chopping a barrel

[marine]

  I have a 223 ultra with a 24" barrel on it and i love this rifle.  To me its a very accurate rifle and i just seems to shoot well.  The weight gets to me though when im out walking around and i have been thinking of having my barrel chopped to 18".  
  My questions are, will i lose much accuracy doing this and is 6" going to save enough weight and balance well? Or should i go to 16 1/2".   I have been considering this for a long time and i finally have the funds to do it.

[MSP Ret]

 I don't know how much it is going to cost you to have it chopped (cheaper to do it yourself) but if it shoots good why not leave it the length it is and buy a used shorter ot lightweight (superlight) used barrel through the classifieds here? No real way of telling how your barrel will perform for you when it is shortened. I think it is a shame to cut down a perfectly good, excellent shooting, Ultra barrel, especially when used lightweight barrels can be had for a reasonable sum. How much do you figure on paying for the complete job of shortening and recrowning?....<><....

[marine]

not sure about the cost.  I figured about +/- $100 to have it done.  There are a few good gunsmiths in the area.  I thought about buying another barrel but i wouldnt want to switch them around all the time to suit what i was doing.  I have heavy barreled bolt actions that i can use at distance if needed.  Just interested in something custom that would mean alot to me.  

[bikerbeans]

Hi,

I have cut down 2 handi barrels this summer following the directions in the FAQs.  The supplies where under $5 bucks, hacksaw blade and grinding head to re-make the crown.  Both barrels shot the same or a tad better at 100 yards, but neither barrel was super accurate to begin with.  My two cents is to do it yourself but leave it long enough to have a professional fix it if you have problems.  I cut 3 1/2" inches off of a 22" standard contour 45-70 and weighed it, it was approx. 0.1 pounds per inch.  Your heavy barrel with the smaller bore will weigh more but if you chop 6 inches I doubt you remove more than a pound of weight. 

IF you do decide on a do it yourself project, just go slow.  The more square you make your cut the easier re-crown will be.  Also make sure to protect 18 inches of the barrel you are keeping as hacksaw like to jump around sometimes.

Good luck, and needless to say I am biased as I like the short barreled handis a bunch.

BB

[marine]

 Right on bikerbeans that is what i wanted to hear. I love a short barrel on any rifle!  just adds that bit of coolness to it.  I am not confident in my abilities to cut my own even if it is easy.  Parts and stoning i have no trouble but cutting just scares me.  I checked with a local GS and he quoted me $45 to cut , recrown and reblue the muzzle.

[bikerbeans]

Marine,

$45 doesn't sound too bad for a cut, crown and blueing.  I starred at the 45/70 barrel for a long time before I picked up the hacksaw.  The second barrel was easy.

BB

[marine]

Ive been staring at this barrel for 6 yrs thinking about it so it think monday will be the day.  Now i have to get a smaller scope.  I have a 4.5-14 on it now.

[Old Fart]

We'll expect pictures and a range report now.

[Macphoto]

If you chop it and don't like the balance, a synthetic stock is much lighter than the laminated one you have on there now.

[marine]

Dont you guys worry there will be gun porn.   If the balance is off i want to open up my stock,  kinda hollow it out like some thumbholes are.  Since it is laminate it should stay fairly strong.

[zoner]

you might try marking the barrel where you want to cut then pad and clamp the barrel in a vise and use a pipe cutter to start the cut. Go around once or twice lightly with the pipe cutter and you should have a good square mark to cut from....Mike

[gendoc]

things like this is why the good lord invented the milwaukee porta band, barrel vise and a level !!!
ooops... can't ferget tha cold beer too 

[marine]

  I have used tubing cutters for shotguns before.  That is a good idea to use one to score the barrel first.  I am going to have the gunsmith save the leftover barrel peice for me and then use it to practice on.  I should get a good bit that much barrel.

[MSP Ret]

Everything considered and the $45 cost I say cut it!! All the best and let us know how it works out and hoe you like it....<><....

[bikerbeans]

things like this is why the good lord invented the milwaukee porta band, barrel vise and a level !!!
ooops... can't ferget tha cold beer too 

Probably wouldn't hurt to make sure the chamber is MT also.   Not so sure about the porta band Doc, power tool would speed up the project you might not have enough time to finish all your beverages.

BB

[gendoc]

i only cut 1/2 a thou between refreshments
thataway its a perfect chop, no need for a file 
but you know, i cud be mistaken 

[Kal52]

cant wait for the pics, I like the shorties too, I had a slight prob when my smith did it  but its all good now.

Midway sells a guide, that clamps onto the barrel, keeps it square, pretty neat deal.
Im still too chicken 
good luck

Dave

[marine]

  I dropped it off at the smith today and told him to take it down to 18".  I cant wait to get it back and shoot it.  I have a week before i get it back but maybe sooner.  With a gunshow this weekend i am hoping i can find a nice used scope for it so i can do away with the monster i had on it before.

[guns-o-fun]

I cut a 243 barrel down to 18.5 inches - to use for rifle turkey hunting which is legal here.  With the shorter barrel, I can reduce loads so turkeys don't get turned into turkey salad, but still not reduce the loads to a potentially dangerous level.  This was not in a handi, but to give you an idea of the difference in velocity - factory loaded ammo that was advertised at 2950 fps out of a 24-inch barrel chronographed around 2740 average out of the 18.5.  So that's what - 30 to 40 fps per inch.  Accuracy remained good at 18.5 inches.  In fact, shortening a barrel is more likely to improve accuracy i.e., shorter, stiffer barrel = smaller vibrations.

[marine]

  I hope the accuracy is still there. Im a little nervous about having this done to a perfectly good rifle.  Ive killed alot of groundhogs with this gun and want to keep doing it.

[geezer56]

I have 2 handi rifles that have had surgery.  One is a 45-70, 18 inch barrel.  The other one is a 308 with a 16.030 in barrel.  Just barely, but it is legal.  I traded for it already cut down, the guy I got it from said it was professionally done.  Professional what, I don't know.  The end was cut off at an angle, and she was deburred with a rat tail file.  I had to cut off about a half inch and recrown it.  Luckily, I had access to a machine shop.  Neither one cost me a dime to do.  The 45-70 is very handy, I use it in the box blinds on the lease in Alabama.  I wouldn't put the 4 in of barrel back on that one for anything.  The 308 is a flamethrower, but faster powders and lower speed loads with cast bullets work nice in it.