[Doc Hoy]

I bought a Trapdoor Springfield cadet rifle with a 29 inch barrel. The rifle has the stock cut down to look like a cavalry model. But it sure looks funny with that 29 inch barrel. Because of the shortened stock and a bunch of missing stock hardware the collector value of the rifle is almost nil. I bought this rifle specifically because of that fact and hence I got it for a good price. (About $425.00).

I have not shot it yet but I think that it will be a relatively consistent shooter. The bore looks good.

I think that eventually I will want to cut the barrel to 22 and then recrown it.

Cutting the barrel.......

I have a lathe and know how to use it. It is up to the task as far as precision is concerned. But I have read and viewed a couple sources that imply that it is better to cut the barrel with a saw. Is this because most sources assume that a lathe is not available? I'd like to cut it with the lathe unless there is something I am missing.

Crowning the barrel.......

I can easily crown the barrel by changing tools and resetting the tool post. But I am concerned that the bore may not be concentric with the outer diameter of the barrel. Is it better to just do the crown with a hand reamer?

Mounting the sight.......

My plan is to solder a sight in place before cutting the barrel. I intend to use the existing sights to line up the sight on the shortened barrel. Is that a good plan?

Tnx in advance folks.