Is turning down a barrel a legitimate way to free float it? I have a rifle that I plan to glass bed the barrel channel and have the barrel turned anyway. And I am wondering if I can basically use the barrel as it is as the mold/template for the bedding in the barrel channel and then have the diameter of the barrel turned down .060" (except for the chamber), giving me .030" of free float. I know this probably isn't the normal progression for achieving a floated barrel, but are there any problems with doing it this way?

Thanks,
Bob

Problems:
Much more costly than just bedding it right to start with. Why pay for bedding and then pay for a barrel turning???

Tape off the barrel to get your .060" float

Turn your barrel down and chance creating much stress an
d losing accuracy.

Celt

This is sorta like building a house around your furniture. It makes little sense but it can most certainly be done this way. Why do you wish to turn the barrel?

If you are going to bother to do this, why not go ahead and have it re-chambered and re-crowned while you have the barrel off the action? If you are talking about a factory barrel, I would spend a few extra bucks and purchase a premium barrel in the desired contour....

Why walk around the block to go next door?

Here's a little more about what I am trying to do...

The rifle is a Remington 700. I want to have the barrel turned to reduce the weight a little bit. I'm not having it turned just for the sake of a different way to float the barrel. Having the rifle rebarreled crossed my mind, but its accuracy is satisfactory with the factory barrel. With the accuracy as it is now rebarreling just isn't worth the extra cash, to me. I can have the barrel turned down and reblued for under $100. That's more than "a few bucks" less than rebarreling. I will have the smith recrown the barrel however. I don't want to have it rechambered, as the rifle is a .270 and I'm happy with that. I'm going to do the bedding myself so no labor cost there, just the cost of the compound, which I already have.

I know that the typical progression would be to have the barrel turned down, then tape the barrel to get the desired clearance, and bed it that way. I was just wondering if there was any reason not to go ahead in the order I mentioned in my first post. Any potential for accuracy problems, safety problems, or otherwise, if I went ahead "my way"?

Thanks for your responses,
Bob

Bob - Have the barrel turned, THEN bed the action/float the barrel. No point in doing something twice.

The weight you save will probably be no more than 2 or 3 ounces and unless your 'smith really knows what he's doing the potential for screwing up your barrel is real. Here's an alternate choice.
Bob the barrel an inch and have it re-crowned. It will probably reduce the weight more than turning the barrel and might actually help accuracy by making it a little "stiffer".

Turning the barrel down is generally the most effective way to reduce weight. How much weight you can reduce depends on the original barrel contour. Generally, a Remington 700 barrel can stand some metal taken from the chamber area, especially in a standard caliber. Have the barrel turned and reblued, then place it back in the stock and see what it needs from there. You MAY need to do nothing else to your stock, depending on how much is turned from the barrel and how much gap you're willing to accept. Free floated is free floated, whether the wood is .01 off of the metal or .25 off.

Bob, I cant see anything that wouldn't prevent what your proposing from working. To me it works out to the same end.

Either 1. Bed the forearm then turn the barrel to a -.060 dia. Installed gives a .030 float.

2. Turn the Barrel first to -.060 dia then float/bed the stock for a .030 float.

Your choice. Same result.

I would be inclined to go your way and reduce the chance of cosmetic damage to the newly blued barrel by my less than perfect beding jobs.

Bob,

You wish to full length bed the barrel channel and you are planning to have the barrel turned as well, so, wax the barrel and have at it. You will save some duct tape in the long run doing it this way and it is probably no more of a legitimate, or illegitimate way of accomplishing what you are after and who cares, the end result is the same.

Malm