Just bought a barrel and was wondering what a smith would charge to install barrel extension, drill gas port, possibly turn for gas block and ream it from 223 rem to 223 wylde? Is this economical to do? Any suggested gunsmiths?
Barrel gunsmithing.
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Sounds like you have a barrel blank. Making it into a semi-auto rifle barrel, like say an AR-15, is expensive. Far more involved than just chambering and drilling a few holes.
Epp's wants $225 to do it for a bolt action.
What do you mean by a "barrel extension"? If you're thinking OAL to make it a non-restricted rifle, you can't add an extension to do that.
Epp's wants $225 to do it for a bolt action.
What do you mean by a "barrel extension"? If you're thinking OAL to make it a non-restricted rifle, you can't add an extension to do that.
Not really. The only added requirement is profiling which is all essentially straight taper and doesn't take all that much work. I've made dozens of AR barrels on my manual lathe and the chambering is the most difficult portion because of the precision involved.
Barrel extension .... you know like the one required to fit it to an AR15 ..... like you mentioned above? Or after 22k posts did you not know that an AR barrel has an extension?
Sunray, I have a question: Have you ever made a single post on CGN in which you actually had a clue what you were saying? Inquiring minds want to know ........
I'll clear it up a bit. Bought a barrel for a savage off of the ee. Douglas #4 contour in 223 rem. stainless. Barrel is threaded for savage and finished (crowned and threaded and chambered for savage small shank) Really bought it for my savage but just bought an ar and was thinking about having an "accurate upper". Barrel extension is to allow the barrel to go on the ar.
I've made a number of AR barrels, starting with a blank.
Installing the barrel extension is akin to fitting a barrel to a rifle receiver, with chamber reaming and headspace adjustment.
Installing the gas block will require machining the diameter and, ideally, a shoulder. Drilling the gas port is a job that has to be done very carefully.
The blank may need to be contoured as required.
There are going to be a lot of billable hours if you are going to pay a 'smith to do it.
I have retro fitted a small shank Savage barrel to an AR. It is definitely do-able.
Installing the barrel extension is akin to fitting a barrel to a rifle receiver, with chamber reaming and headspace adjustment.
Installing the gas block will require machining the diameter and, ideally, a shoulder. Drilling the gas port is a job that has to be done very carefully.
The blank may need to be contoured as required.
There are going to be a lot of billable hours if you are going to pay a 'smith to do it.
I have retro fitted a small shank Savage barrel to an AR. It is definitely do-able.
Is this a profiled blank or is it straight taper? By your comment it seems to be already chambered? But is it threaded to fit an action? If not, how the hell was the headspace determined? If it is threaded for an action, what action?
You are gonna need to answer those before anyone can give you an idea of the work that can be done.
Just so you know, the difference between 223 Rem and 223 Wylde is all in the throat. It is not a simple process to alter the throat to the correct specs without touching the chamber itself, which will in turn affect the headspace. There are simple throat reamers but ensuring that the new throat is the correct Wylde spec is not so simple an operation. Unless you have a very good reason to need the Wylde chamber, I'd just leave it alone.
The problem with going this route is the OD of the barrel. An AR has a max OD of around .900" Your current barrel is prob around 1.250" OD. That makes for a fair bit of metal to be removed over a long thin tube. That means vibration will be a problem and it will take a bit of time to do. Once the blank is turned down to size then it is a fairly straight forward process to produce an AR bbl.
At this point if you have to have a Wylde chamber then the smartest thing would be to simply cut off a portion of the chamber and entirely rechamber the thing. Avoids having to bugger around with altering an existing chamber.
Probably the simplest route would be to sell the Savage bbl and buy the bbl you want.
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You can get Kreiger AR barrels with a barrel extension already installed, gas port etc. for $400......
North shore barrels is where I sourced my 20". Mine was short chambered, so I had a smith finish cut my chamber with the bolt I was using for the build.... Cost was $60 iirc......
I'm pretty sure if you are re-purposing a Savage pre-fit, and you are not doing the work yourself, the smithing fees will quickly eat up the $$ saved and then some.....
My $.02
North shore barrels is where I sourced my 20". Mine was short chambered, so I had a smith finish cut my chamber with the bolt I was using for the build.... Cost was $60 iirc......
I'm pretty sure if you are re-purposing a Savage pre-fit, and you are not doing the work yourself, the smithing fees will quickly eat up the $$ saved and then some.....
My $.02
The shoulder is really important. It ensures the gas block gas port is properly located over the barrel gas port. The gas port in the barrel is all a matter of setup. It is a bit finicky.
