Barrel Fitting

At a glance..

One of the major operations on guns is barrel replacement. The purpose is to give you the basic information on barrel fitting and how to make most of the equipment and tools needed in most shops.

The details..

In Barrel Fitting, Harold Hoffman shares his 30 plus years of experience as a Gunsmith, Toolmaker and Custom Knife maker with readers who want to learn basic shop tool making. This instructional book provides information on barrel replacement for factory-made arms that require fitting or high-powered rifles where manufacturers do not sell barrels. It also includes tips on how to remove old barrels from octagon barrels without damaging the receiver ring.

The author emphasizes the importance of having this knowledge since it makes up about 40% of all gun repair work. He explains that nearly all .22 rim-fire barrels and lever action rifle barrels are easily fitted with very little machine work required. Readers will find detailed instructions on how to set new tightly-fitted barrel shoulders by peening them carefully or using thin shim stock washers when necessary.

Changing Springfield, Enfield or Mauser type barresl can be simple if you have sturdy equipment such as an action wrench and barrel vise which must be mounted rigidly in cement or bolted onto heavy solid benchwork so they don't move while working on your firearm's parts.The jaws should be smooth enough not to mar finished surfaces but drilled steel may be needed for removals due to tight military fittings which need more force than usual.

Finally,the author warns against removing metal from the front part of receivers back always working only around the barrel area instead.He advises caution when filing down excess material off any given surface because taking too much off at once could ruin its integrity.Although there are few books available today covering Gunsmithing/Tool Making topics like Barrel Fitting,Hoffman has made sure his vast knowledge won't get lost over time.