Reaming to Rework barrel--diff caliber..

[Gdbyrd]

I read a short article about reaming barrels to rechamber them..as in .357 to .357 max..22 hornet to 22 k-hornet..etc, how expensive is this to do and who offers this kind of service..I've read that some of you have had this done, just curious if it's something that can be done by your average smith or if it's a send out..and what sort of results you're seeing.  Is it better to just toss out all this extra work and just go straight for what you want?


While I'm on a thread, has anyone here shot a 22 K-hornet?  I love the look of the round and I like the idea of a cheaply reloadable centerfire.  Thanks in advance.

[buckslugger]

I did my NEF carbine barrel to 357 max from magnum in about ten minutes with a reamer I rented from   4-D reamer rentals
and the cost was about 32 dollars,easy job

roy

[SD Handgunner]

I would think any Gunsmith that does chambering work can do a rechamber for you. Places that specialize in T/C work are :

SSK industries
Match Grade Machine (formerly Virgin Valley Custom Guns)
Bullberry Barrel Works
Chase Mountain Custom (formerly Precision Rifleworks)
On Target Technologies

to name a few.

I had a 14" .30 Herrett rechambered to .30-30 Ackley Improved by SSK Industies a couple years ago. I was more than pleased with the results and the Caliber / Cartridge. If I remember correctly from the time I sent my barrel to SSK till the time I had it back was a day or so more than two weeks. I don't know what some of the other shops turn around time is.

Yes rechambering a barrel is a viable way of obtaining a barrel chambered for a cartridge that is something other than what T/C offers. Prices for this run from around $75.00 to $125.00 to have one of the above mentioned shops do this.

In the case of the .22 K-Hornet I believe custom Barrels are available in this chambering from fox Ridge Outfitters (T/C's Custom Shop) as well as the custom barrel makers. However I don't think Fox Ridge Outfitters does any rechambering work (at least not that I know of).

Larry

[xphunter]

Let me add Coyote Guns (Paul Dustin) to the list.  I would use him myself also - FWIW

[Gdbyrd]

Slugger,
  How did you go about doing the process?  I've read a little on it and it makes it sound VERY easy.  I'm not sure if it's something I'd be willing to attempt, but it's one of those things that's good to know.

[The Old Redneck]

 You ask about the K hornet, I have built and shot it in 17 and 22 caliber in Contenders. In 22 caliber you can get a 223 barrel and load down to the 22 Hornet or K hornet. The barrel is standard, and dies will be cheaper than K hornet dies, and brass is abundant. I still shoot a regular 22 hornet in a Contender, and a 223 in a Contender. The wildcats are fun if you like going to the extra trouble and expense for them. I still shoot a lot of wildcats, but plain jane factory calibers will work in the hornet/ 223 size range. Remember that the hotter you load a round the shorter your brass life. Instead of loading a hornet to 223 velocities just shoot a 223. Each round has a place. Also wildcats are addictive, you seldom build just one. Take that from someone that has built more than his share. If you do rechamber a barrel shoot it first, it is not going to shoot any better groups in the next chamber size than it does stock. Start with the best barel you can. Take your time and cut the chamber as square as possible with the bore. You can do it by hand, but it is easier with a lathe. Good luck.

[Gdbyrd]

My reasoning for picking the hornet was on reports I've read of them being only slightly louder than a .22 pistol.  Also, the twist on the factory .223 barrels kinda upsets me as I hate being limited to certain grains...although I doubt I'd make use of the larger bullets. 

Somewhere I read that you can load .223 down to almost 22 mag performance with blue dot...not sure how true that is, but if it's even close then that's the way to go as you have access to a huge array of game and plinking opportunities.

My only problem is that I already have a contender in .223 : /  And I'm really trying to find a good plinking caliber from now until season.  Although I suppose there's nothing wrong with having two .223's....help me get used to the encore frame too..

What about the .204?

--Also, sorry for kinda changing this post.  I really wanted this to be about how you ream out a chamber, for my benefit and those who're reading

[Keith L]

"Also, the twist on the factory .223 barrels kinda upsets me as I hate being limited to certain grains...although I doubt I'd make use of the larger bullets. "

No matter who makes the barrel you will have to match the bullet to the twist rate.

