"sleeving" an old barrel with a liner?

bamaranger · October 9, 2016, 10:23 PM

An acquaintance produced a Remington Model 25 in .25-20 the other day that he had inherited. Cosmetically, the rifle looks pretty good, and it is indeed "an elegant wand of a rifle". But the bore is a wreck.

I see that .25-20 barrel liners are out there.

How much of a job is this, and.......briefly....how does one deal with the chamber and throat and matching it to the liner?

We would have the work done......but is it a feasible project to put the rifle back in action?

guncrank · October 9, 2016, 10:51 PM

Just so happen to have a brand new .25-20 liner in stock. You can pm for more info.

The barrel is completely bore out and the liner is chambered

Scorch · October 9, 2016, 10:55 PM

Lining a rifle bore is not a simple task (to do right), but is not terribly difficult with the right tools. Most rifle liners have a larger section at the breech end so the chamber can be cut and not cut through the liner. The old barrel is removed from the action, drilled, reamed to the diameter of the liner, and the new liner is either glued or soldered in place, then crowned, chambered, etc. Done right, it works and looks great. Done poorly, well, not so much.

Gunplummer · October 10, 2016, 04:28 AM

Depends on the taper on your old barrel. If it needs a liner with two diameters to "Step" it down in a barrel, it can get involved. You have to be able turn the liner down. Average, you have about .003 difference between the barrel and liner in diameters. No problem for somebody that has already done them. The drills alone are very expensive if you have to buy them and the person doing it has to understand how extended drills work. If you try it yourself, use a junk barrel to get used to the drill first.

Old Stony · October 10, 2016, 05:23 AM

I've had several Winchester lever guns relined to make them back into shooters
over the years and they have all worked out great. I even had a 73 Winchester in 32/20 lined and have shot many rounds out of it since. Not a "do it yourself" job unless you are talented in machine work, but a good gunsmith can turn it back into a shooter for you.

BillM · October 10, 2016, 07:18 AM

I've done it on a couple of old rimfires---haven't tried a centerfire yet.
It's a bit involved and takes some investment in tooling.

Redman's in Omak Washington specializes in relining---check their
website for a overview and an idea of pricing.

**Unclenick** · October 10, 2016, 07:46 AM

Bamaranger,

Since the bore is a "wreck" anyway, before you line it try firelapping it. I've seen fairly severe pits not really affect accuracy much if the throat area is smooth enough. Since the barrel would be drilled out for a liner anyway, there's no damage you can do by trying and it might clean up enough to shoot.

bamaranger · October 13, 2016, 06:43 PM

I do not believe the fella that owns the rifle would ever pay the amount that Redmans is asking, not worth it to the owner.

But, I see it can be done....even in .25-20. If it were mine.....I might well do it.

velocette · October 16, 2016, 01:49 PM

I had my Whitney Rolling Block rifle circa 1885, relined by a gent in Pennsylvania.
Cost me about $300.00 & well worth it. It was originally .38 CFC, with a sewer pipe barrel. It's now .32 -20 WCF, fitted with a reproduction Malcolm scope & shoots in about 4" at 100 yards with lead bullets. It hangs on my computer room wall when I'm not shooting it. I enjoy having and shooting some American firearm history.
I had to do some cleanup of the barrel finish, but it was not difficult.

Smoke & Recoil · October 16, 2016, 04:46 PM

You may also want to check availability of .25-20 WCF components...they are
very tough to come by, even factory ammo is very pricey.

October 9, 2016, 10:23 PM	#1
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	"sleeving" an old barrel with a liner? An acquaintance produced a Remington Model 25 in .25-20 the other day that he had inherited. Cosmetically, the rifle looks pretty good, and it is indeed "an elegant wand of a rifle". But the bore is a wreck. I see that .25-20 barrel liners are out there. How much of a job is this, and.......briefly....how does one deal with the chamber and throat and matching it to the liner? We would have the work done......but is it a feasible project to put the rifle back in action?

October 9, 2016, 10:51 PM	#2
guncrank Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2006 Location: Fern Creek ,KY and Metro Louisville at large Posts: 430	Just so happen to have a brand new .25-20 liner in stock. You can pm for more info. The barrel is completely bore out and the liner is chambered __________________ Republic Arms and Armaments 07 1-502-231-1118 Machine Shop and Finishing Services to the trade and public Last edited by guncrank; October 9, 2016 at 11:27 PM.

October 9, 2016, 10:55 PM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Lining a rifle bore is not a simple task (to do right), but is not terribly difficult with the right tools. Most rifle liners have a larger section at the breech end so the chamber can be cut and not cut through the liner. The old barrel is removed from the action, drilled, reamed to the diameter of the liner, and the new liner is either glued or soldered in place, then crowned, chambered, etc. Done right, it works and looks great. Done poorly, well, not so much. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

October 10, 2016, 07:46 AM	#7
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Bamaranger, Since the bore is a "wreck" anyway, before you line it try firelapping it. I've seen fairly severe pits not really affect accuracy much if the throat area is smooth enough. Since the barrel would be drilled out for a liner anyway, there's no damage you can do by trying and it might clean up enough to shoot. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

October 13, 2016, 06:43 PM	#8
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	thanks all I do not believe the fella that owns the rifle would ever pay the amount that Redmans is asking, not worth it to the owner. But, I see it can be done....even in .25-20. If it were mine.....I might well do it.

October 10, 2016, 04:28 AM	#4
Gunplummer Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2010 Location: South East Pa. Posts: 3,364	Depends on the taper on your old barrel. If it needs a liner with two diameters to "Step" it down in a barrel, it can get involved. You have to be able turn the liner down. Average, you have about .003 difference between the barrel and liner in diameters. No problem for somebody that has already done them. The drills alone are very expensive if you have to buy them and the person doing it has to understand how extended drills work. If you try it yourself, use a junk barrel to get used to the drill first.

October 10, 2016, 05:23 AM	#5
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	I've had several Winchester lever guns relined to make them back into shooters over the years and they have all worked out great. I even had a 73 Winchester in 32/20 lined and have shot many rounds out of it since. Not a "do it yourself" job unless you are talented in machine work, but a good gunsmith can turn it back into a shooter for you.

October 10, 2016, 07:18 AM	#6
BillM Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2009 Location: Amity Oregon Posts: 791	I've done it on a couple of old rimfires---haven't tried a centerfire yet. It's a bit involved and takes some investment in tooling. Redman's in Omak Washington specializes in relining---check their website for a overview and an idea of pricing.

October 16, 2016, 01:49 PM	#9
velocette Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2007 Location: South Florida Posts: 924	I had my Whitney Rolling Block rifle circa 1885, relined by a gent in Pennsylvania. Cost me about $300.00 & well worth it. It was originally .38 CFC, with a sewer pipe barrel. It's now .32 -20 WCF, fitted with a reproduction Malcolm scope & shoots in about 4" at 100 yards with lead bullets. It hangs on my computer room wall when I'm not shooting it. I enjoy having and shooting some American firearm history. I had to do some cleanup of the barrel finish, but it was not difficult. __________________ Trigger control + Breath control + Sight alignment = Gun Control. http://www.hrpclub.info/ NRA Smallbore Prone Master, High Power Master

October 16, 2016, 04:46 PM	#10
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	You may also want to check availability of .25-20 WCF components...they are very tough to come by, even factory ammo is very pricey. __________________ Sent from my Tandy 1000