Turning a barrel.
I’ve already had a couple of barrels in the lathe, just to spin them up a bit so I could polish them. But I now have two BSA blanks on the way (.25) for machining and I’m wondering about the finer details of mounting them in the lathe. I’m thinking about making a bushing for them that’ll fit in the arse-end of the spindle, so the barrel can’t flap about at high RPM and possibly get bent? Is that the SOP or am I being over-cautious?
I’m also considering a custom tophat and breech with bigger tolerances, so I don’t have to cut the breech on the barrel with such a thin wall. I know this has been covered elsewhere, and people get away with it, but I don’t feel comfortable putting something out that’s going to be so delicate. It may fire fine and all that, but one good clump (dropped by a user) and I reckon it’d deform quite easily. Being over-cautious again?
I have a live centre for use on the work-end.
Does anyone know how/if BSA mark their barrels for the choked end? Or will I be pushing pellets down it to find out?
All Replies
Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
I wanted a HW or BSA. I know Drum was saying he had quality problems with the lothars and there fooking expensive so a BSA works for me!
I told the chap a blank barrel was exempt from the act, but he’s one of your typical englishmen, cowers in fear of the law. He wouldn’t be told, won’t post them and I have to drive over 50 miles round trip to pick them up. I’ll PM you his number anyway.
I think it’ll be white, they are choked.
There only blanks Lang so should be able to be sent to me. That’s what I was led to beleive anyway?? PM me the info and I’ll get In touch and see If they can sort me out If not I’ll get you the 60 quid for one. Is that price for a white or blue barrel? Chocked?
I wanted a HW or BSA. I know Drum was saying he had quality problems with the lothars and there fooking expensive so a BSA works for me!
Brain in gear…let me have £60 and I’ll order one for you and post it myself.
I can PM you the info if you like, but there’s not much point as they’re not allowed to post barrels to anyone other than another RFD (registered firearms dealer). And as RFDs charge for that service (up to £25) you’d lose any savings you’d otherwise have got for the price.
BSA have a full list of national dealers here:
http://www.bsaguns.co.uk/retailers.php
Just put in your country and county. Mine are costing me £52 each, just so you know what kind of price BSA must be selling them at and what the retailer’s markup is. Other places were quoting me £70 (still cheap compared to a Lothar).
Do remember they’re blanks, they’ll be useless until you’ve had them machined for your rifle. 🙂
Lang, Off topic but have you got a contact number, email, or WWW address of where you bought the barrels? I’ve tried BSA guns and hull cartridge and they have both given other numbers to try saying they can’t sell to the public?
Thanks Walter.
My spindle is about an inch and an eighth.
I’m thinking about 8.75mm for the breech and tophat nozzle, as the next size up I have in x-rings will fit that size.
Lang, how big is your spindle?
on my small lathe with 3/4″ spindle hole I wrap electrical tape around the barrel for a nice slip fit in the bore.
I used the 5/16″ diameter on mine but as you have the ease of making a barrel breech slide then a larger diameter will be good. Maybe go at 3/8″ or so should increase the strength.
Walter…..
You’ll likely want to do what WOK suggested (by board, he means bushing/plug etc) with the wooden plug to find the spindle and a hole drilled through for the barrel to hold it steady for final cut and any polishing then.
Ah, gotcha. 🙂
BSA Barrels have an excellent repuation for being accurate.
You’ll likely want to do what WOK suggested (by board, he means bushing/plug etc) with the wooden plug to fit the spindle and a hole drilled through for the barrel to hold it steady for final cut and any polishing then.
Always check the choke yourself with a pellet….always
Thanks WK.
How do you mount the board to the lathe? For me that would be more trouble than just knocking up a bushing to go in the spindle.
I know some have screws in the end for centering work, keeping things from whipping, yours might have them.
How much were the blanks?
Thanks YN.
I’m ok cutting the bulk at low RPM, but I like to do the final cut very fine at high RPM and run the tool in manually to get that nice polished finish, barely needs a touch with fine paper to get a mirror on it then. They’re 15.5mm OD though, so you’d think they couldn’t flap much anyway. It’s just a ‘mechanical sympathy’ thing, I’m a bit anal about it. 😆
I’ve found a very good source for the blanks, they’re almost exactly half what a Lothar would cost, and according to Leupy the BSA barrels are much better quality than Lothars. I’ve certainly been more than happy with my .22 BSA. 😀
I will tape the barrel and then slip it through a board I drilled a hole in to keep it from flapping around.
Always check the choke yourself with a pellet….always
I’d stick to low RPM. So long as I kept mine low I never had a problem with the non working end of a 24″ barrel whipping around and your lathe is a good bit bigger than mine so you shouldnt have any problems without a bushing.
I know some have screws in the end for centering work, keeping things from whipping, yours might have them.
How much were the blanks?
Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Suppose he’s just trying to watch his own back even If he’s wrong…
I’ll check the details 100% monday and see If he will post to me direct. I’m not wasting the extra cash going through a RFD with a blank!