How to Make a Gun Barrel

Firearms, more commonly known as guns, are

used by outdoor hunting enthusiasts. Some
hunters may choose to make their own guns,
rather than buying them, to get a custom
firearm. The most difficult part of building a gun
is to create a barrel that will direct the fired
round at the desired target. The barrel also
imparts a spin to the round as it travels down
the barrel, which gives the round gyroscopic
stabilization as it flies to the target. Use these
tips to learn how to make a gun barrel.

Steps

1 Choose the type of steel to be used

for the gun barrel. The steel chosen
must have a strength of 100,000 psi (689476
kPA) to withstand the force of the gasses
that propel the round. The steel should have
a hardness of 25 to 32 on the Rockwell scale
so that the steel is strong enough to contain
the pressure necessary to propel the round
through the barrel, but not so brittle that it
will be harmed by the machining operations
to be performed. Obtain 1.25 inch (31.75
mm) rods from a specialty steel mill. Ask for
a quality certification on the steel. Specify
that the steel must be stress relieved at the
steel mill.

Select 4140 chrome moly steel. Chrome

moly steel is the least expensive
alternative. It also is easier to chemically
blacken, if desired, to give a traditional
look to the barrel.
Decide on 416 stainless steel. Stainless
steel is more expensive than chrome
moly Steel. Stainless steel barrels have
have a longer service life and are result
in a more accurate firearm than do
chrome moly steel barrels.
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2 Cut a piece of steel for the barrel

stock. Cut a length of steel around 28
inches (71.1 cm) to 30 inches (711.2 mm to
762 mm). Ensure that the ends of the barrel
stock are true in parallelism to each other,
are faced off and are perfectly round.

3 Drill the barrel. Drill down the interior

lengthwise to a diameter about 5
thousandths of an inch (0.127 mm) less than
the desired finished bore diameter of the
barrel. A special drill, known as a deep hole
drill, must be used to drill the barrel. The
deep hole drill will hold the tungsten carbide
drill bit still and spin the barrel to perform the
drilling. Drilling will be liquid cooled and will
proceed at about 1 inch (25.4 mm) per
minute. Total time to drill the hole will be
about 30 minutes.

4 Ream the barrel. Work a tungsten

carbide bore reamer down the finished
drill hole of the barrel, using liquid coolant as
the reamer works. The reamer will expand
the hole to the desired finished bore, and
smooth the inner drilled surface of the barrel
as it creates the final desired bore.

5 Rifle the barrel. Rifling consists of spiral

grooves in the bore, which will impart a
spin to the fired round as it travels down the
barrel. This spin will gyro stabilize the flight
of the fired round. Determine the number of
rifling grooves to be placed in the bore and
the amount of twist to be put on the rifling
grooves. Consult with experts in the field of
gun barrel making to determine this
information. Find these experts at specialty
gun barrel making shops.

Make the first rifling groove. Insert a tube

mounted with the rifling hook cutter box
down the bore of the barrel. Draw the
rifling hook cutter box through the bore
while rotating the barrel at a rate
recommended by the expert to give the
desired rifling spin.
Add more rifling grooves. Index the
barrel to the starting position for the next
groove. Draw the rifling hook cutter box
through the bore while rotating the barrel
at a rate recommended by the expert to
give the desired rifling spin.
Finish the rifling. Repeat passes through
the bore with the rifling hook cutter box
as needed.

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6 Lap the barrel to fine polish the bore.

Insert the barrel lapping rod into the bore

until it is about 4 inches (101.6 mm) from
1 end of the bore. Pour molten lead into
the end of the bore and allow it to
harden.
Push the lap out of the barrel. Push the
lapping rod forward until the now
solidified lead slug, called the lead lap, is
exposed. Cover the lead lap with lapping
paste, which is similar to valve grinding
paste.
Complete the lapping. Run the lead lap
up and down the length of the barrel
about 50 times, applying more lapping
paste as necessary.

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Community Q&A

How would a Damascus twist barrel be

forged?
Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Forge a billet to the length that is needed. The

barrel will need to be perfectly square. Then,
twist the square billet. Make sure that it's 1-4
inches wider than it needs to be. Then, cool grind
to your desired shape, heat treat, and etch.

How do I make a gun barrel from steel?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

You would need a forge and blacksmithing

experience.

How do I make a rifling?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

First, find a tube that fits into the barrel. Next, get
a long drill rod and cut measured grooves into
the barrel. If you're having difficulty, go to a
blacksmith instead.

8.8 bolts OK for making a barrel? Their

strength is 21 - 32 HRC.
Answered by wikiHow Contributor

The Idahoan says yes, but admits he was trying

to make a pistol barrel using simple tools, as
shown by the roughness of the finished product.

What materials could withstand a melting

point of 1668 C for rifling?
Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Titanium has a melting point of 1668 degrees C,

but tungsten can withstand more. However,
tungsten also has greatly reduced strength at
those temperatures.

Tips

When ordering steel, be aware that most

specialty steel mills have a 20 ton
minimum order.

Things You'll Need

Steel rod
Steel cutting and working tools
Deep hole drill
Barrel reaming drill
Rifling hook cutter
Barrel lapping rod

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About This Article

Co-authors: 9
Updated: July 27, 2015
Views: 343,165
Article Rating: 80% - 409 votes

Categories: Guns and Shooting

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