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Author Topic: CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?  (Read 1021 times)

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Offline montanadan

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CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?
« on: December 25, 2004, 04:33:01 AM »
Merry Christmas everyone. How does crowning the muzzle on your rifle or pistol increase accuracy? I read that some folks increase their crown to gain accuracy(make it deeper?). I understand the forcing cone thing, I just do not understand this. Have a great Christmas..Thanks in advance Montanadan
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Offline Cowpox

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Crowning muzzle pistol rifle
« Reply #1 on: December 25, 2004, 06:36:13 AM »
And a Merry Christmas to you and yours Montanadan, I would think cutting a new crown on a barrel would aid accuracy only if the original crown was damaged, or not perfectly square. I have never checked any of mine to see if they are true, maybe I should.  Cowpox
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Offline savageT

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CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?
« Reply #2 on: December 25, 2004, 07:07:34 AM »
Cowpox,
.....and pray tell how do you determine if the crown is correct?  I think I have a fairly good basic knowledge of machine practices and I always thought it wasn't that simple......???  I think it's easier to just chuck it in a lathe, check runout with dial indicator, and recut the crown with care.  Now, having said all that, I am a bit concerned with people who will take an electric drill, a brass round-head screw and some lapping compound and free-hand have a go at it!  Practice makes perfect they say....but I don't want my rifle crown to be the one he practices on!
Just my ramblings.

Jim
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Offline Cowpox

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Crowning Muzzle Pistol Rifle
« Reply #3 on: December 25, 2004, 12:49:52 PM »
Good point savageT, The barrels on my cap & ball revolvers appear (key word) to be straight , untapered stock, so I was planning to use a very small machinists square. You are correct, how could 60 year old eyes see a ten thousanth ? Luckily, all of my revolvers shoot better than I can, so I won't worry about it, but if one was inaccurate, it would be time to write a check out to a person who has the right tools !  Cowpox
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Offline Cowpox

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Crowning muzzle pistol rifle
« Reply #4 on: December 25, 2004, 06:29:19 PM »
savageT, You got me thinking (always a dangerous situation) about the old boys in Pennsylvania 250 years ago. They had no precision turning lathes,  milling machines, or dial measuring devises. Using only the most basic hand tools and a few home made jigs, they produced rifles that, in every way (except metallurgy) rival, or even surpass todays mass produced front stuffers. They were even able to do complex things like swamped barrels and gain twist rifling.  As a machinist, are you aware of some of the tricks and techniques they used, and if you are. will you let us in on some of it?  Cowpox
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Offline Nightrain52

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CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?
« Reply #5 on: December 25, 2004, 07:59:16 PM »
It is my understanding that most people only try to recrown the barrel only if they are having accuracy problems and have exhausted most other steps to cure it. The crown on the muzzle is recessed so it won't be damaged by normal handling. The crown can come from the factory not cut properly or it may be damaged by carless cleaning or a hard impact on the muzzle end of the gun. When a bullet is fired as it leaves the muzzle the gas pressure blows out equally all around the base of the bullet. If the crown is damaged the pressure is greater or less where the damage has occured there by throwing the bullet off target. One little burr or nick in the right place is all it takes. This is the best way I can explain it as I am not a machinist. Hope this helps. :D
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Offline Cowpox

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Crowning muzzle pistol rifle.
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2004, 05:53:42 AM »
Thanks Nightrain52, Every bit of insight helps. Mine are all shooting fine, so I won't be trying to fix what ain't broke. But who knows about the next one I pick up? It's always nice to have tips on things to look for. Cowpox
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Offline leverfan

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Re: Crowning muzzle pistol rifle
« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2004, 04:03:36 PM »
Quote from: Cowpox
They were even able to do complex things like swamped barrels and gain twist rifling.  As a machinist, are you aware of some of the tricks and techniques they used, and if you are. will you let us in on some of it?  Cowpox


They whittled a wooden guide that determined the rate of rifling as the grooves were cut.  They look like giant, wooden screws, sort of, with big rounded threads that gradually increase the number of turns.  I've seen pictures of them, and my description doesn't do them justice.

Imagine what we could accomplish, snowed in for a winter, with no tv! :)
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Offline Cuts Crooked

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CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2004, 03:25:21 AM »
I have dealt with a number of muzzleloaders that have the crowns worn from ramrod wear (Some folks never learn about about using a crown protector when cleaning :roll: ). Fixing them is relatively simple. I use "christmas tree" shaped grinding stone wrapped with coarse emory cloth, chuck the barrel up in the lathe and center it, then run the wrapped stone into the crown at low speed. Then use increasingly finer emory cloth on the stone until I've reached the point where I'm just lapping to a smooth polish.

If you have a tall enough drill press this can done on that too, I did it that way several times before I had access to a lathe.
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Offline Cowpox

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Crowning muzzle pistol rifle
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2004, 01:29:33 PM »
Thank you for the information leverfan and Cuts Crooked, We appreciate it.  Cowpox
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Offline leverfan

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CROWNING MUZZLE PISTOL-RIFLE?
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2005, 07:38:15 PM »
I just got my new Dixie catalog, and there's some books on old fashioned barrel making.  They might be of interest to some of the folks here.  The catalog is a great read all by itself.
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