Gunsmithing Does rechambering/setting back a barrel give it full life again?
- Thread starter stanley52
- Start date
It refreshes it for sure. Some people talk about it being fire brittle but I'm not sure myself. FWIW I have 2 set back bbls and they both shoot great.They are in benchrest guns too where accuracy can really be tested. 6.5x47L and 6.5x284 are the 2 cartridges.
No, you can't shoot a barrel for 3,000 rounds and burn it up then set it back and get another 3,000. Probably be more like an additional 1,000 to 1,500.
Depends on how much it has eroded. I've only seen a handful of dissected "used up" barrels, but all of them showed throat erosion well past the point where you could just set it back and call it a day. Someone with a bore scope can correct me if that's unusual, but I don't think it is. I would only do this if I was doing my own barrel work.
One has to consider the condition of the bore and muzzle/crown as well. If you have a nice chamber/throat but the bore has mileage and the crown needs cutting back, what are you gaining?
If you are to the point where you are considering such, one might as well hang a new barrel.
If you are to the point where you are considering such, one might as well hang a new barrel.
You'll get 30-50% at best after setting back, maybe less. After 1,000+ rounds there's too much fire cracking for there to be any long term benefit, even after cutting the old chamber off and starting over. Usually, it's not worth the expense to do this unless you can do it yourself.
The short answer is no. I wouldn't go to the expense or the trouble. USUALLY,IF and I say IF a barrel needs a setback, the rifling 3-5 inches ahead of the chamber area is just plain gone. I can do my own lathe work and I wouldn't go to the trouble. If you want to be sure, borescope it.
To begin: I AM NOT ADVOCATING THIS AS A LEGITIMATE FIX, NOR WOULD I DO IT MYSELF UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.
I have an Eddystone 1917 given to me by my grandfather. It has been a good shooter ever since he gave it to me about 30 years ago. It has always bulged case heads and had a few seperations over the years, to the point where I really didn't want to shoot it anymore. Bought a set of headspace gages and sure enough, it would close on the Field gage. Searched a while for another military barrel for it with mixed results, considered getting it rechambered and set back, and basically just put it in the safe and left it for a couple years. But I still wanted to shoot Grandpa's old gun and took it out just to study and brainstorm for ideas one day.
I looked at the bolt when it was closed and noticed it had some play in it when it was fully closed. Put a round in the barrel and it STILL had some forward/rearward movement. Pulled the bolt and noticed a lot of wear on the locking lugs. I decided "hell it ain't no good like it is" and took the bolt to a welder. Got him to build up the rearward surfaces of the lugs. Went back home and used a file to dress down the lugs until it would close again. Then started using the GO gage to fit the bolt until the bolt would close tightly on the go gage with just a little effort. No more swelled cases, still shoots less than MOA at 100 yds, and I still have the original gun my Grandpa gave me.
Again, I took it upon myself to do this and do not recommend it in any other circumstances. It probably wouldn't work in most cases unless there was a LOT of wear on the bolt. And the barrel in question has a mirror-slick finish inside and I just couldn't see just changing it out. YMMV
I have an Eddystone 1917 given to me by my grandfather. It has been a good shooter ever since he gave it to me about 30 years ago. It has always bulged case heads and had a few seperations over the years, to the point where I really didn't want to shoot it anymore. Bought a set of headspace gages and sure enough, it would close on the Field gage. Searched a while for another military barrel for it with mixed results, considered getting it rechambered and set back, and basically just put it in the safe and left it for a couple years. But I still wanted to shoot Grandpa's old gun and took it out just to study and brainstorm for ideas one day.
I looked at the bolt when it was closed and noticed it had some play in it when it was fully closed. Put a round in the barrel and it STILL had some forward/rearward movement. Pulled the bolt and noticed a lot of wear on the locking lugs. I decided "hell it ain't no good like it is" and took the bolt to a welder. Got him to build up the rearward surfaces of the lugs. Went back home and used a file to dress down the lugs until it would close again. Then started using the GO gage to fit the bolt until the bolt would close tightly on the go gage with just a little effort. No more swelled cases, still shoots less than MOA at 100 yds, and I still have the original gun my Grandpa gave me.
Again, I took it upon myself to do this and do not recommend it in any other circumstances. It probably wouldn't work in most cases unless there was a LOT of wear on the bolt. And the barrel in question has a mirror-slick finish inside and I just couldn't see just changing it out. YMMV
Listen to this man.
I never would have believed it until I saw it myself in the borescope, but the firecracking goes a LONG way down the tube. I had always kind of assumed the throat would be worst, and things would improve pretty quickly from there.
Well, in fact, the throat IS in the worst condition, but it does NOT "quickly" improve from there. It SLOWLY improves from there.
On a 260 with ~1250 rounds of match useage and 142s @ ~2800, the barrel didn't look fresh and nice until I was over 12" downstream of the throat. Same goes for a 284 with ~1500 rounds on it.
Because you're only cutting an inch, or at most, 2" off the tennon, you're certainly getting into fresher material, but it sure ain't "fresh". Why pay every bit as much money in labor as setting up a new barrel to get an old turd thats been polished up?
Of course, if you're DIYing it, it makes sense.
It's the same amount of work, if not more to set a barrel back vs. installing a new one.
No...and I think it is a waste of money. Borrow a borescope and check out a barrel with a few thousand rounds. The firecracking extends many inches up the barrel...a foot or more. I have my own lathe and don't bother rechambering for this reason...not worth the time or money.
That's nice. It doesn't change the fact it is the same amount of work, if not more than fitting/installing a new barrel.
Some of the very best shooting AR barrels I've had (6.5 Grendels) were used tubes. I took shot out high-power barrels which were generally 6.5-284's with well over 1500 rounds down the tubes (mostly Kriegers). Some barrels had firecracking for 4-6" past the chamber. Take one of those barrels, cut 6-8" off the chamber end, contour for your AR and chamber. Some of the absolutely best shooting barrels I've used. Was it more work? Yes it was, but I pick up the barrels for $50-$75 ea and it's worth it. NOT the same thing, but those barrels are not lost if there's enough meat on them for another rifle, maybe a shorter barreled sporter or an AR. Setting back a barrel tenon and rechambering can freshen up things, but it won't give you double the life. I do think taking 4" off does change things closer to a new tube (that's already very broke in).
Oh, and no, I didn't sell em for new price, a few friends of mine got some very good deals on AR's in 6.5 that shot extremely well.
Oh, and no, I didn't sell em for new price, a few friends of mine got some very good deals on AR's in 6.5 that shot extremely well.
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