with Lothar Walther that they will only long chamber their barrels for the simple fact that if you use a slightly dimensionally smaller reamer(still in saami specs) to set headspace on a short chambered barrel the reamer may not clean up the chamber. You might want to have a gunsmith or someone knowledgable help you out the first time. VIP
Posts: 323 | Location: Northeastern, PA | Registered: 21 June 2002
quote:Originally posted by P-17: I've heard a few references made about these apparently extraordinary barrels. Who in North America sells them?
L-W Barrels click here click on the USA flag and go to the bottom of the page. They are located in GA. I just ordred a 9.3X62 yheaded and chambered for a M98, $159 + shipping
Posts: 6315 | Location: Mississippi | Registered: 18 May 2002
You will not regret buying a Lothar Walther barrel. I've been using them exclusively for the past year or so with great success.
Posts: 8351 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001
One concern I have about the long chambered barrels is that it seems conceivable that you could end up in a situation where once you�ve adjusted headspace the secondary torque shoulder might not be touching. It seems that they probably have accounted for this and that I am just unfamiliar with the way the threading and chambering is provided. But it is at least theoretically possible.
When you factor in the cost of a reamer these seem like incredible bargains.
Posts: 4869 | Location: Lakewood, CO | Registered: 07 February 2002
I was just thinking about how DUMB a company would have to be to sell a barrel with excess headspace already in the chamber. That would be truly stupid, from a legal liability point of view.
I use and dearly love Lothar Walthar barrels. I REALLY enjoy working with them.
I use nothing but Walther barrels, I probably will never use any other barrel...
Woody will chamber a barrel close enough that it will only take about a thousands to complete it, it is a legal, technical, issue as they don't do gunsmithing...you can finish it with your wife fingernail file or a brillo pad.
Posts: 42314 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
Jack, I'm confused by this thread. My assumption is that after I get my receiver and bolt back, I will have to rent a 9.3x62 reamer to ream out the chamber of my LW barrel, correct? Thanks. -Fred
quote:Originally posted by JBelk: I was just thinking about how DUMB a company would have to be to sell a barrel with excess headspace already in the chamber. That would be truly stupid, from a legal liability point of view.
I use and dearly love Lothar Walthar barrels. I REALLY enjoy working with them.
Posts: 207 | Location: Nicolet National Forest, WI, USA | Registered: 21 January 2002
You will probably have to use a lathe to adjust the shoulder and breech face, and a go gauge to measure headspace. From everything I have heard, LW barrels are chambered slightly long (deep).
I agree it is a little surprising that they do that; someone who didn't know better or didn't care could screw that barrel on and be able to chamber a round, with perhaps .020 or .030 excess headspace. With a short chambered barrel, unless your receiver has some serious problems of it's own, you wouldn't be able to chamber a round.
Todd
Posts: 1248 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 14 April 2001
You can get them chambered & threaded or as a contoured blank.
Posts: 8351 | Location: Jennings Louisiana, Arkansas by way of Alabama by way of South Carloina by way of County Antrim Irland by way of Lanarkshire Scotland. | Registered: 02 November 2001
Todd, do other barrel makers do this, or are they short chambered? A pain for me, intended to do all that part of the work myself, if it needs a lathe I have to send it out. Thanks. -Fred
quote:Originally posted by Todd Getzen: Fred,
You will probably have to use a lathe to adjust the shoulder and breech face, and a go gauge to measure headspace. From everything I have heard, LW barrels are chambered slightly long (deep).
I agree it is a little surprising that they do that; someone who didn't know better or didn't care could screw that barrel on and be able to chamber a round, with perhaps .020 or .030 excess headspace. With a short chambered barrel, unless your receiver has some serious problems of it's own, you wouldn't be able to chamber a round.
Todd
Posts: 207 | Location: Nicolet National Forest, WI, USA | Registered: 21 January 2002
The Montana Rifleman will deep chamber barrels, but only for gunsmiths, not individuals as inevitably someone will think they can screw the barrel on and their ready. And if they know exactly what firearm it is going on they can get it very close for you.
Midway and Brownells are two places that I know carry short-chambered barrels, for Mauser 98 actions -- neither sells a 9.3x62. I think the Brownells barrels were Douglas, could be wrong and they were Shilen.
You'd be better off to get a 9.3x62 barrel from Woody at Lothar Walther, and have a smith headspace it for you.
Check your PM's.
Todd
Posts: 1248 | Location: North Carolina | Registered: 14 April 2001
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