Lengthening shotgun forcing cones at home

Grouse Man

Grouse Man

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
60   0   0
Location
Winnipeg
When my mind wanders to shotgunning, I think about the benefits of having lengthened and polished forcing cones in a couple of my guns. At about $50-75 per barrel, that's no small change. Then I realize that I have five 12ga shotgun barrels. So, I could buy the reamer from Brownell's for about $150 or so and then do all my barrels. And those of my buddies.

Does this sound possible for the home gunsmith? The barrels are 2 A5 (one that shoots steel and has a couple of dents in the cone already, the other trap), a Miroku O/U trap gun, and a Win 2200. To my knowledge none have chromed bores.

Grouse Man
 

Buy a chamber gauge as well so you can do them all to the same depth. I do mine using a lathe. I place the correct size deep socket in the 3 jaw chuck and insert the reamer in the socket and center the muzzle on the tailstock. The socket allows the reamer to "float" a bit and align itself in the barrel. If your hand gets tired holding the barrel from rotating you can usually find an area you can place a large Crescent Wrench on. If the reamer fills up or great resistance occurs having the deep socket in the 3 jaw chuck allows it to slip. You don't have to worry about twisting a barrel assembly. I do this at about 50 r.p.m.

You can also do it by hand holding the barrel in a padded vice. It takes a lot more effort. Flood the reamer with cutting oil in both methods.

I lightly polish the cut area afterwards with a long dowel in a high speed air tool and 120 grit abrasive. It doesn't need much.

I usually charge $40 to $45 per barrel.
 
Thanks for the tip. I've heard that the polish is just as important as the actual cutting. Do you use that red polishing compound?

Grouse Man
 
Grouse Man said:
Thanks for the tip. I've heard that the polish is just as important as the actual cutting. Do you use that red polishing compound?

Grouse Man
Click to expand...


I just polish lightly with 120 grit abrasive cloth. A good reamer cuts pretty smooth. If you want it really polished as a new barrel looks, you need to buy a couple of flex hones and flex hone oil. Fairly costly.
 
Grouse Man:

Have read some of your other posts - you seem a fairly knowledgeable fellow.
Why not leave the forcing cone work to the pros ?

Ever wonder why they don't sell chambering/forcing cone reamers and flex hones at Home Depot or Cdn. Tire ?
 
Well, to quote Red Green,

"If it ain't broke, you just aren't trying."

That's the thing, in gaining my knowledge I've read that other guys do it themselves at home. I have two barrels which use steel shot, and another two are on a trap gun. It seems like one of those things which one could do reasonably well at home. That and the fact that I have a buddy who is a machinist/gunsmith. 8) I'll buy the cutter, he'll help me out, and we'll do everybody's guns.

Grouse Man
 
I've done both of my 870 barrels as well as the Cooeye 84 I have. I've also done my buddies 870 barrel. Lots of cutting oil, wooden blocks in the bench vise and a choke/forcing cone hone from Brownells. I hold the reamer in a 1/2 inch drive socket with a T-bar to turn it.
 
Last edited:
Grouseman,

Have you pursued this ? just stumbled on the thread and see you started it in 05.
I have a 12 ga forcing cone reamer and have done this myself on a few of my guns over the years. If you're still interested in having this done, shoot me a PM, I can certainly beat the quoted prices.

Tim.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom