M1A match barrel

rwilson452 · June 24, 2019, 02:26 PM

I'm thinking about putting a match barrel on my M1A.

suggestions?

P5 Guy · June 24, 2019, 02:47 PM

Kreiger

1MoreFord · June 24, 2019, 03:57 PM

Mine has a Hart on it.

Bart B. · June 24, 2019, 04:33 PM

Cut rifled barrels are best if they will be service rifle profiled. Kreiger has the best track record.

1:11 twist, 4 grooves, .298" to .299" bore diameter and .3075" groove, SAAMI spec chamber.

T. O'Heir · June 25, 2019, 12:58 PM

How much money do you want to spend?
Then you get into what Bob Vila called the "Might as wells". If you're going to put a match grade barrel on, you might as well put match grade sights(that's not necessarily optics) on, do the trigger and bedding at the same time.
Keep in mind that time is an issue. Kreiger, for example, wants 3 - 4 months for an M-14 barrel and run about $400.

rwilson452 · June 25, 2019, 01:06 PM

Quote:

How much money do you want to spend?
Then you get into what Bob Vila called the "Might as wells". If you're going to put a match grade barrel on, you might as well put match grade sights(that's not necessarily optics) on, do the trigger and bedding at the same time.
Keep in mind that time is an issue. Kreiger, for example, wants 3 - 4 months for an M-14 barrel and run about $400.

I will be running optics that I have already. Strange, I hadn't thought about a trigger.

jrothWA · June 28, 2019, 09:01 PM

Douglas M1A barrel and their M1 barrels..

Also, are you going with SAMMI or Mil-Spec, chamber dimensions??

Good luck,keep us advised.

rwilson452 · June 28, 2019, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Douglas M1A barrel and their M1 barrels..

Also, are you going with SAMMI or Mil-Spec, chamber dimensions??

Good luck,keep us advised.

I haven't decided on the chamber. I was at one time thinking about getting a short chamber and letting a friend work with me on getting just what I need but not too long ago he left. He developed his own and wife's guns for 1000 yard shoots. He put big bucks in his guns. I don't know of a smith around here that does that sort of thing. I could put a couple of grand into it but I likely won't. I would just like to get a rifle that shoots better than I can. No, I will not be competing.

Bart B. · June 30, 2019, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwilson452

I haven't decided on the chamber. I was at one time thinking about getting a short chamber ........ I would just like to get a rifle that shoots better than I can.

What is a "short" chamber?

All rifles shoot more accurate than we can hold, support, aim then fire them. Our variables add to those of rifles and their ammo.

rwilson452 · June 30, 2019, 10:29 AM

Quote:

What is a "short" chamber?

A short chamber is a chamber that has not been bored to leave room for the bullet to "jump" to the lands. In other words it will be too short to take a round without more work.

Bart B. · June 30, 2019, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rwilson452

A short chamber is a chamber that has not been bored to leave room for the bullet to "jump" to the lands. In other words it will be too short to take a round without more work.

What objective is met by doing that? My inquiring mind wants to know.

Note that 308 Win chamber throats contact point with bullet erodes further down the bore about .001" every few dozen shots.

Military teams shooting 7.62/308 ammo in service rifles producing best scores rebarreled when the throat erosion gauge read about 4/10 inch more than when new. The gauge taper is .010" diameter per inch of length. Given load bullet jump increased about .080 inch. New barrel 2/3 MOA test accuracy at 600 yards had degraded 50% to 1 MOA. 3000 to 4000 rounds of acceptable barrel life.

rwilson452 · June 30, 2019, 04:17 PM

Quote:

What objective is met by doing that? My inquiring mind wants to know.

Boring out to best length to start with gets you there to start. Yes, you loose a little service life.

By your own words you note that it does make a difference.

I will likely never shoot enough to use up its service life.

**Unclenick** · June 30, 2019, 05:13 PM

The short chambered barrels are for folks who don't have a lathe. They have roughed chambers that are usually about 0.020" to 0.050" short so a person with a standard finishing reamer on a T-handle or someone who has one of the headspacing reamers turned by a long through-bore T-handle can complete the chamber to match where his receiver and bolt.

Bart B. · June 30, 2019, 07:28 PM

rwilson,
Barrel life starts with a new barrel and matters little how far the bullet has to move to first touch the rifling in the throat. Could be 1/4th inch further than 308 SAAMI spec if 220 to 240 grain bullets will be used. Palma rifle barrels often have about 1/10th inch less freebore as they shoot shorter 150 or 155 grain bullets.

UncleNick,
Tnanks for clarifying "short" chambers. "Rough" chambers has been in my mental dictionary for decades. Now I can add a synonym.

fourbore · July 7, 2019, 06:51 PM

They are not synonyms. Often a chamber is machined with a rough reamer followed by a finish reamer. After the first step you have a rough chamber. That has tooling marks and is "ROUGH". Short chamber barrel is not left rough. The short chamber barrel is fully finished. In fact, if someone was sloppy enough to want to, a short chamber barrel can be used right out of the box. The caveat is you would have to shoot fully custom loaded ammo sized to that chamber. If you shoot a rough chamber the brass will come out looking like hell, if it extracts at all. The short barrel chamber should be smooth as silk from a quality source.

