26 January 2005, 15:47
mix3006Ageing a barrel
Is there such a thing as properly ageing a barrel blank along the same lines as with a timber stock blank or is this just a fallacy?
If this is true,under what conditions should the blank be stored?Also,if the blank has been bored and rifled,will this have any effect on the ageing.Then,what about once it's profiled,will thing's be happening then?

Thanks.
26 January 2005, 15:55
rwsI believe there once was a theory of burying a barrel for a period of time to "age" it. Today, all the conditions you describe are taken care of during the stress relief process. The blank is drilled, reamed, rifled, then it is stress relieved in a heat process in a vacuum. It is then turned to profile then lapped.
26 January 2005, 16:10
El Deguelloquote:
Originally posted by mix3006:
Is there such a thing as properly ageing a barrel blank along the same lines as with a timber stock blank or is this just a fallacy?
If this is true,under what conditions should the blank be stored?Also,if the blank has been bored and rifled,will this have any effect on the ageing.Then,what about once it's profiled,will thing's be happening then?
Thanks.
No. But, some of the PA Germans who made the longrifles thought that cleaning with urine (your own!!) kept the evil spirits out of the bore, so it would always shoot true!
26 January 2005, 17:23
mix3006Thanks rws,I haven't heard of that one.
El D;mate,I make enough mess with the Sweets!!
26 January 2005, 19:04
billhilly66That must have called for a special bore guide design.