I know this is not the ideal way to do this but the rifle is over 50 years old and with the worst looking crown you have ever seen, holds 1.5-2moa consistently. After all these years I am just playing with handloads and making improvements here and there w/o going through the total overhaul route. I will eventually rebarrel the gun as it is one of my favorites but as an experiment WHAT METHODS OF RE-CROWNING HAVE YOU FOUND SUCCESSFUL? HOW ARE THE MANDREL TYPES SUCH AS OFFERED IN BROWNELLS....WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU TRIED? THANK YOU

I have successfully used the Brownell tool many times with very good results on many calibers. It is extremely sharp, and does a good job. I make my own snug fitting pilots out of Delrin for most calibers. For .22's I use brass pilots. I can't say how well their pilots fit, not having used them.

Seems like it would be easier/cheaper for you to have it done, than to buy the tool. Just a thought. Good luck! Joe

Gunsmither, I'm interested in how you make the pilots. Can you post any pics or perhaps explain how to make them.
Thanks,
Weagle

Thanks for the info.
Weagle

Try setting a marble on top of the bbl with a bit of lapping compound and simply roll it around with the palm of your hand. Another even less scientific method is to chuck a round headed screw with a regular driver slot into a drill and give 'er a whirl. If its bad enough that the former would be an improvment then its best to follow it up with the marble trick.

in addition to a marble, an old mouse ball (ask your vet to save you one, har har har) that you peel the rubber coating off works too.

Ultraman,

An old gunsmith I knew showed me how to "ball cut" a new crown on an old Savage M99 that had over-vigorous cleaning rod wear at the muzzle.

He had a brass ball with a screw run through it, and chucked that in his drill press. With the table swung out of the way, you hold the rifle by the barrel and move it in a circular pattern to recut the crown -- the rifle will inscribe a cone as you move it. He also advised charging the ball with an abrasive compound.

I tried it, and the rifle went from 4" groups to about 1.5" as I recall.

Not elegant, but it worked.

jim dodd

Rather than a screw, use a carriage bolt. No slot and you have a straight shank to chunk onto.

Ive used the brass round head screw method with lapping compound. It eats up the contour of the screw pretty fast ,deforming it . I wonder if its better to use a steel round head.. Ive used a fine grit enery cloth formed to the screw head a tapped to the drill chuck and it polishes it very nice.

You really need to stick to brass. The abrasive will embed the softest material (the brass) to cut the harder material (the barrel steel). If you're getting a deformed brass screw head, you need to keep it moving, rotating it off-center.

SST, the one that Ate up the brass screw ,I was cutting Off a chipped land at the crown. I used some courser valve lapping compond. Just need to have several brass screws .

If muzzle crown needs more attention than can be "cured" with a brass ball/round screw head with abrasive, it really deserves to be done right on a lathe.

Dont have a lathe..Maybe someday when I live closer to a "decent" gunsmith. My crown job shot a .475 group , end of story

.475" group? That's a good ending to any story in my book.

I have used a bullet larger than the caliber chucked in a drill. Using polishing compound on the bullet. It works quit well.