How Best to Produce Bevel at Muzzle

HiWall

New member
Hi- I produced a a flat 90 degree crown on a rifle barrel sometime ago and I left the bore-to-crown area sharp, no bevel. Now I see that I have some small dings on this sharp edge and I'd like to know if there is a method that I can use to produce a small bevel without putting this barrel back in my lathe.

I have heard of using a brass ball that is coated with grinding compound and spun in a hand drill will produce a small bevel but I am not sure this will produce a bevel that allows for high accuracy. This is a 40-cal S.S. barrel that I use in BPCR silhouette competition with blackpowder and lead-alloy bullets and I would not want to degrade its accuracy.

Thank you for your comments!

HiWall
 
Hi- I produced a a flat 90 degree crown on a rifle barrel sometime ago and I left the bore-to-crown area sharp, no bevel. Now I see that I have some small dings on this sharp edge and I'd like to know if there is a method that I can use to produce a small bevel without putting this barrel back in my lathe.

I have heard of using a brass ball that is coated with grinding compound and spun in a hand drill will produce a small bevel but I am not sure this will produce a bevel that allows for high accuracy. This is a 40-cal S.S. barrel that I use in BPCR silhouette competition with blackpowder and lead-alloy bullets and I would not want to degrade its accuracy.

Thank you for your comments!

HiWall

Unless you have some type of piloted bevel tool that will I insure.an even cut, I would not do it. You could very easily make things worse.

If you have to do something, get a set of small files and a magnifying glass. Dress the dings, and only the dings, down to where they will not affect the bullet. At least what you do not touch will still be square and truly straight.
 
Unless you have some type of piloted bevel tool that will I insure.an even cut, I would not do it. You could very easily make things worse.

If you have to do something, get a set of small files and a magnifying glass. Dress the dings, and only the dings, down to where they will not affect the bullet. At least what you do not touch will still be square and truly straight.

Hi Jackie- Thanks for the reply. Might there be a piloted beveling tool that you can recommend?

Thanks again- HiWall
 
Brownells sells this brass beveling lap - https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...tools/45-brass-lap-sku080624045-679-2853.aspx

However, I do not like that it does not have a pilot.

I am thinking of making my own where it would work in conjunction with a closely fitting bushing, that is inserted into the bore. I would then make a similar tool to Brownells where there would be a pin, machined to extend out of the tapered nose-portion of the lap, that would be a close fit into the bushing that's in the bore.

This way the 45-degree angled portion of the lap would be exactly aligned to the bore. I could then turn this lap, with a fine compound applied, by hand, or with a hand drill. I only need to put a slight chamfer on the muzzle to smooth out the slight dings that I have on the sharp corner there.
 
unless you have some type of piloted bevel tool that will i insure.an even cut, i would not do it. You could very easily make things worse.

If you have to do something, get a set of small files and a magnifying glass. Dress the dings, and only the dings, down to where they will not affect the bullet. At least what you do not touch will still be square and truly straight.
just make short 11 degree crown then come out 100 tho. Straight.
 
Piloted crown tool. Available from most reamer makers. Different sizes for the various bore sizes. Interchangeable pilots that use existing reamer pilot bushings. When using apply side pressure to the tool to take up any slack in the bushing as you in-feed.
45° Crown Tool.JPG
 
Piloted crown tool. Available from most reamer makers. Different sizes for the various bore sizes. Interchangeable pilots that use existing reamer pilot bushings. When using apply side pressure to the tool to take up any slack in the bushing as you in-feed.
View attachment 24948

This is a cool tool. I'd be afraid though that it might remove too much material and the cut-surface may still have to be lapped.
 
the answer is,
the correct way to do this is in a lathe with the bbl dialed.
high speed, very sharp tool cutting from the inside out
a couple of thou deeper than the tallest land...if that removes the "errors"
everything else is a bandaid of this is a competition target rifle
 
You would probably better served to chuck it back up in a lathe and using a four jaw chuck dial it into as close as you can to zero run-out at both ends. Face it off then do about a 30 degree cut while backing the cutter out to just beyond the depth of the bottom of the grooves. And then polish the face of the muzzle so you can then actually see the lube star left on its face to see if it is was actually done correct. I too am a competitive cast bullet shooter but in a slightly different sport and it being competitive benchrest shooting at 200 yards. Below is a picture if how I crown my own and also a few for friends that has been working out very well over the years for all of us. Not saying it is the best way but only that it is my own way as there are many ways to skin a cat.

 
You would probably better served to chuck it back up in a lathe and using a four jaw chuck dial it into as close as you can to zero run-out at both ends. Face it off then do about a 30 degree cut while backing the cutter out to just beyond the depth of the bottom of the grooves. And then polish the face of the muzzle so you can then actually see the lube star left on its face to see if it is was actually done correct. I too am a competitive cast bullet shooter but in a slightly different sport and it being competitive benchrest shooting at 200 yards. Below is a picture if how I crown my own and also a few for friends that has been working out very well over the years for all of us. Not saying it is the best way but only that it is my own way as there are many ways to skin a cat.


Are you SURE you're Kalifornian???? Bud Lite?? I'm not a beer man but I've always understood it's Coors over 2000ft and White Claw down on the bi'ches
 
This is a cool tool. I'd be afraid though that it might remove too much material and the cut-surface may still have to be lapped.

I missed the part that you want to do this by hand and not put it back in the lathe. I would not use that tool by hand.

Brownells makes similar tools meant for hand use.

https://www.brownells.com/guntech/tech-tip-crowning-and-chamfering-a-muzzle/detail.htm?lid=16946

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...ts/12-flute-muzzle-chamfer-set-prod41627.aspx
 
" Are you SURE you're Kalifornian???? Bud Lite?? I'm not a beer man but I've always understood it's Coors over 2000ft and White Claw down on the bi'ches ".

Who knows after one to many I tend to loose track of where I am actually at? But thank goodness the crown has already been done prior too that time?
 
When the kids come over its Modelo, Pacifica or something else strange to me and it costs just about double the price.
Back when Budweiser used to sponsor our Schuetzen Regional matches. They would bring out the Beer truck for three days and it was all you could drink post your shooting and also for the spectators / visitors as well. All at no cost and that is maybe where I aquired a taste for it. Coors also did the same but for only one year and Bud did it for several. Those days are now long as now its no alcohol permitted on the grounds at all. A bit off topic but it brought back good memories when we had two run two relays / 30+ and folks would come to shoot from all over the country to shoot for those three days.
 
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