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Posted: 8/17/2011 2:10:29 PM EDT
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I'm looking for a step by step guide/book/dvd for taking a barrel blank from start to finish on a lathe for the AR platform, including making the adapter. Specifically looking to turn out a .458 SOCOM caliber barrel for use in an upper assembly.
Also, any good guides/books/dvd's out there that go into detail on operating a lathe and/or milling machine for gunsmithing ? Thanks ! Fred |
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There are tons of books on the machine shop process. I have never seen one that deals with an AR barrel from blank to finish, and you're not likely to just start up a machine and follow a menu from start to finish successfully without some training and experience, not to mention tools, first.
This site has good tutorials that cover the basics: http://www.americanmachinetools.com/how_to_use_a_lathe.htm . What you might want to do is enroll in the summer gunsmithing sessions at Trinidad State Junior College or Murray State: http://www.nragunsmithing.com/ The photos at the link show the main shop at TSJC, the gun shop for the "third year program", a copy of the Kit Carson Hawken built there to replicate one in a Masonic Lodge in NM, and I guess the school's range, it was closed last year and I didn't make it out there this year. Also: The SBL Workshop You'll find copies of How to Run A Lathe Archive.org Has dozens of useful books about gunsmithing and machine shop work, all on line. The AR15.com Library |
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your not going to do that on a lathe , you will need a half million dollar button or hammer mill to rifle it for one thing.
Button rifling is when they pull a "button" as its most called or mandrill through the bore hole with a big hydraulic ram while turning it to produce the desired twist , slower but accurate, Hammer mill is when a mandrill is placed into the bore and simultaneously hammered all around forming it over the mandrel , less accurate but much faster and produces stress in the steel. These can produce about 1 barrel a minuet. most used today. Not many places have one. Bushmaster does for one. you can read about it HERE |
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I'm fairly certain he believes a barrel blank is already rifled. I know I do.
A couple of days ago I happened across a thread for the second or third time, in which a newb to gunsmithing who knew exactly jack about the processes wanted to know how to machine an action. The thread was started two or three years ago. His first question was about like the one in this thread. Last week he had some minor details to finish. Found the thread: Making a Remington 700 Action |
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Thanks to all who have responded and offered insight, and help by pointing me in the right direction.
Yes, I plan to use a barrel blank that is already rifled, although I did see a primitive rifling machine in use at Friendship, Indiana last year at the NMLRA shoot. Pretty slick how they rifled those muzzleloader barrels over 100 years ago. Thanks again ! Fred |
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