Cutting rifle barrel

[J.C. Smoke, SASS #22300]

Want to have a rifle barrel cut down any recommendations 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

?  Recommendations for what?  A smith?  Length?

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Just about any gunsmith worth the name of the profession can do that very easily and quickly.   Including relocating the front sight.  Carbines are sometimes a little harder, but then again, they rarely need shortening!  Find one local to you and save shipping 2 ways.  If needed, ask local club members!

 

good luck, GJ

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

I had my 73 cut down and new front sight installed by boomstick.

Rafe

[Boggus Deal #64218]

What kind of rifle? Your location?

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Like G.J. said, it's a bonus if he is close enough to avoid shipping.  

 

From the F.A.Q. section:

 

[Ya Big Tree]

Lassiter.

Tom's Single Action Shop.  Thomas Wildenauer

675 Crawford Tom's Run Rd New Lebanon, OH 45345.

Phone: 937-687-1039.

[Warden Callaway]

Have you considered just buying a gun with the barrel length you want?  Sale or traid the one you have?

[Buckeye Pete, SASS # 29941]

I inherited a '73 Rifle with a 24" barrel in my favorite caliber, .44-40.  My buddy and local gunsmith, Johnny Meadows cut it to 18" and I love it.  It still holds 10 rounds but is a bit lighter and with my two artificial shoulder joints, it does make a difference.  I agree with many of the comments to find someone capable and not too far away.  Shipping both ways can get costly.  Good luck!

[watab kid]

im in the court of buying what you want and selling what you have , but my LGS could do it if there is a reason you want it that way , must be legal tho 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Why do you want to cut it?   Long barrels are cool.

What is it?  An Italian replica is no big deal, but if it's a real Winchester, or Marlin or Colt, I'd say don't do it.

 

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

As long as you plan to do it more than once, cutting down a rifle barrel is very nearly the easiest DIY gunsmithing job there is.  You just need to buy a couple of fairly expensive tools, unless you are lucky enough to know someone who will lend them to you.  You'll need: a hack saw with a brand new fine-tooth blade (some guys prefer 24 tpi, I prefer 32 tpi), a 90-degree crowning cutter with the correct pilot (this trues/squares the new muzzle face), and chamfering crown cutter for whatever angle you want your bore's set-back to be) with the correct pilot (usually the same pilot if the cutters are from the same company such as Pacific Tool & Gauge).  And seen below are the tools I've used for cutting down barrels: the first is the 12 gauge shotgun 90-degree crown cutter, used with a good low speed high torque hand drill; the second and third are the universal 90-degree crowning cutter and 45-degree chamfering cutter hand tools (minus the caliber-specific pilots, used with the handle seen in the last photo).  Plus you'll need some high-quality high-sulfur cutting oil -- NOT ordinary lubricating oil.  Don't be miserly with the cutting oil.  Finally, there's a brass finishing cone sold on FleaBay for under 10 bucks along with a lifetime supply of polishing paste, which you'll use to polish out any burrs or sharp edges of the bore at the bottom of the newly chamfered crown.

 

When you're done, cold blue the new crown and you're done.  Seriously, the whole job takes about 30 minutes.

Edited July 8 by Nostrum Damus SASS #110702

[Shawnee Hills]

3 hours ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

As long as you plan to do it more than once, cutting down a rifle barrel is very nearly the easiest DIY gunsmithing job there is.  You just need to buy a couple of fairly expensive tools, unless you are lucky enough to know someone who will lend them to you.  You'll need: a hack saw with a brand new fine-tooth blade (some guys prefer 24 tpi, I prefer 32 tpi), a 90-degree crowning cutter with the correct pilot (this trues/squares the new muzzle face), and chamfering crown cutter for whatever angle you want your bore's set-back to be) with the correct pilot (usually the same pilot if the cutters are from the same company such as Pacific Tool & Gauge).  And seen below are the tools I've used for cutting down barrels: the first is the 12 gauge shotgun 90-degree crown cutter, used with a good low speed high torque hand drill; the second and third are the universal 90-degree crowning cutter and 45-degree chamfering cutter hand tools (minus the caliber-specific pilots, used with the handle seen in the last photo).  Plus you'll need some high-quality high-sulfur cutting oil -- NOT ordinary lubricating oil.  Don't be miserly with the cutting oil.  Finally, there's a brass finishing cone sold on FleaBay for under 10 bucks along with a lifetime supply of polishing paste, which you'll use to polish out any burrs or sharp edges of the bore at the bottom of the newly chamfered crown.

 

When you're done, cold blue the new crown and you're done.  Seriously, the whole job takes about 30 minutes.

He also has the front sight dovetail to recut and, depending on how short he's going, the dovetail for the magazine tube hanger as well.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

9 hours ago, Shawnee Hills said:

He also has the front sight dovetail to recut and, depending on how short he's going, the dovetail for the magazine tube hanger as well.

OK, that's true.  Cutting dovetails is not in my bag o' DIY tricks; call a professional for the whole job.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 hour ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

OK, that's true.  Cutting dovetails is not in my bag o' DIY tricks; call a professional for the whole job.

Most sight dovetails are pretty easy. 1866 and 1873 magazine tube bands are a rotary dovetail. Not a walk in the park. 
 

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

I've cut keyways in newly threaded barrels for muzzle device timing when restoring the manhood of some milsurp rifles that had their muzzle devices -- and the threaded barrel portion under them -- unceremoniously cut off in years past.  But that isn't really what I'd call "precision" work, and it gets hidden when the replacement muzzle device goes back on to the newly threaded barrel.

[Cinch]

Don’t cut off the mag tube dovetail. It’s a PITA to move it a whole inch. Both dovetails require a dovetail cutter and a mill to do it right.

 

A dovetail file to final fit is needed also. Facing the muzzle and cutting the crown is another operation that takes special tooling or a lathe. 
 

I would just leave it and have fun. If you want to shoot faster the whole 44 WCF isn’t the best for that.