Success Stories lining Shotgun Barrels?

[jkpq45]

Hello All,

I know a few (bikerbeans, trotterlg, etc.) have had success turning down donor barrels on a lathe, then epoxying them into place in a donor shotgun barrel.

What calibers have been done using this process?  I'm in the process of turning down a donor .204 Ruger barrel to fit my 12 gauge barrel, and am confident it will be safe once mated with my SB-2 receiver, but curious to hear any success stories available.

Also, any tips for how to lengthen the 12 gauge barrel's ejector to play with the .204 Ruger's head?

Thanks!
jkpq45

[LaOtto222]

Everyone has their preferances on how to do a "stub". This is my opinon - I think they need to be threaded in, not epoxied. I think if the case is safe in a T/C Contender, then it should be safe in a stub, because the OD of the stub will be about the same as the OD of a T/C barrel. Sooo a .204 Ruger should be OK for a Stub IMHO. As far as the ejector is concerned, just bite the bullet and order a 223 ejector and do not worry about trying to modify another one. Like I said everyone has their own idea how to do it, and you are free to do it any way you like.

Good Shooting and Good Luck

[Jason F]

I have 2 of them that are epoxied and two that are stubbed.  They all shoot great.

[jkpq45]

Hi Jason, thanks for the input.  All 4 are based on shotgun barrels?  What calibers?

[jedman]

  I have built over a dozen handi and other barrels using a liner barrel inside of a shotgun barrel. The calibers I have made have ranged from .277 to .452 but nearly anything is possible. When using take off barrels the smallest diameter at the length you want to make the finished barrel will determine what gauge barrel you need to start with. Such as .610 for a 20 ga.   .665 for a 16 ga.   and .720 for a 12 ga.
   I have also built several stubbed barrels and for most applications the liner method is less work to finish a barrel. Several advantages of using the liner method are that you dont have to make a forend attachment , If the shotgun barrel has good bluing the finished barrel will not need reblued or parkerized and standard unmodified forends will fit.
  Either method requires the same work to rework the ejector or extractor.  using the stub method you can go with a barrel or blank with most any contour as long as you have enough diameter at the chamber end. With the shotgun / liner method you can either use the outer barrel as is such as a Pardner barrel or for a slimmer profile you can use a Topper barrel.
 Both methods are equal as far as accuracy if done correctly and if a good barrel is used either way.
  The epoxy used to retain the barrel liner only does that, it holds no breech thrust or  any other stress from the fired cartridge.
  If you are making a 204 Ruger liner in a 12 ga. barrel a standard unmodified ejector for a 223 Rem. will work as is.
    Jedman
 
 

[jkpq45]

Hi jedman,

Any guidance on maximum head diameter/pressure to use in each gauge of shotgun barrel?  I have a 204 Ruger (222 Rem Mag case head) barrel and am debating the safety of putting it into one of my 20 ga barrels.

That being said, the 44 Magnum barrel blank I have seems like it should be OK in the 20 ga barrel, but I may be way off.

Any advice is appreciated!
jkpq45

[jedman]

   This is only my opinion,  I feel like Larry T does in that the stub or the outer barrel does little or nothing to support chamber pressures. I feel confident in having .150 of wall thickness on most med. pressure chamberings, on a high pressure bottlenecked cartridge maybe more as in as much as is possible. I have done 44 mags and 45 ACP on a 20 ga. barrels without boring the chamber larger.   On some large head diameter cartridges I bore the chamber to a larger diameter but allways headspace the liner so that when you dry fit the liner before the epoxy it stops at the front of the bored chamber or the forcing cone section of the shotgun barrel.  If there is still a rim recess I also leave a rim on the liner to match, When you have it fitted where the breech face of the liner is perfect flush with the shotgun barrel you epoxy it in. I leave the shotgun barrel a inch or so longer than the liner barrel and have a length of 1/4 20 all thread rod  with a heavy flat washer and nut at the breech end  and a small washer and nut at the muzzle end . The large dia. heavy flat washer at the chamber end provides a positive stop at the breech face of the shotgun barrel and the smaller than the liners OD washer and nut at the muzzle end keep epoxy from getting in the bore and allow you to capture the liner barrel and leave several inches of threads at the muzzle  end so it sticks out of the muzzle of the shotgun barrel as you will need a large flat washer and nut there to pull the liner into the shotgun bore.  And allways use a extended working time epoxy to give yourself some time to work.  I once tried to use a epoxy that was suppose to have 30 mins. working time, it started setting up before I had the liner pulled all the way in ( about 5-7 minutes after mixing .  I was not able to get the liner seated fully before the epoxy set up, under 10 mins.   Al I can say is there is no force in heaven or on earth that will move them or pull them apart after the epoxy sets , even after heating them red hot twice . If I ever try again to salvage the liner I will have to cut the outer barrel off on the lathe.
  I cut the barrel to the finish length and cut the crown as the last step.  You may find a different or better way to do you own.
 I have added a couple pics of a barrel I am working on now, still unfinished.
    Jed

[cudatruck]

has anyone done a .327 federal? what extractor would work?

[jkpq45]

With a rim diameter of 0.375" for the .327 FMag, I'd suggest the .204 Ruger extractor/ejector at 0.378" rim diameter (might need to file n' tweak a bit.)

[jkpq45]

I successfully fired my 44 Mag liner in my 12ga barrel this weekend.  Now just need to fit the ejector that came from Numrich....

Also, my loads were 255gn air-cooled wheel-weights lubed with a JPW/alox/grease mix.  Ahead of a modest dose of Clays, recoil was nothing.  Will pick up some IMR-4227 in the near future for some REAL loads.

Just as soon as I can get my powder coater working....

[tom548]

Few years back I built a 7.62 X 39 on a .308 dia barrel.  I cut the 30 cal. barrel so it would fit in a 3" 12 gage chamber but also I threaded the end of the 30 cal. barrel and built a SS nut that fit in side the muzzle of the 12 gage barrel and also against the end of it. This allowed me to tention the barrel. 
With just a little playing I got 1 hole 5 shot groups at 100yd. and 3/4" group at 200 yd.
The system works like the Dan Wesson hand gun. 

[jkpq45]

tom548, I found a $5 AR flash hider that I may incorporate into my system just the way you did.  I like the DW tension approach; it seems to have made some fine, accurate handguns for that brand.

Thanks for the advice!