Where to get a chamber cut in an M1a barrel?

Tom Morrison

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Any idea who can cut a short chamber in anM1a barrel? Would prefer Western Canada, also wondering cost for service?

Thanks for any insight.

I should clarify, that it does not have a short chamber that needs finished, it has no chamber.
 
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Do you need just a chamber, or do you also need feed ramps and the bolt shroud recess cut?

If you need the whole meal deal, most M14 smiths aren't even set up for the job. It also has to be perfectly indexed with the gas pot and sight splines - not for the feint of heart.

To do the job properly, you need a large knee mill with a vertical rotary table and a mounted 4 jaw chuck. The milling head is rotated 90 degrees and you cut the bolt recess with a ball cutter end mill and then plunge-cut the feed ramps after with the cutter set at an angle. I'd have to go check the drawing, but I think it's around 45 degrees. Prior to doing that, you need to align the barrel in the chuck so that the sight splines would put the front sight at top dead centre so you rotate the barrel to known coordinates for the cuts in accordance with the M14 barrel drawing.

You only chamber the barrel using a .300" live centre pilot roughing reamer AFTER the other operations are completed.

Hopefully all that work is already done and you just need a chamber. Anyone with a lathe and a roughing reamer can short-chamber a barrel for you.

Lastly, if you also need it threaded, it's an interesting experience cutting an indexed square thread on a manual lathe ;)

For what it's worth, I've never personally done this particular job, but have seen it done in person at Crane Naval Surface Warfare Centre. It takes a real craftsman.

The mass producers use a CNC machine for a reason.
 
in that case, because I'm not sure if m14medic is set up for that.... you probably want Nick at Vulcan or Jason spencer at *Gunco but these fellas are not in western Canada.
 
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In case anyone does decide to use gunco, they have no website. You have to call. 613-224-6266.

Some of the best smithing work in canada though, so worth the phone call.
 
Thanks Claven, I just need the chamber cut, the feed ramps and recess are done as is the threading.

Is the barrel short chambered or does it have no chamber started at all?
If it is short chambered, all you need is a pull reamer set, and gauges to check. Do you have a barrel vise and receiver wrench?
If no chamber has been started, a lathe is pretty much mandatory.
 
Is the barrel short chambered or does it have no chamber started at all?
If it is short chambered, all you need is a pull reamer set, and gauges to check. Do you have a barrel vise and receiver wrench?
If no chamber has been started, a lathe is pretty much mandatory.

No chamber started. I’ve finished a couple of short chamber builds, and have all the tools needed, but a from scratch chamber is going to take a couple more. I’ve got a long bed Myford, and a plan on how to geter done. Thanks.
 
No chamber started. I’ve finished a couple of short chamber builds, and have all the tools needed, but a from scratch chamber is going to take a couple more. I’ve got a long bed Myford, and a plan on how to geter done. Thanks.

Be very careful. It's easy to cut to wide or long a chamber.
 
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