 

[The Old Redneck]

   Sorry I was trying to point you toward the 223. So many people try to load a round to the max, and it would be better to just buy the next size up. The k Hornet just does not gain enough to make it worth the work for me. A 218 bee is my next chioce after the Hornet, but the Hornet is usually what I pick up to shoot. I love handguns, and the Hornet. It is easy to load for. and the 10" barrel is easy to carry and shoot. The noise is not as bad as the 223, and my old gun groups as well as most rifles.
     To rechamber a Contender barrel I remove the dove tail forend screw holders. Tape the extractor down to keep the extractor groove solid. Chuck it in a lathe, use a good cutting oil, and run the reamer in a little at a time. Removing it to flush the metal from it and the barrel every 1/4 " or so. A good sharp reamer cuts clean and quick, don't let it load up with metal. Your cutting a chamber for a barrel that you will use for years, why be in a hurry. As the saying goes "IF you don't have time to do it right you don't have time to do it". It is possibly to cut one by hand. Reamers like Dave Kiff , at Pacific tool and gauge, and others make have a square shank that you can turn by hand. The chamber is usually smoother with a lathe set up, but I have cut small case chambers by hand with good results. I buy the reamers I use, and have them cut to the specs. I want. You can rent reamers in standard and a lot of wildcat chamberings for a few dollars a day. Good luck, hope this helps answer some of your questions.

[The Old Redneck]

  Sorry I forgot the question about the 204. I'm not a 20 caliber fan because I have so many 17's and 22's. It is a very good round, and does all is is said to do and then some. Like most rifle rounds you need enough barrel length to get full use of it. It will work in a 14" barrel, just remember the larger the case and shorter the barrel the louder it gets. You also start to lose a lot under 16" on a lot of rifle rounds. For example I have a 10 3/4", 17/223 Contender barrel that is not any hotter than a 15" 17 AH barrel. The 17/223 barrel would be a 17HMR barrel in 14" if it was to do over. Hope that helps.

[SD Handgunner]

On Bullberry's web site they have a velocity table for different length barrels for the .204.  Buy the time they had it cut to 14" they couldn't get reliable velocity readings on the Chronograph any longer due to the muzzle blast according to what is listed on their web site.

Larry

[Gdbyrd]

SD:  I came into that velocity table last night..then I went on to read several forums about the .204 with shorter barrels and apparently the muzzle blast is really, really bad when you get to shorter barrels.

Redneck:  Thanks a ton for all your advice.  I don't plan to shoot it at max loads, except maybe just to see how it does.  Usually max loads for velocity don't give you the best accuracy(at least from what I've read), so I don't see a lot of reason to do it.  I like the idea of having something different and something I'd have to get my hands into to shoot a lot.  In your experience do you have anything else you'd recommend? 

--Back to the reamer.  So you tap it in and lathe it out.  How do you know how deep to go?  I'm having some trouble picturing this in my head : /

Here's a picture of a reamer I'm stealing so I can hopefully get a better idea.

[The Old Redneck]

  A reamer for a bottle neck case cuts metal sort of like a drill without flutes. The barrel is turning in the lathe, the reamer is not turning but is cutting metal as you feed it into the barrel. This metal will build up on the reamer and in the barrel. You back it out of the barrel, clean it and the barrel, add oil and run it in a little deeper. You repeat this until your headspace gauge fits and your through. Go slow and a little at a time, if you go too deep your screwed. T C sold parts for their barrels and stuff before S&W bought them. I have bought extractors and stuff over the phone with a credit card for years. Lots of Contender barrels have been rechambered over the years by gunsmiths and shooters.
   The muzzle blast is what I was talking about when I said the shorter the louder, and gave the example of the 17/223 and 17 AH. The 204 is still hot even out of a 14" barrel, but not like it is out of a longer barrel, and like the 17/223 out of a 10" barrel, not as much fun to shoot as the longer barrels.
   If your going to do a wildcat, do something simple like the K hornet to start out. You can get dies and a reamer, or even buy a barrel from someone like Midway at about standard barrel cost. Load data is easy to find, and brass is not bad to make just by fireforming. Good luck.

[The Old Redneck]

  I just figured out where the "Tap it in" came from you ask about. What I said was I "Tape"the extractor down. That fills the extractor groove with the extractor so the reamer does not catch the edge of the groove going in or out of the barrel.