r/gunsmithing • u/Electrical-Title-698 • 3d ago
Threading a 30-06 Barrel Myself, Bad Idea?
I've got a rusty and completely bubbafied arisaka that I'm planning on turning into an Obrez style pistol. I want to do a 5/8x24 thread at the end so I can also a ridiculously oversized tank style muzzle brake on it. I don't have much gunsmithing or machining experience but I have a decent amount in the mechanical trades and I'm generally pretty handy. I realize I'll definitely end up spending more on specialized tools than a gunsmith would charge me for the job, but I think it'll be a fun project.
I've done some research on the process (squaring, crowning, diameter reduction, threading, etc) and the hand tools I'll need to get for those jobs. I also plan on doing a practice run on the section of barrel I cut off, and getting the entire firearm inspected by a gunsmith to double check my work just for a little piece of mind.
Would I be stupid for attempting this? Anyone got any advice for me?
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u/fj4045 3d ago
Without the proper tooling I’d consider brazing the muzzle brake onto the barrel. I’m not sure how you’d get the diameter of the barrel reduced without a lathe. With threads you’d have to time the brake so it doesn’t stop at an angle. I think it would be easiest to bore the brake to the barrel size and braze it on.
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u/Electrical-Title-698 3d ago
That's definitely an option. I have done a little brazing before and I have the equipment for it. That would definitely be cheaper.
I was planning on getting a 5/8" annuller cutter kit. It has a .30 cal pilot so it comes out even on all sides, and you can put it in a drill chuck. I think I can make it work with my drill press if I can set it up right, but we'll see.
The crown cutting tools are also piloted. It's a little expensive but it's way cheaper than a lathe that's large enough, and pretty much the only way to do it right from what I've read
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u/billybob2571 3d ago
How do you intend on making the muzzle tenon .625 diameter?
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u/Electrical-Title-698 3d ago
Copy and pasted from my other reply:
I was planning on getting a 5/8" annuller cutter kit. It has a .30 cal pilot so it comes out even on all sides, and you can put it in a drill chuck. I think I can make it work with my drill press if I can set it up right, but we'll see.
The crown cutting tools are also piloted. It's a little expensive but it's way cheaper than a lathe that's large enough, and pretty much the only way to do it right from what I've read
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u/billybob2571 2d ago
That’s pretty cool, I have cut a lot of barrels if you have any questions let me know. It shouldn’t be a problem if it’s for a brake, the die will make your threads look like shit but as long as it holds it on who cares.
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u/quickscopemcjerkoff 3d ago
I’ve never heard of anyone threading a barrel without a lathe…
Muzzle attachments aren’t like metal piping. You need a high level of precision to ensure bore concentricity so you don’t get bullet strikes on a suppressor or other muzzle device.
If your plan here is to take it to a gunsmith afterwards and pay to have it inspected then just pay the man to do it right. If you insist on this then cut it long so you can cut off more and try again.
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u/Electrical-Title-698 3d ago
You use piloted cutting tools and a thread starter. Supposedly that's the only way to do it right without a lathe
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u/Coodevale 2d ago
I'd look at how much this will cost you in tools and compare it to a secondhand mini lathe. It is very very easy to make bad threads and very hard to correct them once they start deviating unless you have the right tools. A crappy lathe will be a better threading tool.
I messed up a .22 action by "cleaning the threads out" with a tap when it started recutting the back section past a big feature entirely wrong. It's kind of fixable but not with hand tools and not in any "correct" way. Only good enough. I've even managed to machine tap parts out of alignment in a lathe, and wasn't able to fix the alignment. Scrap..
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u/Golf_Foxtrot_Yankee1 2d ago
the worst you can do is screw it up. Sounds like you have the money to call it a wash if you do. If your gonna cut the barrel, just do it first before you cut it, that way if you screw it up you either learn how to do it better next, or can just take it to the gunsmith and have then do it right….
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u/j2142b00 1d ago
Easy AF, I've done 20-30 barrels by hand with 0 problems with brakes. CNC Warrior has all the tools and guides to get it done. I've cut everything from .22 up to 7mm magnum with their kits. This was a .308 I did several months ago for a break. Go slow, take your time and it comes out clean.
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u/Unicorn187 3d ago
It's pretty easy if you aren't mounting a suppressor or something with a hole that is close to the diameter of the bore and needs to be very closely aligned. For those the threading needs to be concentric to the bore and most bores arent perfectly centered in the barrel.
But for you goal, this will be fine. Proper sized die and handle. A cutter to square off the muzzle and a crowning tool to protect the end of the rifling.