Can I make a Lug for a Contender

[Tommyt]

 
  Couldn't I take a piece of steel 2 &1/4"  X 3/4"  X 1/2"  and make my own lug for any barrel I would like on my  Contender   Just some day Dreaming also while dreaming can I buy the lugs anywhere ??
 Thanks
Tommyt

[drichi]

coyote guns sells lugs for $25.00 for contenders,  dave

[Keith L]

You can easily polish the locking bolts down to the necessary size.  In most cases it is only a few thousandths that have to be removed.  I leave the bolt on the barrel and polish it with a fine stone.  I put the barrel back on the frame frequently and test if it locks up completely.  I have never had one take more than a few minutes to get to fit.

I will spend a little time far faster than spending the $25.00.

[Graybeard]

NOT a smart plan. Welding those lugs on is NOT a simple matter. You have both the problem of perfectly locating it and the matter of safety of making sure it is properly welded. This is a matter of preheating and mainting that heat both for a proper period. A very complicated matter not for the do at home crowd really. Numerous folks have tried it who call themselves both machinist and gunsmiths and more have ended up with unsafe barrels that will turn loose than good safe ones.

I highly recommend you abandon the idea and let someone who is already known to be able to do it safely take care of the chore for you. If you don't please don't ever sell that barrel and put it out for someone else to get maimed or killed using.

[Keith L]

I missed the point of the post, but Bill caught it.  Often we see the bolts called lugs, and that is what I thought you were speaking about.  Now that I paid attention to the size of material you were discussing I see what you were asking.

Bill is right.  You really need to know what you are doing.

[Tommyt]

I fully understand the danger and I'll try to talk around it.
  I was just thinking about take off barrels and other barrels that could be had at a good cost or free
 I don't know the whole length and cost but knowing 2 welders that have Good back Grounds in Medical and NASA works,  this maybe a good  venture too try one.  Heck everyone started somewhere and even the blind squirrel finds a nut.
 I just thought having the Lug welded to the barrel square would have to be correct and precise then I'd work from there to mount sights or Scope mounts

Just a mockup
 : Lug & Lockbolt, Spring, Extractor, & Roll Pins   $ 50
barrel 25
Drill tap for scope 25
welding free

I'm out a 100 ??

this week I'll talk to the welders and see what they think as far as heat and what else they can  think of
I did not add Finish too cost , but for  trial I  will use paint I'm concerned more in function

Anyone have a free/cheep  barrel   

[Ken ONeill]

I am 100% in support of Graybeard's thoughts. Unfortunately, sometimes a man's mind is made up, so these comments are offered for the rest of you.

[The Old Redneck]

     I'm not in disagreement with those that tried to discourage you, and will tell you that you can find a lot of good used factory barrels around gun shows and different places. I have been building guns and wildcats for well over 40 years. A gunsmith friend that is dead now got me started building my own Contender barrels years ago. He said something back then I understand better now, "Son, if you can't build your own, don't buy someone elses." What he was talking about was buying parts to build guns. Yes, I understand you can buy and replace broken parts in a gun and not be a gunsmith. What he was talking about was building guns. Nothing wrong with buying and putting kits together. It is the ability to understand what makes a gun work, and the stress different parts are under he was talking about. It is not just attach part A to part B, but why you have to have things heat treated, and things like that. Spend a few dollars and buy a barrel, before you try to take short cuts, and get in trouble. Yes you can buy a block, hire a welder to weld it to a barrel, you will be able to buy a used barrel cheaper at the end of the day, or have a custom barrel built. When you understand the why's, then build your own.

