I think they’re saying not to do it for the fudds😂 any sensible person could do this in a shop easily and accurately. Its like saying you can’t machine an 80% without a mill- you can its just not as easy.
I use a custom-made annual cutter with a pilot bearing in the center that’s changeable for different bore sizes. After which I thread with a die and alignment tool that also uses the boar to index off of. My shoulder as well as thread major diameter are always within spec this way regardless of barrel concentricity
I used the threading kit from CNC warriors. Annular cutter with a centering pin in the bore followed by a die with a centering pin, all with hand drills. I put on a muzzle device with a griffin taper mount, mounted an 8" suppressor and used an alignment rod to check concentricity and it was absolutely perfect. I was amazed.
Annular cut barrel with barrel alignment guide. Then use the thread alignment die starter tool and thread the barrel. When finished check with a suppressor alignment check rod. I’ve done maybe a dozen and no issues. Either I’ve been lucky or it works.
I've done a few guns like that no problem. Just a sharp half inch annular cutter, a barrel alignment guide for what ever caliber you're working and a 1/2 by 28 tap. And a pair of calipers and a file just to make sure everything's even. Done a few 22 lr, 556, and 9mm that way.
@@jdog0393 Yep. I’ve got the Brownells crowning kit so full disclosure I have had to clean up the crown on at least one that I remember. Could have been more but can’t recall.
Would love to get a suppressor alignment gauge, I’ve done several by hand and they’ve all worked and shot under 1 moa. I do have to use a backup nut because there isn’t a shoulder. I use the CNC warrior kit, it uses special guides and a annular cutter to properly reduce diameter.
Kinda funny how the " I'm a professional " one's out there tell you that it's not a good idea and it'll get screwed up and have a machinist shop do the work . If your not mechanically inclined , then yes , pay and have a shop do the work , as far as the barrel cutting and tapping not being centered with the barrel on the inside , that's what the guides are for , to keep the tool's aligned with the center . It's a matter of taking your time and useing the right tools and having patience. Now if it were one of my high end firearms then I'd have a shop do the work vrs a cheaper .22 that I'll do myself.
You can buy an annular cutter that cuts the barrel to the right diameter and leaves a shoulder to index off of given there is enough difference between starting and finish diameter. Granted, a lathe is still the best option. I've done several both ways and both are fine.
@@moscowrider Potentially but your thread depth would be very shallow; the threads would not have near as much strength. I personally would not try it.
@@BadLuckBran what if use 13 mm then ? It's just 0.3 mm thicker then required 12.7 . According to some charts maximum OD is 0.510 (12.9mm) looks close to me🤷🏻♂️. Gunsmiths charge 300$ for this job.
@@moscowrider This would likely be fine as the 1/2-28 die will likely trim it down to size. Just don't expect it to be easy to turn the die by hand haha
@@Bayerische.Motoren.Werke. these guys definitely know threading barrels! But it appears after watching it being done by hand BUT WITH 3 PROPER TOOLS it can be done concentric to the bore and that means suppressor safe. And this makes these guys look like dinosaurs and time passed them by. Brownells should redo this video and sell the 3 tools!
@@eaglethehulk8539 Haha. I consider myself to be an artist with an angle grinder as well. :D However, I can just imagine someone saying to themselves. "I can just grind down the diameter and then thread it!" Who needs a lathe! :P
I threaded a marlin model 70 by hand. I cut the shoulder back with a center guided annular cutter before threading with a die in an alignment tool. Works well with suppressors. But I do recommend taking a gun that isn’t a test project to a gunsmith.
You mentioned that you cannot do threads without the use of a Lathe because of the need to get the Barrel Outer Diameter to be within the Correct Diameter for the Threading need it but what if an ANNULAR CUTTER with the Proper Caliber Guide is used to KEEP the Cutter Straight? Is this setup a PROPER WAY to CUT Threads on a Barrel without the use of a LATHE?
I respectfully disagee. I have a very good technique. I have used it on non concentric barrels. It requires patience and skill to do right but it is possible. It is very helpful on rifles where the barrel is difficult to remove or if you needed to work in the field. I will grant that hand cut threads do not look as nice as machined. But the fit and function is there. the tool to reduce the diameter of the barrel was 90$ for just the cutter. Another 50$ for the brass pilot and tool holder.
