Does my gunsmith suck?

I could certainly be mistaken, but I thought that the main reason for barrel crowns was to clean up and protect the end of the ID of the barrel. Plus they look good. My understanding is that if you can perfectly part the barrel to the desired length, and never bang it into anything, neither of which are guaranteed by a long shot, that a crown would not make it more accurate?
The crown profile doesn't matter, cut it flat but make sure its square and even, this is not
 
Genuinely curious,

Is that bevel or whatever you’d call it between the shoulder and threads normal? Most I’ve seen come straight down at base of threads or even have a slight shoulder there. Seems it would create a weak spot thinning the barrel like that if not needed
View attachment 8283493
The undercut looks too deep. It's usually around the minor diameter of the threads. Whether it's a safety issue depends on the actual dimensions.
 
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Genuinely curious,

Is that bevel or whatever you’d call it between the shoulder and threads normal? Most I’ve seen come straight down at base of threads or even have a slight shoulder there. Seems it would create a weak spot thinning the barrel like that if not needed
View attachment 8283493
It's a thread relief and it shouldn't be much more than .005" to .010" smaller than the minor diameter of the thread. It gives the machinist space to pull out the threading tool when retracting and also, in the case of a rifle barrel, a way for the muzzle device to index on the face of the barrel. When I do them on hydraulic rams I use a radiused tool to create my thread relief to reduce stress risers. That one looks ugly!
 
No self respecting gunsmith uses a Dremel. The really good ones use a Foredom because Dremels are too slow. If it doesn't have a foot control for speed it isn't a real flexible shaft grinder. I use mine for everything from gunsmithing, to dental work, to tune ups, and in the kitchen.

View attachment 8283361
You put a 9" dildo on the end of there and the old lady will be making your breakfast for a week.
 
The undercut looks too deep. It's usually around the minor diameter of the threads. Whether it's a safety issue depends on the actual dimensions.
This was the first thing I noticed... what the actual fuck is that??
I use a narrow grooving tool when I need a relief cut, and go maybe ten thou deeper than the minor thread diameter.
This clown cut damn near to the bore...
 
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Hello! I recently had a local gunsmith spin me up a barrel for my first full custom build.
If I am tracking with your post, the barrel pictured would have started life as a new blank?

. . . and your gunsmith would have done all the breech/chamber work and muzzle work to the barrel you have?

If this is the case, I would be very unhappy with the work even if it shoots tiny groups.
Any full custom build and for sure, your FIRST full custom build should be something to be proud of.

The performance as well as the physical appearance of the workmanship should be on par with your expectations and money spent. Unless your budget was yesterday's lunch money, I do not think you got what you paid for.

Not sure what brand of blank you/he supplied, but Krieger, Bartlien and a handful of other top tier makers consistently produce perfect barrel blanks that are expensive (rightfully so) and take months to get. Seeing that surface finish and visible dimensional issues heaped upon one poor unsuspecting barrel blank is a damn shame.

If a shop was happy to let that work leave the premises, then I would have to assume they exhibited an equal amount of not giving a shit with any other work they attempted to perform on your rifle. It does not bode well for what your "first full custom build" will be compared to what it could have been.

.
 
If you are in Ohio, you have many excellent alternatives that could deliver stellar work.
Area419 and Short Action Customs just for starters.
Butt load of their work shown by proud customers all over the internet.

PS: I would not bring them the barrel shown in your photos.
They could possibly throw up.
Any unscheduled puking during business hours takes a mop with Pine-Sol and we all know time is money for a small business. . . .

.
 
If you are in Ohio, you have many excellent alternatives that could deliver stellar work.
Area419 and Short Action Customs just for starters.
Butt load of their work shown by proud customers all over the internet.

PS: I would not bring them the barrel shown in your photos.
They could possibly throw up.
Any unscheduled puking during business hours takes a mop with Pine-Sol and we all know time is money for a small business. . . .

.

Is this why a PITA fee often appears in the itemized billing invoice?

Pain
In
The
Ass
 
Hello! I recently had a local gunsmith spin me up a barrel for my first full custom build. It appears that the muzzle crown was poorly done with the initial taper not being concentric. Before i spend all the money on components breaking it in and developing a load, i want to know if this will affect to accuracy. I want this to be a half minute or better gun. Hoping to use your guys experience on whether this is a no go and needs redone or if she's good to shoot. Appreciate the help
Not being concentric could limit your choices of muzzle devices and silencers. If you do decide to use a silencer, be sure to check it with some type of alignment rod.
 
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Sub par work.

I'm not a machinist, but I do own 2 Dremels. To me that looks like a dull cutting tool. The threads look all galled. No defined edges.

I'd have a competent and vetted Smith check it and clean it up.

I'm fairly certain I've cut off bolts with a hack saw crooked. And used hand files to create a smoother better looking thread.
 
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View attachment 8283853


Sub par work.

I'm not a machinist, but I do own 2 Dremels. To me that looks like a dull cutting tool. The threads look all galled. No defined edges.

I'd have a competent and vetted Smith check it and clean it up.

I'm fairly certain I've cut off bolts with a hack saw crooked. And used hand files to create a smoother better looking thread.
Jesus! My eyes are shit these days but I swear the threads midway look split like someone hit the wrong number on the thread dial at some point. And all that galling? Yikes!
 