Ok got it. Wasn't aware that the outside dimension would be a problem. The wylde part of it isn't a game changer for me was just figuring if ever 556 ended up in there but will probably be shooting 223.
Is the outside diameter an issue because of gas tube clearance?
Is the outside diameter an issue because of gas tube clearance?
No. The barrel nut won't fit over anything larger than about .900" No part of an AR bbl can be larger than what the bbl nut will fit over.
I don't have the dimensions of a #4 contour at hand, but this is how I would handle the job...
Turn and thread the barrel shank to fit the barrel extension. Use the Wylde reamer when the heaspace is being set. The chamber mouth will be chamferred and polished for feeding. Drill and install the index pin.
Determine where the shoulder for the gas block will be. This is a fixed measurement. Cut the barrel to just over the desired finished overall length. Turn the barrel from muzzle to shoulder. Diameter at the shoulder is critical for good fit of the gas block; closer to the muzzle, not so much. I would set this up for turning by chucking the barrel up just to the rear of the shoulder, indicating it in. The muzzle would be on the liver center. In front of the gas block, turn the barrel to the desired diameter. This is cylindrical, no taper. Rechuck the barrel, indicate in, thread for a muzzle device, and crown. If installing a precision brake, screw on the brake, and bore it to the desired ID. The diameter from the gas block back toward the breech is adjusted as appropriate. Install the barrel in an upper, determine TDC for the gas port, as well as the location of the gas port in front of the shoulder.
I drive a lead slug into the bore before drilling the port.
This is a summary of the process that I have used successfully.
Turn and thread the barrel shank to fit the barrel extension. Use the Wylde reamer when the heaspace is being set. The chamber mouth will be chamferred and polished for feeding. Drill and install the index pin.
Determine where the shoulder for the gas block will be. This is a fixed measurement. Cut the barrel to just over the desired finished overall length. Turn the barrel from muzzle to shoulder. Diameter at the shoulder is critical for good fit of the gas block; closer to the muzzle, not so much. I would set this up for turning by chucking the barrel up just to the rear of the shoulder, indicating it in. The muzzle would be on the liver center. In front of the gas block, turn the barrel to the desired diameter. This is cylindrical, no taper. Rechuck the barrel, indicate in, thread for a muzzle device, and crown. If installing a precision brake, screw on the brake, and bore it to the desired ID. The diameter from the gas block back toward the breech is adjusted as appropriate. Install the barrel in an upper, determine TDC for the gas port, as well as the location of the gas port in front of the shoulder.
I drive a lead slug into the bore before drilling the port.
This is a summary of the process that I have used successfully.
Tiriaq - the hole should already be drilled in the extension. While i have seen people drill into the threads it's not really necessary (unless your pin is too long?). The pin is only for indexing the barrel. The 150 ft-lbs of torque keeps the extension locked. 
I prefer to deepen the hole into the threads a bit. Then again, I'm making my own index pins, and appreciate a positive fit.
Didn't mention before, but it is important to use the proper tools to hold the barrel and barrel extension when the extension is torqued onto the barrel.
Didn't mention before, but it is important to use the proper tools to hold the barrel and barrel extension when the extension is torqued onto the barrel.
Thanks for the info.
Tiriaq that is very similar to how I've seen it done on YouTube.
I have access to a lathe of sufficient size and an operator of said machine. He has done crank and cam shafts etc. just haven't asked him about his threading abilities. I'm still waiting on the barrel to show up and will take a look at the measurements and see if I feel like risking it. Maybe I can get the straight stuff turned by him and just get the smith to do the barrel extension/headspacing.
Don't they have clamp on gas blocks which would negate the need to machine to end of barrel.
Recommendations on smiths? Do any of you guys provide this service?
Tiriaq that is very similar to how I've seen it done on YouTube.
I have access to a lathe of sufficient size and an operator of said machine. He has done crank and cam shafts etc. just haven't asked him about his threading abilities. I'm still waiting on the barrel to show up and will take a look at the measurements and see if I feel like risking it. Maybe I can get the straight stuff turned by him and just get the smith to do the barrel extension/headspacing.
Don't they have clamp on gas blocks which would negate the need to machine to end of barrel.
Recommendations on smiths? Do any of you guys provide this service?
When I fitted the small shank Savage, I learned that it is possible to repurpose one of these without using a reamer, if one is really careful. The case projection fom the breech face is appropriate. I missed by about three thou, and finished headspacing with a hand turned reamer, but the Savage is a pretty good start.
I would fit the barrel extension first.
I would fit the barrel extension first.
