Without a doubt, the crown of a rifle is essential for accuracy. A crown that does not run true to the bore can not only destabilize the projectile as it leaves the barrel, but also causes erratic behavior of the pressurized gases as they escape the bore. Remembering that rifle bore is never exactly centered in the barrel, this isn’t a cut you can index off the exterior of the barrel. While a competent smith can dial in the bore on his lathe using a four jaw chuck and a spider on the other end of his headstock, this cannot be accomplished if the barrel is too short. So how do you get a target quality crown without a lathe or, on a shorter barrel? Use a piloted crown tool.
In addition to a saw, vise, file, tape measure and marker, that we needed to complete this project; we ordered the following items from Brownells:
Our barrel was originally 25″ long, we decided a 20″ barrel would be more useful.
This was a fun and rewarding project. Prior to reassembly, we took the time to thoroughly clean off any metal shavings from our barreled action. Now we can’t wait to shoot it!
Start up costs for the kit will set you back $360 (2-pilot version). While this may seem expensive, keep in mind how much a quality crown job will cost. In a few barrels the tools will pay for themselves, plus you’ll have the pride in workmanship of having done it yourself.
For quality gunsmith tools and accessories that are backed by a 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee, make sure you check out Brownells.
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