If I picked up a short chambered barrel can the headspace be set with a finish reamer or is this a job for a gunsmith?

I have been wondering the same thing.

Midway sells short chambered barrels and finish reamers with instructions that appear to make this a "do it yourself" job without power tools. I'm a little skeptical that this can be done properly without a lathe.

I guess if you're looking for a 2-3 MOA gun, this would be fine, but I'm skeptical that a hand-turned reamer will provide a clean concentric chamber aligned with the bore and bolt face.

Any precision gunsmiths care to comment?

--Rootshot

Schmidt_Rubin,

i dont get it. Is the barrel chambered? and only needs instalaion or is this a barrel blank?

if is chambered you can use a full lenght sized brass to set head space (so the savage crew clame)

riedog

For the record, I would only recommend setting head space go/no-go gauges, never brass, fl sized, once fired, doesn't matter. Gauges are so cheap, it just isn't worth the risk.

It's a threaded and chambered barrel, reamed 0.05 short. This leaves room to use a finish reamer to your specifications. I want one for a .222 Rem. There are shoulder angle variations in this caliber so the short chambered barrel lets you finish it the way you want.

Yes, it is something you can do yourself. I have done about 7 or 8 mausers. You need a finish reamer, cutting oil, and a go guage. You will take the barrel on and off the action a number of times, but go slow. You want to cut slowly and check the headspace often -- make sure to get all the chips out. You want it to just close the bolt on the go guage. Once you torque the barrel on the bolt should close with a slight drag. You can put a piece of electrical tape on the back of the go guage to use as a no-go, but if you check it often you will be fine. Turn the reamer in reverse when you remove it and don't push forward too hard as you cut -- just a light to medium pressure.

So the million dollar question is ..... how does it shoot?

Is it one of the "Adam's & Bennett" barrels from Midway?

--Rootshot

By the time you rent a reamer and a go guage or buy them you are close to what a gunsmith would charge you to screw it on. Most reamer manufacturers and rental place don' like you to turn the remer in reverse.

You can check the amount that needs to be removed with the reamer by screwing the barrel on with the go gauge in the chamber and the bolt it the action. When is just snug on the go gauge use a set of feeler gauges between the action and the barrel. You can go deeper than the go gauge, but not more than the thickness of standard painters masking tape.

Reamer rental is 35 bucks for a week . If you have an action wrench , barrel vise and the know how to measure for headspacing it would be fairly simple . Lots of guys do it and get excellent results . Just be careful , go slow and post pics of the groups you achieved back here when you are done . Don't let anyone tell you this is Magic or Rocket science , guns are oen of the simplest tools on the planet , the tools and willingness to replace stuff you break or ruin as well as some schooling so you are not a one gun mechanic is why Gunsmiths can charge what they do .