Re-Barreling an M1896 Mauser

[Olle]

Rich,

How did you figure the center on that brass insert? Do you have drawings of the bolt, or did you reverse engineer it? I was thinking about making a tight fitting insert, then turn a centering punch that fits snugly in the barrel and mark the hole from the inside. Once the hole is drilled, it would be easy to center and drill the taper for a live center. However, there could be a few sources of error (like a rough bore and a partially unsupported punch), so I don't know if that will be accurate enough.

Anywho, if you already have the dimensions, I'd be very interested.

Bill,

If I recall correctly, you don't have a mill. I can just as well make two inserts while I'm at it, it won't take much time to do this once everything is figured out and set up. It has been a while, so I'd be more than happy to trade it for a "gun and BS session", either here or at your house.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

Rich,

How did you figure the center on that brass insert?...I was thinking about making a tight fitting insert, then turn a centering punch that fits snugly in the barrel and mark the hole from the inside. Once the hole is drilled, it would be easy to center and drill the taper for a live center.

That's one way. Here's another - use a 12" long 1/4" aircraft length drill instead of a punch. Make two small 30 cal barrel bushings with 1/4" holes, put them in the Mauser bore, and turn the drill just enough to make a dimple in the brass plug. Then take the brass plug out, center drill the inside end with the dimple, put it back in and drill it all the way through with the 1/4" x 12" aircraft drill. Then center drill the outside end. You'd hold the receiver clamped to an angle plate, with the brass plug secured with a clamp or a stop of some kind. Center drill the outside end would be done with a 4-jaw chuck holding the rectangular brass plug and using a 1/4" ground rod as a center. One idea.

My methods evolve as I get more tools, and if it was done some years ago I forget all the steps.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

My methods evolve as I get more tools, and if it was done some years ago I forget all the steps.

And the methods are also limited to the tools you have at hand. I don't have that drill bit, so I think I'll have to try the center punch idea first. Then I can clamp the insert in the mill and use a center finder to get the hole in the right place. If I set the receiver in the lathe together with the insert, I can use a dial indicator on the barrel to see if the operation was successful. If not, just rinse and repeat, as usual...