BigBlue 94
Member
I built my 30-06 rolling block rifle entirely on a Smithy bench top combination machine.
That takes skill and patience!
I built my 30-06 rolling block rifle entirely on a Smithy bench top combination machine.
And I invented some new cuss words... which I wont repeat here. Mods would harpoon me. Bench top machines are wonderful, within their limitations. Most of the machining on my 45-70 rifle was done at work using Les' milling machines. All of the machining on my 30-06 was done in my basement, on my Smithy machine, an hour here and an hour there after work. It took me seven years to complete it. Wish I could stand for more than thirty seconds without excruciating pain in my back. I want to try another project but...That takes skill and patience!
One of the greatest experiences I've had came from a YouTube video on how to rifle a barrel.
I had to try it! I took a square piece of steel stock, milled it into an octagon, then bored it on my HFT lathe.
I then hand made a "button" and pushed it through.
It worked! Looks beautiful too.
On my next build I'll do the same process.
So far I've always used rifled blanks & modified then as needed making everything else from scratch.
The old days of cheating are gone. Soon I'll be able to say I made everything but the steel.
Yes, the button determines the twist rate. It cuts the grooves as it is pushed through the bore. Much like a broach but spins as it travels.Ive seen how rifling was done in the early days. Does the button control the twist rate or something else?
The only rifling machine I spent any time around was a modified Rock Island Arsenal machine that was made to rifle .50 BMG barrels.It was modified to work with buttons or broaches.The button was turned by the movement of the ram.It takes a lot of force to pull a button and don't believe the button could turn itself.Our barrel men never tried.
A rifling machine can be as simple as the early gunsmith's rifling bench, with a fixed-pitch guide made from a wooden cylinder