Cutting down a barrel?

Status
Not open for further replies.

bikerdoc

Moderator In Memoriam
Joined
Jan 8, 2008
Messages
25,191
Location
Southern Virginia
I never did this so go easy on me if it a stupid question.

I have a 5 inch Heritage Rough Rider with both a 22 LR and a 22Magnum Cylinder.

I'm thinking I would like to shorten the barrel to 4 inches.

1 Can I do it myself? I have no machine tools. Or get a gunsmith?
2 Is it Worth it? It is a very inexpensive weapon.

What say ya'all?
 
I wouldn't do it, as I have no experience re-crowning the muzzle.
 
you can do it! The sight would be the hardest part, just order the appropriate drill bit and thread tap, and set up some kind of jig to keep your drill square in both directions, and be very careful not to drill too deep! Patience is the key. Also, be careful, you might really enjoy yourself and start creating more gun related projects.
 
I second what Armored Farmer stated. I would buy another one with the length of barrel needed. Heck you could use that gun you want to chop up as a trade or sell it towards funding the new purchase.
 
Years ago I had a 6 1/2" Ruger Single Six and decided to do exactly what you are planning. The Ruger front sight base was held on with a screw so getting it off was easy. I cut the barrel as short as possible with the ejector rod housing. I'm think it was about 4 3/4". I then epoxied the front sight back in place. It actually looked pretty good and shot just fine.
 
The barrel is press fit to the frame so it will not come off. Cutting the barrel square and the recrown would be the hard part IMO. Marking the sight location permanently on the barrel where the new one goes before cutting is the best way for that part.
 
Cutting and recrowning the barrel is the easy part. Dovetailing, soldering, or D&T’ing the front sight with appropriate alignment and cut to the appropriate height is typically the more expensive part.

The job can be done with less tools, but for me, cutting a barrel like that involves a chop saw, a piloted facing cutter, a piloted crowning cutter, a piloted brass lapping blunt, a bevel/radius cutter, then either a Dixie Gunworks dovetail guide and files for a dovetail sight like Fermin Garza’s, or a Power Custom front sight jig for a soldered sight, or the PC jig plus a wheeler D&T jig for a screw on sight. I’d have to go to my books or review online prices to be sure, but I’m fairly certain those tools tally up to enough money to have bought 3 or more Rough Riders.

A consideration also to be made - when cutting down a single action revolver, you can’t pick any barrel length you want without consequences. The old front sight location, ERH screw location, or original ERH screw location vs. new screw location have to be considered - as do the availability of parts and the practical functionality of the results.

For example - it’s easy to cut a barrel back to the same length as the original ERH, as long as the original front sight groove does not reach the end of the ERH. Else you’ll have an unsightly groove at the tip of your barrel in front of your new sight (may be covered with a screw on sight base). If cutting SHORTER than the ERH, then you have to cut enough to get behind the original ERH screw, and then need to drill another - which means either cutting to a length appropriate for a factory offered ERH, or cutting down and recontouring the end of an existing housing. The latter means you have to do several measurements to understand how much extraction length you’ll have left, then drilling a new ERH screw at the appropriate angle around the barrel, and hand fitting the new ERH for length (and ER, but that’s easy).

Hell of a lot of work for a revolver which could be replaced with a factory model of your desired length for $200.
 
I don't understand this thread. First, why shorten to 4 inches? Will it become a CC piece? If so, that barrel length is too long. What is wrong with the 5" original length? Next, why care about a Heritage? They define "bottom of the barrel", without violating Saturday Night Specials laws, etc. To me they seem like an ideal first revolver, no matter what, and are extremely economical right out of the box. Or is this a "tinkerer's first project" to simply occupy one's time? Then, there is the "problem" with the .22 Mag. aspect of the revolver. The shorter the barrel, the more useless the Mag. becomes, because it was a cartridge designed for rifle, considering its extra power. (see ballisticsbytheinch for more info).
 
I never did this so go easy on me if it a stupid question.

I have a 5 inch Heritage Rough Rider with both a 22 LR and a 22Magnum Cylinder.

I'm thinking I would like to shorten the barrel to 4 inches.

1 Can I do it myself? I have no machine tools. Or get a gunsmith?
2 Is it Worth it? It is a very inexpensive weapon.

What say ya'all?
 
My suggestion is to use a band saw and cut the barrel “slightly” longer than the ejector rod. Brownells sells a crowning tool that can accept a .22 cal. arbor. You can then face the barrel and give your revolver a nice 11 degree crown.
 
Saw the barrel it is a easy job, tap the sights straight may need some experienced hands, don't use a vice put the tap on a drill press slowly hand turn the drill.
Lastly, the crown will tell you how did you do it in general, have no experience crowning a barrel.
I'm not a gunsmith.

czhen
FL
 
Cutting and recrowning the barrel is the easy part. Dovetailing, soldering, or D&T’ing the front sight with appropriate alignment and cut to the appropriate height is typically the more expensive part.

The job can be done with less tools, but for me, cutting a barrel like that involves a chop saw, a piloted facing cutter, a piloted crowning cutter, a piloted brass lapping blunt, a bevel/radius cutter, then either a Dixie Gunworks dovetail guide and files for a dovetail sight like Fermin Garza’s, or a Power Custom front sight jig for a soldered sight, or the PC jig plus a wheeler D&T jig for a screw on sight. I’d have to go to my books or review online prices to be sure, but I’m fairly certain those tools tally up to enough money to have bought 3 or more Rough Riders.

A consideration also to be made - when cutting down a single action revolver, you can’t pick any barrel length you want without consequences. The old front sight location, ERH screw location, or original ERH screw location vs. new screw location have to be considered - as do the availability of parts and the practical functionality of the results.

For example - it’s easy to cut a barrel back to the same length as the original ERH, as long as the original front sight groove does not reach the end of the ERH. Else you’ll have an unsightly groove at the tip of your barrel in front of your new sight (may be covered with a screw on sight base). If cutting SHORTER than the ERH, then you have to cut enough to get behind the original ERH screw, and then need to drill another - which means either cutting to a length appropriate for a factory offered ERH, or cutting down and recontouring the end of an existing housing. The latter means you have to do several measurements to understand how much extraction length you’ll have left, then drilling a new ERH screw at the appropriate angle around the barrel, and hand fitting the new ERH for length (and ER, but that’s easy).

Hell of a lot of work for a revolver which could be replaced with a factory model of your desired length for $200.

Like this. It makes the task as easy as it gets. Brownells should have everything you need, but you'll be in to it more than a new revolver would cost. Still, beats watching TV!
 
Unless you just want the experience of doing this I'm with the "buy another one with a shorter barrel" crowd. It seem a bit pointless on a gun in their price range.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top