Like someone said, usually, the short chamber barrel is installed then a T handle reamer is pulled through the barrel. The operation is to shave a few 1000's off or as little as needed. It could be very little. And, when done, the barrel would typically be at the very minimum of within spec.

There is a youtube video on the procedure. Google to find it. If you do that, you will see the bolt is part of the procedure. When done the barrel is sized precisely with the bolt to be used.

fourbore · July 7, 2019, 07:12 PM

As for the lathe option. I have a lathe. I put a new barrel on a garand. You screw it in until it is indexed right. Then use a pull though reamer. The lathe was never an option. I suppose one could install the barrel, measure the headspace than remove the barrel and use a conventional reamer. That is not recommended. And a lathe is not part of the equation. You are not cutting threads and you cannot set the shoulder back on a chamber that is already short. It is not a short cut, nor is it in some way 2nd best or make do. It is the best way. That is install the barrel, then ream the headspace.

If there is a better way, show me the video, or be extremely detailed in your words.

June 24, 2019, 02:26 PM	#1
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	M1A match barrel I'm thinking about putting a match barrel on my M1A. suggestions? __________________ USNRET '61-'81

June 25, 2019, 12:58 PM	#5
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	How much money do you want to spend? Then you get into what Bob Vila called the "Might as wells". If you're going to put a match grade barrel on, you might as well put match grade sights(that's not necessarily optics) on, do the trigger and bedding at the same time. Keep in mind that time is an issue. Kreiger, for example, wants 3 - 4 months for an M-14 barrel and run about $400. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

June 28, 2019, 09:01 PM	#7
jrothWA Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2006 Posts: 2,519	I happy with good old fasshioned Douglas M1A barrel and their M1 barrels.. Also, are you going with SAMMI or Mil-Spec, chamber dimensions?? Good luck,keep us advised.

June 30, 2019, 05:13 PM	#13
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	The short chambered barrels are for folks who don't have a lathe. They have roughed chambers that are usually about 0.020" to 0.050" short so a person with a standard finishing reamer on a T-handle or someone who has one of the headspacing reamers turned by a long through-bore T-handle can complete the chamber to match where his receiver and bolt. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

July 7, 2019, 06:51 PM	#15
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	They are not synonyms. Often a chamber is machined with a rough reamer followed by a finish reamer. After the first step you have a rough chamber. That has tooling marks and is "ROUGH". Short chamber barrel is not left rough. The short chamber barrel is fully finished. In fact, if someone was sloppy enough to want to, a short chamber barrel can be used right out of the box. The caveat is you would have to shoot fully custom loaded ammo sized to that chamber. If you shoot a rough chamber the brass will come out looking like hell, if it extracts at all. The short barrel chamber should be smooth as silk from a quality source. Like someone said, usually, the short chamber barrel is installed then a T handle reamer is pulled through the barrel. The operation is to shave a few 1000's off or as little as needed. It could be very little. And, when done, the barrel would typically be at the very minimum of within spec. There is a youtube video on the procedure. Google to find it. If you do that, you will see the bolt is part of the procedure. When done the barrel is sized precisely with the bolt to be used. Last edited by fourbore; July 7, 2019 at 06:56 PM.

June 24, 2019, 02:47 PM	#2
P5 Guy Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2005 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 1,804	Kreiger

June 24, 2019, 03:57 PM	#3
1MoreFord Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2014 Location: Arkansas Posts: 244	Mine has a Hart on it.

June 24, 2019, 04:33 PM	#4
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Cut rifled barrels are best if they will be service rifle profiled. Kreiger has the best track record. 1:11 twist, 4 grooves, .298" to .299" bore diameter and .3075" groove, SAAMI spec chamber.

June 30, 2019, 07:28 PM	#14
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	rwilson, Barrel life starts with a new barrel and matters little how far the bullet has to move to first touch the rifling in the throat. Could be 1/4th inch further than 308 SAAMI spec if 220 to 240 grain bullets will be used. Palma rifle barrels often have about 1/10th inch less freebore as they shoot shorter 150 or 155 grain bullets. UncleNick, Tnanks for clarifying "short" chambers. "Rough" chambers has been in my mental dictionary for decades. Now I can add a synonym.

July 7, 2019, 07:12 PM	#16
fourbore Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2015 Location: new england Posts: 1,159	As for the lathe option. I have a lathe. I put a new barrel on a garand. You screw it in until it is indexed right. Then use a pull though reamer. The lathe was never an option. I suppose one could install the barrel, measure the headspace than remove the barrel and use a conventional reamer. That is not recommended. And a lathe is not part of the equation. You are not cutting threads and you cannot set the shoulder back on a chamber that is already short. It is not a short cut, nor is it in some way 2nd best or make do. It is the best way. That is install the barrel, then ream the headspace. If there is a better way, show me the video, or be extremely detailed in your words.