I hand threaded a 5/8 od barrel by hand to 1/2-20 with hand files (bastard, flat mill and then thread cutting) and sanding blocks (no dies) in high school metal shop to get a good grade on filing technique. The muzzle brake was tapped on a lathe with a tap holder and taps.
They didn’t say that it couldn’t be done, just that it never ends well. You’re never going to be able to guarantee that the threads are concentric to the bore. You aren’t going to be able to get the shoulder perfectly square to the bore. It might be “good nuff”, but it isn’t worth even trying it. It may be good enough to thread on a muzzle brake or flash hider, but I wouldn’t even think about throwing a suppressor on hand cut threads. I’m nervous about baffle strikes for the first few shots on a cheap factory threaded barrel. For what you spent, you could have had two barrels professionally threaded. Why take the chance? Why dramatically decrease your gun’s value? Even on something like a $100 .22lr, you’re wasting your gun’s potential value. A $100 .22lr with hand cut threads is probably going to sell for $50-$60. A $100 .22lr with professional threading, is going to be worth at least $125-150. Some will pay a little extra for a threaded barrel. Most will pay significantly less for something that’s been bubba’d.
@@patrickc1508 It is funny how machinists respond. Im a professional gunsmith. You are wrong about how accurate hands can be. All just skill, good eyes, and careful slow work. And your wrong about baffle strikes btw. I have done 15 + barrels with the tools, No complaints. Highpower rifles and all manner of muzzle accessories no problem...
I had my SCAR 17 barrel cut and re-threaded, then pin and welded the muzzle break which was threaded for my suppressor. It was the best $150 I ever spent.
I have used an annular cutter with caliber specific pilot guide to create a shoulder and then used a die to create threads multiple times with great success. As a caveat, I have never used this for direct thread suppressors, only muzzle breaks
This is not completely true. An annular cutter with the correct I.D. and bore alignment tool will simultaneously reduce the OD of the barrel to proper size while cutting concentric to the bore and creating a shoulder for the muzzle device to index off of. It can even be used in a battery drill with an adapter and turned at low rpm with plenty of cutting oil. (Cut a water bottle in half and tape it to the barrel to catch shavings and oil) Then you can introduce the threading die with bore alignment tool and thread until proper timing with your desired muzzle device is achieved. I’ve used this method multiple times since I can neither afford a lathe, nor have the want for someone else to do my gun work. Research until safe.
I hand cut a 300 WM with hand saw, used tools I bought from Brownells and put a muzzle break on it.. 22" barrel now and its an absolute tac driver.. Would do it again.. Note though.. I crowned the face with he target barrel bevel before doing the annular cut.. Has the kick of a 243-308 range.. If you have a 24 inch pencil barrel and it sprays them outside your MOA... It will tighten that up!
That would depend on your intentions with that barrel in my opinion. I have no issues turning down to the right diameter, thread and crown a barrel by hand if I plan on only using a flash hider, small single chamber brake or one of a larger caliber if it’s a longer muzzle device. If I’d be building something more precision oriented, mount a silencer,.... I most definitely would send that barrel to be threaded by a competent gunsmith and have them mount and check alignment on the muzzle device that will be on the barrel.
A properly fitted pilot on a tight fitted annular cutter will reduce the diameter of the barrel to the major thread pitch. Then using a die starting pilot of the EXACT same dimension as the one used on the cutter to start the threads WILL thread a muzzle without a lathe, but you will have no relief cut toward the shoulder. Not saying the results will be as good or as cost effective as taking the barrel to a Smith to be dialed in an turned in a 4 jaw chuck+spider but it can be done. But then again who knows it might be better. Do you know what YOUR smith's acceptable amount of runout is when dialing one in?( Might be having one of those days and .003" is good enough for someone who has no way of checking it.)
Curious, is it possible to thread a female side like for example: a Surefire Muzzle Brake in 1/2x28 to 15x1 RH? Another question is, is there a tool other than a lathe that could do that?
cut down a gi profile ar barrel from 16 to 10 and the turned down portion of the barrel is perfect for 5/8x24 thread. used an alignment tool, worked out ok. But for the most part a lathe is a good idea.
Huh. Ive done two barrels by using a pilot guided annular cutter, pilot guided die, and crowning tool and they have come out perfect. Use multiple suppressors on them. I don’t understand how they couldn’t come out concentric if everything you’re doing is using a pilot in the bore. I watched this video thinking you were going to say, “sure you can do it by hand”. Interesting.
