Re-chambering an existing barrel

[A5scott]

For example, I read that a 7mm Rem Mag can have the chamber cut to 28 Nosler, so I was thinking, can a 6.5x47 barrel that is showing signs of throat erosion, be cut to 6.5x284? I know the x284 is mostly a long action cartridge that can be single fed in a short action. My x47 barrel only has 600 rounds on it, so it will be another year maybe, so just thinking ahead.

anyone here repurpose barrels this way? Any reason that's a bad idea?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Supersubes]

Usually barrels are “set back” by chopping off however much you can(depending on the remaining shank), and then rechambered. The problem with doing what you’re proposing is that it won’t clean up all the throat erosion.

Most view it as not being worth it, and I tend to agree. Buy another blank, and do it right.

 

[buffybuster]

Unless you have all the equipment and do it yourself (free labor) it's not worth it. Even then it's really just an exercise.

 

[A5scott]

Sounds good, thanks for posting...

Scott

 

[padom]

Yes it can. But as mentioned above paying a gunsmith just isn't worth it vs paying them to chamber a new barrel.. If your doing it yourself that's different.

I know a gunsmith that has chopped and rechambered his Bartlein from 260rem, 260ai, 6.5cm and 6.5x47L which is what it sits at now... he has over 5200rds on the barrel and it still shoots 6x5 agg in the .4's...

 

[A5scott]

A good friend is an excellent gunsmith and machinist, and he's very good to me, so that's also why I was asking.

Scott

 

[fdkay]

If you can get the work done for a very reasonable price, then you may want to consider the .260 AI. It will give performance close to the 6.5-284 and you won't have any issues in a short action.

 

[db2000]

Yes it can. But as mentioned above paying a gunsmith just isn't worth it vs paying them to chamber a new barrel.. If your doing it yourself that's different.

I know a gunsmith that has chopped and rechambered his Bartlein from 260rem, 260ai, 6.5cm and 6.5x47L which is what it sits at now... he has over 5200rds on the barrel and it still shoots 6x5 agg in the .4's...

So is there a secondary market to sell "shot out" barrels back to barrel makers? It seems they could sell "redo barrels" for a slight discount offsetting the price of the blank...unless they get blanks so cheap it's not worth the cost of the labor.

 

[b6graham]

i currently have a dasher getting a 6CM reamer run through it

when you don't pay smith labor/fees its not a bad proposition

 

[BadAccountant]

I have over 5,000 rounds down a 260 bore so far. A throat cleanup doesn't take much and I only take .500" at a time. I could probably get away with a whole lot less if I wanted to, but I'm a hobby machinist now.

Chop it down, push the tenon forward, thread, counterbore, rechamber.

 

[BadAccountant]

So is there a secondary market to sell "shot out" barrels back to barrel makers? It seems they could sell "redo barrels" for a slight discount offsetting the price of the blank...unless they get blanks so cheap it's not worth the cost of the labor.

I wish people would sell "shot out" barrels.

Most of the time, they aren't if you don't mind chopping them down yourself.

The throat might be torched, but most of these "shot out" PRS barrels started off at 26+ inches and there's PLENTY of life left in those barrels, especially for those of us who like shortish barrels.

Even a 20" .260 is plenty for me, especially shooting a 130 with a faster powder.

 

[z28kid]

I plan on doing this with my 26" 6 creedmoor when it gets to the end of its life, I will just cut the tennon off and start over with the same caliber.
Having never done that before I have read where some say you get less life the second time.

 

[b6graham]

I plan on doing this with my 26" 6 creedmoor when it gets to the end of its life, I will just cut the tennon off and start over with the same caliber.
Having never done that before I have read where some say you get less life the second time.

way less

 

[z28kid]

way less

I expect about 1800 from it now, then maybe 800 the second time?

 

[b6graham]

I expect about 1800 from it now, then maybe 800 the second time?

depending how you're pushing it maybe.

or 1200 and 400. hard to say