[Tommyt]

The Old Redneck
 
Thank you , I am Listening
and I Listen well

[skb2706]

I fully understand the danger and I'll try to talk around it.
  I was just thinking about take off barrels and other barrels that could be had at a good cost or free
 I don't know the whole length and cost but knowing 2 welders that have Good back Grounds in Medical and NASA works,  this maybe a good  venture too try one.  Heck everyone started somewhere and even the blind squirrel finds a nut.
 I just thought having the Lug welded to the barrel square would have to be correct and precise then I'd work from there to mount sights or Scope mounts

Just a mockup
 : Lug & Lockbolt, Spring, Extractor, & Roll Pins   $ 50
barrel 25
Drill tap for scope 25
welding free

I'm out a 100 ??

this week I'll talk to the welders and see what they think as far as heat and what else they can  think of
I did not add Finish too cost , but for  trial I  will use paint I'm concerned more in function

Anyone have a free/cheep  barrel   

Your mockup left out several important costs

liability                                      millions

education and required skills        thousands

materials (you are planning on using what material)

testing (you are planning on testing ?) thousands

There is no doubt in my mind that it could easily be done right here in my shop. We have everything we'd need. No doubt that is exactly how guys like Bullberry, MGM, VanHorn, JD Jones all started. I am also quite sure they could add alot of other costs to you "mockup". For now I am fine with letting them bear the burden of that and I'll spend my time shooting.

[Tommyt]

Your mockup left out several important costs

liability                                      millions

education and required skills        thousands

materials (you are planning on using what material)

testing (you are planning on testing ?) thousands

There is no doubt in my mind that it could easily be done right here in my shop. We have everything we'd need. No doubt that is exactly how guys like Bullberry, MGM, VanHorn, JD Jones all started. I am also quite sure they could add alot of other costs to you "mockup". For now I am fine with letting them bear the burden of that and I'll spend my time shooting.

First and Formost this post was not to bring out anger so Please don't get upset   I'll ask too have it deleated if it goes there

You state liability  = millions ....    I want to do this (if I choose) for myself and only myself and as GB asked and  stated if I do ...
IT WOULD NEVER BE SOLD

   education and required skills thousands   I tend to learn a little each day and skill is too broad to type

materials (you are planning on using what material)       Barrel and Locking lug

testing (you are planning on testing ?) thousands   I will find (look into) having the welds checked (tested) 

[Keith L]

Any one of a kind work that may pose a danger to others requires extra consideration.  What will happen to this barrel if something happens to us and we can no longer control it (such as death, incapacitation, etc.)?  If this falls into the hands of a family member could it pose a risk? What if it gets stolen and misused?  What is your liability in that situation?

These days we all need to be careful.  Things that at one time would have been interesting experiments now may be what it takes to tie us up for life financially.

[The Old Redneck]

 Sir,as a kid I ask more questions than Job would have the patients to answer. I also had some of the greatest mentors in the world. To begin with start with a rim fire when your learning, the pressures are lower, you have more steel with the small calibers. More steel equals more strength, also your welds are not as critical with a 22 long rifle as a 223. You will need to buy your block with out the hinge pin hole. Welding has a way of making steel move with the heat. A perfect set up after it cools may, or I should say will probably be off enough that your pin will not line up. Drilling after the welding takes care or that. It can be welded with any one of several different type welds. Tig will work best using a rod that matches barrel and block steel, and will require less grinding and finishing. Things like your extractor groove can be done without a mill before the block is welded on. A rim fire extractor has to fit perfect or the cases will bulge and hang. Your barrel has to match factory specs in the lug area for your measurement for the hinge pin to work. As you can see it is do able, but a lot of work and special tools are hard to get around. It takes me a day from blank, to a shootable barrel, and that does not include polishing, blueing, etc. At the trade I work at it is cheaper for me to work and buy a barrel. The last gun show I went to I bought a wildcat barrel with dies for less than my labor was worth to make them. Practice doing a lot of welding, if your going to hire this stuff done then buy a barrel, it will be a lot cheaper. Building one your self ain't cheap. At least now you have a look into what building one takes. The doing is a real eye opener. Graybeard, I pray you understand the lesson in Contender barrels, and if you want to delete this I have no problems with your decision. Thanks for a great site. FB

