The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > The Smithy

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 21, 2017, 03:08 PM   #1
BumbleBug
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 11, 2013
Location: Near Heart of Texas
Posts: 870
Can a barrel be turned around backwards?

Hypothetical question: Assuming a used barrel has a muzzle of sufficient diameter, could it be re-contoured, threaded & chambered to fitted to a smaller ringed action? The crown end becomes the chamber & barrel cut-off at the throat becomes the muzzle. Direction of bullet travel & twist would then be reversed.

Any one ever hearing of this done? Are there some gotcha's to such a project?

TIA...
__________________
Visit my fictional blog "The dr Chronicles" about a laid-back Texan named dr - Enjoy!
BumbleBug is offline  
Old June 21, 2017, 03:44 PM   #2
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,485
There is a legend that the bullet should go through the barrel in the same direction as the rifling button. That the surface texture of the bore has a "lay" that matters. I have not seen it applied to cut or broached barrels, and doubt the effect is great even with button rifling.
So have at it.
But why?
Jim Watson is online now  
Old June 22, 2017, 12:38 AM   #3
Scorch
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 13, 2006
Location: Washington state
Posts: 15,248
Quote:
Direction of bullet travel & twist would then be reversed.
LOL Are you an engineer, by chance?

No, direction of travel would be reversed, but not the twist. Same as if you take a right-hand threaded bolt and turn it around it does not suddenly become a left-hand threaded bolt.
__________________
Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs.
But what do I know?
Summit Arms Services
Scorch is offline  
Old June 22, 2017, 03:14 AM   #4
JoeSixpack
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2017
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,048
I suppose anything is possible if you're willing to do the work.
but I'd ask why turn the barrel around? Just cut off the chamber and throat till you get to good rifling.

Then I suppose you could then then the barrel out to fit what ever your trying to do (within reason)

I've heard of rifles being counter bored (if the muzzle end is eroded), and I've heard of them being rechambered (same bullet diameter) and I've heard of them being bored out and rerifled to a larger caliber.

but I've not heard of anyone flipping one around and doing all that work, but I don't see why it wouldn't work if that's what you wanted to do.
JoeSixpack is offline  
Old June 22, 2017, 09:17 AM   #5
BumbleBug
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 11, 2013
Location: Near Heart of Texas
Posts: 870
As I stated, it is a hypothetical question. I was wondering if it was something the old machine rest shooters may have tried. A barrel is subject to the most heat at the throat & the least at the muzzle. I don't know if any close examinations of the changes in the steel structure have been made along its length. With ends swapped would it perform as well as a brand new barrel?

From a practical stand point, benchrest shooters have some pretty chunky barrels of premium quality & cost that they deem to be throw-aways after 3,000 rounds. You would not swap ends but these could be re-contoured into AR barrels. Using the 6mm PPC as an example, the usual optimal length for that caliber is between 21" & 22" which allows plenty of barrel for a re-chamber. Not sure of a barrel extension's diameter but for a AR15 the whole chamber length would have to be removed to fit a smaller case like a 6x45. The normal twist would be 1/14".

I got a hold of one of these used-up benchrest barrels & put it on an old hunting rifle action. To say it shoots amazing is an understatement.

Just curious & thinking out load.
__________________
Visit my fictional blog "The dr Chronicles" about a laid-back Texan named dr - Enjoy!
BumbleBug is offline  
Old June 22, 2017, 03:28 PM   #6
Jim Watson
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,485
Quote:
With ends swapped would it perform as well as a brand new barrel?
Probably not.
The greatest erosion and wear is to the throat where pressure and temperature is greatest, the muzzle end gets the least wear.
So if you reversed the barrel, you would be cutting a chamber in the best remaining length. You would have to cut off not only the old chamber but a considerable length of rifling to get a good muzzle.

Why not do what a lot of target shooters REALLY do and cut off the breech end and ream a new chamber in the most worn section? Some say an inch or two can be enough.

Ed Harris once experimented on .22 sporters. He rebarreled a variety of inexpensive .22s with the forward 20" of 27" BSA Martini target rifle takeoffs. As you found with that "used up" benchrest barrel, there was a lot of life left.
Jim Watson is online now  
Old June 23, 2017, 11:23 PM   #7
James K
Member In Memoriam
 
Join Date: March 17, 1999
Posts: 24,383
You would end up with the chamber in the thin part of the barrel, which is why no one does it.

Jim
James K is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:47 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.03975 seconds with 10 queries