Cutting down a rifle?

[Infamous1]

Anyone ever cut down a rifle without a lathe? How much did the accuracy suffer? I Have an axis I was considering playing with. I was thinking a youth stock and a 16" barrel for a truck type gun. I have a friend of a friend that could cut and crown the barrel but does not have a .308 go/no go set or a savage barrel nut wrench. There are some videos on YouTube I was just curious in real world use. I figure if I ruin it I could buy the tools. At that point I can just have it cut and threaded 14.5 then pin and weld. Any input welcome.

 

[GymB]

You can purchase or lease a hand powered crowning tool.

 

[Notacop]

You can stick a barreled receiver in a 4jaw if it doesn't fit through the spindle bore

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

We cut, I cringingly helped my son, cut 3/8” off a 1963 Sako barrel with a hacksaw and recrown it due to muzzle damage. The groups improved considerably.
Crowning tool:

BROWNELLS 79° MUZZLE CROWNING CUTTER | Brownells

Hardened steel, muzzle crowning tool cuts a slight (11° less than square) target chamfer on barrels. Gives good rifling protection without going ...

www.brownells.com

Pilots:

BROWNELLS BRASS PILOTS | Brownells

Hardened steel pilot keeps Facing and Chamfering cutters properly centered in the bore. Resists wear for years of service.

www.brownells.com

Muzzle lap:

BROWNELLS POWER CUSTOM BRASS MUZZLE CROWNING LAP | Brownells

Four different sizes of brass laps produce a beautiful, finished crown on all pistol and rifle barrels when used with 600 grit silicon ...

www.brownells.com

 

[Geezer]

Go see @BatteryOaksBilly . Barrels cut and crowned, no waiting.

 

[baltimoreed]

I’ve cut down two sg bbls and half dozen rifle bbls using a hack saw and a good buds hand muzzle facing tools. I bought the pilots I needed that he didn’t have. You don’t have to use a lathe but you will need to face the muzzles or you will have no accuracy. This was the muzzle that bubba did on an ‘03 that I bought and what it looked like afterwards. The first pix is after a few turns, not very square…and the completed rifle.

 

[cold1]

@Infamous1
I have the brownells hand powered muzzle squaring tool and the crowning tool. I probably don't have the pilot insert but you could order it.
Let me know if you want to use them.

 

[BigWaylon]

Cut it an inch or so longer than you want it, and practice. Then cut it again and finish it off.

Practice twice if you want. 😎

 

[Infamous1]

Cut it an inch or so longer than you want it, and practice. Then cut it again and finish it off.

Practice twice if you want. 😎

Sometimes its the simplest things I overlook, this is definitely the play!! @cold1 I will PM you if I decide to do it halfway correctly lol

 

[Get Off My Lawn]