What Would You Or Did You Do

OLEJOE

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I'm getting ready to do my first rifle build. I've watched hundreds of videos, read hundreds of post and articles on the subject of indicating, threading and chambering a rifle barrel. I think I can do it. My question is should I go with a cheaper blank in case of a goof up or something more in line of a premium blank? Plan to get a turned blank since I don't have a taper attachment for my lathe. Would really like to hear what y'all think. Thanks
 
Typically a barrel blank arrives much longer than you need it. For instance an AR15 barrel will be 25" long when you may only want 16" for your finished length. The first step is to cut an inch or two off the breech end then thread and chamber it before cutting it to length and profiling the outside. In most cases you still have enough to cut off a mistake and start over again. Enjoy the process.
Dave
 
My question is should I go with a cheaper blank in case of a goof up or something more in line of a premium blank?
Being keen to start at the bottom and improve from there, I think the answer is easy. If you learned auto mechanics on a Rolls Royce, then this question might be a tough one.
There's also a question as to what *kind* of build are we talking about? Are you planning on making everything? or just barreling an existing receiver? Bolt action? Semi auto? AR? AK? HK? Is this a build or is this simply a modify? Or even just freshening an old smoke pole? These different approaches have different considerations to them.
If this is your first AR, then I'd wonder why start with a blank at all? That's just making things harder for very little payoff, IMO. If this is a Schilen barrel on a Sako receiver, then that might be different. Ambitious, but different.

Wrat
 
I'm thinking defiantly go with a cheap blank first. Might just surprise you how nice a rifle it makes. Can always upgrade later.
 
It's a 783 Rem. I bought specifically for this. Plan to drop the barrel nut and shoulder it. Mainly want to see if I'm capable of doing this before I do my 700P. Been doing a lot of threading getting ready. Plan to make some threaded stubs to get the measurements right. Thinking about a 6.5x47L or Creedmoor.
 
In that case I'm go with what rgray said, personally.
Get an ordinary blank and see how things go. It'll be a great rifle as-is. I mean today's ordinary blanks are machined pretty nicely. Maybe not honed to perfection, but they come off darned nice in an awfully competitive industry. It'll be brand new and stay brand new for at least awhile.
Going non-standard caliber, you'll have a LOT of factors to bolt down before you can blame the barrel, anyway ;-)

Wrat
 
Ps. I also have a monkey foot I can wave over it
 
Start with the barrel you want for the rifle. If you need to practice, buy a pulled barrel someone else replaced.

Jeff

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
I have a Savage 6.5x284 barrel I took off of mine but it won't work right with the short action Rem and not enough meat in the shank to rechamber it to another caliber. May just get an unturned 1.220 blank then I can chamber and thread as much as I need. Be hell for heavy though
 
Why not buy the barrel you want, but practice on some 1.250 round stock? That's what I did with my Mauser. Had some cheap 1045 stock around and turned, faced and threaded it for practice. Turned that into a tool for facing the receiver. Went from there right to a Lothar Walther barrel.
 
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