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Threading a .22LR Ballard Rifle Barrel

sabre85rdj

Aluminum
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Location
Moweaqua, IL
I've got an old Marlin Ballard falliing block action I'm wanting to rebarrel. I'm planning to fit a GM barrel with an OAL of 24 inches and I'm machining it on a LeBlond 19 inch gear head lathe. I have a small problem. According to everything I've read, I should support the barrel as close to the breech as I can in my 4 jaw using something like 1/4 in. copper wire and the other end should be supported with a spider at the end of my spindle to avoid bending or stresing the barrel and then center both ends to the bore to within a tenth or so. My barrel blank is 27 inches long and the spindle is 37 inches long so I can't machine it in the way I'd like. I can turn it between centers but will I get the same precision? I don't see anyway to dial in the muzzle end of the barrel besides relying on the center to provide the alignment. I'll have to use a drive dog on the muzzle end of the barrel and use a steady rest on the breech end of the barrel to steady the barrel while I thread the barrel. This won't be as ridged as chucking up the barrel, but I can't see any other way to do it. I'd welcome any comments or suggestions.
 
I would recut the centers with piloted center cutting reamers. Then true up 3/4 of an inch of the muzzle and the chamber body between centers. Hold the muzzle in a collet, dial it in with a 4 jaw or run it on center and dog it off if you choose. Run the chamber end on a live center in the tailstock and thread it. I would then run the steady rest on the thread extension or chamber area and drive the reamer in. I now usually hold the reamers in ER collets when I use this system but you can run it on a center or use a floating reamer holder. Some seem to have problems, but I have chambered nearly every conceivable way and as long as everything is dialed in true and you use a floating reamer holder its pretty hard to screw up. Always use a floating reamer holder if you work with the barrel in the headstock. It will compensate for any misalignment. I personally think working on centers is more accurate than dialing in a barrel, but that's just one mans opinion and working through the headstock is back in style again.

If you wish you can use a double cats head in your 3 or 4 jaw and insert a range rod and dial it in over two separate points on the rod. When both points are running zero you can thread and chamber. I recommend a floating reamer holder doing it this way. I believe Pacific Tool and Gauge sells all the necessary equipment for this.

ADD NOTE: Don't drive reamers really hard if they are held in a floating holder as they can cut over sized.
 
Let me see if I got this right. Make a small counterbore in both ends of the bore to eliminate the rifling and any burrs in the bore and then mount the barrel between centers to true up a portion of the barrel to fit a collet. Clamp the collet end in my collet chuck and the support the other end in the steady rest and dial in the chamber end so I can thread and chamber the breech end of the barrel. Have I got it right? Seems straigtht forward enough. I saw a device on UTube that looked interesting and wondered if anyone has used something like it successfully.
 

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