[Jim Stacy]

Tommy I say give it a try if you want to . Be careful of the finished product and like RN said try a 22 RF barrel first.
It will be an interesting  project for you and your friends to do.  One cost the other post left out is the chamber reamer and you can rent those , save you a few bucks over buying one.
Mark Twain said "The person holding the wild cat is getting twice the information of the person watching them".
I have built things all of my life and find I learn a lot on each attempt. It sounds like you have good welders . Are you a machinist? Just curiosity question . We had a story on Graybeard's  NEF site of some one building a NEF barrel by the stub method , was a good read and fun to watch. Good luck on your project and be careful.  Jim

[skb2706]

Your mockup left out several important costs

liability                                      millions

education and required skills        thousands

materials (you are planning on using what material)

testing (you are planning on testing ?) thousands

There is no doubt in my mind that it could easily be done right here in my shop. We have everything we'd need. No doubt that is exactly how guys like Bullberry, MGM, VanHorn, JD Jones all started. I am also quite sure they could add alot of other costs to you "mockup". For now I am fine with letting them bear the burden of that and I'll spend my time shooting.

First and Formost this post was not to bring out anger so Please don't get upset   I'll ask too have it deleated if it goes there

 

No anger.....getting mad on the internet in text is a silly non-productive excercise. I have actually considered the project in the past. As I said I have the shop, skills and material. As fabricating projects go it is not a complex group of parts. You can buy extractors, springs, roll pins and locking bolts fairly easy (unless you want to include them in the machine work too). You are left with two parts welded together, the joining of which is not brain surgery.

[SHOOTALL]

Graybeard made the most sense and the cost thing left out the fore end , if new bbl was a different contour , size or shape  a new one would need to be fabricated and attachment points made on the bbl not cheap , if you do make the bbl ya might talk to someone who makes turkey shoot guns , they put the ring ( bbl hanger )on 870 rem bbls sometimes ( i have seen some come off at matches ) , make sure the gun is on face and x-ray the weld and proof it ( from cover ) . good luck !  THERE ARE OLD GUN NUTS AND THERE ARE BOLD GUN NUTS BUT NOT MANY BOLD OLD GUN NUTS !

[Tommyt]

 Thanks guys I am sure I'll try this sometime.......... but not sometime soon I've got alot of reading too do
  I came here and asked just too hear thought ,Ideas , pick a mind or two.
But unfortunately I'm not good at typing what I'm saying...........     
 I will just buy a lug,set and have it welded on a Barrel , not Big Rocket science but still a concern to have it done correct
  I want to Thank you all for posting and too those who have emailed , I do appreciate all your thoughts, Helpful links and shared experience's ,Makes a Guy Proud to be American when your on the net and complete stranger's  reach out to help and voice their  interest and concern of my safety
Thanks
Tommyt   

[JD HHI 6092®]

A few years ago I had a chance to spend a day at SSK Industries.  JD Jones showed us his shop and let us shoot a few of his toys.  He told us that SSK sends their barrels out to have the lugs welded be cause it needed to be done just right.  He told us who did it but this was several years ago. 

[skarke]

You can get a quality lug here.

http://www.coyoteguns.com/build_barrel.htm

If you have any concerns about the quality of your welds, I beseech you to have them inspected by a quality welder.  Heed his comments and adjust your technique, if necessary.  You must have good penetration of your welds, consider 80% or more.

That said, you can make all kinds of cool barrels for under $100 using a low end barrel, and stainless tack drivers (QC of manufacture assumed) for under $200 each.

It can be done, but for God's sake please know your skill level and limitations.

FWIW, JMHO.

[Tommyt]

"Yes what you said is Exactly" Thank you this is my Intentions
I stated Lug in the starting post but I found out immediately ,I could buy the lugs !! that's when I felt it got alot easier and less involved

Build it safe /well and cheap