Hello! I recently had a local gunsmith spin me up a barrel for my first full custom build. It appears that the muzzle crown was poorly done with the initial taper not being concentric. Before i spend all the money on components breaking it in and developing a load, i want to know if this will affect to accuracy. I want this to be a half minute or better gun. Hoping to use your guys experience on whether this is a no go and needs redone or if she's good to shoot. Appreciate the help

Is the hack who did this in Bradford by any chance?
 
Yep he "spun it up" alright ! A term used by uneducated people in the ways of machining, trying to sound impressive, or macho, or.. but just the opposite occurs when I hear the term, and used often here...it's so unimpressive you deserve what you get, and I won't cut you any slack.
Chamber, thread, chamfer, might get you some help. Spun up, gets nothing, but irritation from me...like nails on a chalk board.
Your "gunsmith" has no talent for machining and the whole project should be turned over to someone who is competent...someone who will not spun it up!
 
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Yep he "spun it up" alright ! A term used by uneducated people in the ways of machining, trying to sound impressive, or macho, or.. but just the opposite occurs when I hear the term, and used often here...it's so unimpressive you deserve what you get, and I won't cut you any slack.
Chamber, thread, champher, might get you some help. Spun up, gets nothing, but irritation from me...like nails on a chalk board.
Your "gunsmith" has no talent for machining and the whole project should be turned over to someone who is competent...someone who will not spun it up!
You sound all spun up.
 
I can’t say much as I pay my “gunsmith” with liquor or other random shit but I think it should just be put back in the lathe and cleaned up with files and polished. I bet it will shoot just fine.

Most of the finishing is just to look pretty for pictures.
In my experience the people you pay with liquor always deliver quality work. :)
 
Yep he "spun it up" alright ! A term used by uneducated people in the ways of machining, trying to sound impressive, or macho, or.. but just the opposite occurs when I hear the term, and used often here...it's so unimpressive you deserve what you get, and I won't cut you any slack.
Chamber, thread, champher, might get you some help. Spun up, gets nothing, but irritation from me...like nails on a chalk board.
Your "gunsmith" has no talent for machining and the whole project should be turned over to someone who is competent...someone who will not spun it up!
1701258089941.png
 
Yep he "spun it up" alright ! A term used by uneducated people in the ways of machining, trying to sound impressive, or macho, or.. but just the opposite occurs when I hear the term, and used often here...it's so unimpressive you deserve what you get, and I won't cut you any slack.
Chamber, thread, champher, might get you some help. Spun up, gets nothing, but irritation from me...like nails on a chalk board.
Your "gunsmith" has no talent for machining and the whole project should be turned over to someone who is competent...someone who will not spun it up!
Cool. Thanks for the 4am education lesson.
 
Yep he "spun it up" alright ! ....

Chamber, thread, champher, might get you some help. Spun up, gets nothing, but irritation from me...like nails on a chalk board.
Your "gunsmith" has no talent for machining and the whole project should be turned over to someone who is competent...someone who will not spun it up!

Chamfer
 
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a fill-et is a delightful, rounded corner.

a fill-ay is a succulent cut of meat.

but whatever you do, never ask for a fillet when you really want a fillet
A fill-et is a delightfully, rounded corner... applied to an internal edge.
A round is a delightfully, rounded corner... applied to an external edge.
Just sayin' ;)
 
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Here’s a fun one I got in a few months back. Customer wanted me to bed the barreled action to a new laminate wood stock and do finish assembly(trigger, internal magazine etc). It was a trued 700 action with a Shilen ratchet barrel. I should have looked it over closer. I would have refused it.

First thing I noticed. The recoil lug was not in the 6 oclock position. Bedding stud screwed into the front receiver screw hole for reference.
IMG_9991.jpeg


In fixing that I thought id check on the receiver threads. Yowza! Fortunately he he slathered a bucket of anti-seize on it, so it actually came apart. It unscrewed with very little torque, maybe 20-30 lbs.
IMG_9993.jpeg


Since that was crappy, I scoped the throat and found the land tops scored to bits from a bad reamer pilot or chips getting in between.

Further down the rabbit hole I noticed a ding in the crown and abrasive marks across the crown and some distance down the lands and groove. Note the circumferential marks in the bore. It wiped the high/driven side off the ratchet rifling right off.

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I chopped 3/8” off and put it in the lathe to re-crown, and realized I hadn't chopped enough.
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The bolt handle had been re-attached crooked, and was in hard contact with the receiver when the bolt was closed, so the handle was relieved slightly. He had put corse lapping compound on the bolt body and lapped it to the receiver producing one of the sloppiest and binding nightmares Ive ever felt. The guy had removed a ton of material off the action face so the lug pocket in the stock needed to be moved back to accommodate the new lug position.

Apparently this was done by a gunsmith in Wyoming. Older dude. First name is Matt I believe . Maybe he was great back in the day, kinda doubt it, but he definitely isn't now.

New crown
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I dont know why the customer didn't have the old guy fit the stock. I told him there were no guarantees how this rifle would shoot, and I wouldn’t continue to work on it to make it shoot if it needed more work.
 
I think instead of using precision machining your gunsmith used the old button head screw and cutting compound to put a crown on … that is just sloppy.