I have worked on a fair number of space programs and deal a lot with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). In short, the datum for thread cutting is a non-physical bore center for thread cutting whereas a die uses the exterior of the barrel as a datum. It is a bad idea and if you attach a suppressor to those threads, you could get a baffle strike which could be WAY more expensive than just buying a new threaded barrel.
I believe the crowd of folks that would be interested in threading a muzzle by hand are the "solvent trap adapter" gang.. they don't care too much about concentricty, as it won't make much difference to them.
You could index off the bore with a cutting tool using a guide rod inserted in the barrel, make a concentric cut to remove any excess material, then cut the threads. Not sure any tool exists to do that, but a determined individual could pull it off. Seems easier to use a lathe though.
They make equipment to use annular cutters to properly size the OD of barrels for threading, they include a guide that goes in the barrel so that the OD is consistent with the bore. During threading another tool is used to align the die to the bore so that the threads are concentric. Any thoughts on that process?
Obviously I'm going to have to turn the muzzle down to the diameter for the thread and create a shoulder for the muzzle device but can I run a die over it while it's in the lathe or is single point threading recommended for it.
Send me the gun and I will see if I can fix it for you, just pay the return shipping. Look me up, Texas Precision Guns, Karnes City/Kenedy, TX. I am a certified Gunsmith, I hate to hear and see guns done badly. I use a G0824 Lathe and PTG Range Rods, and high quality inserts for my tooling.
I have a L1A1 inch pattern FAL. The muzzle threads are 9/16x24 RH. The muzzle brake I want to use is Mic McPherson’s L.A.W. muzzle brake that Pacific Tool and Guage sells. It has a 5/8x32 .318 ID.I assume it to be LH. Do you or anyone sell a adapter for the different size ? I don’t believe CNCWarrior does though they have one for most every other size. .
In all honesty, everyone interested in gun work should buy a lathe. The most challenging muzzle thread I have done is for an SU-16, where you can not remove the barrel from the action. It was done in a lathe, but I turned the work in back gears with my slowest setting to get my OD while holding the rear of that polymer action in a 4 jaw. I only started the thread single point. I finished it with a die. It also turned out to be a long thread to get back to a shoulder because the barrel OD was pretty closed to the finished OD. And I was careful not shorten the 16 inch barrel. In all honesty I like the SU-16 far better than any of my AR's, but that does not mean it is "better", just that I like the gun's ergonomics, weight, and features.
I can attest to the statement that barrels are often "not concentric." Back in the last century I was troubled by a clan of opossums that lived under my floor. So I had an expert machinist thread my quality Remington .22 barrel for possum medicine. The bore was straight, but the barrel had a pronounced curve, only found out by the rotating lathe! Oddly, the possums were psychic, and by the time I brought that barrel home---they had disappeared............................elsullo
I took shop in high school, and we learned how to properly use lathes, milling machines, surface grinders, etc. If I had the proper equipment I could do it. But I would never attempt this by hand.
I feel that if you really wanted to spend the time and effort that it may be possible to do it by hand and without a lathe, but it would require a lot more than a Die and may cost more than just having a gunsmith do it.
That’s exactly how I’ve done it. Annular cut barrel with barrel alignment guide. Then use the thread alignment die starter tool and thread the barrel. When finished check with a suppressor alignment check rod. I’ve done about a dozen and no issues. Either I’ve been lucky or it works.
How would you destroy the crown nothing comes in contact with it. If youre worried about the barrel guide most of them are flat so they never come in contact with the crown after that, and if you still worried about it you can buy aluminum barrel guides.
As a certified gunsmith myself, I respectfully disagree with this. I agree that most probably shouldn't but to anyone with the knowledge and skill, there is no reason you shouldn't if you want to. I hand threaded and AR barrel chambered in 6.5 Grendel. I used a 16" M4 profiled barrel that I had cut down to 12" and so the "M4" profile for the 203 launcher attachment happended to be the correct diameter for the thread. 5/8-24" (.308) muzzle device. Anyways, turned out great, including the crown I did and most important, the accuracy was spot on. 1" at 100 yards with steel cased Wolf out of 12" barrel is acceptable I'd say. But to the point, most people probably shouldn't and I could have certainly messed up and ruined a barrel.
I literally just watched a video on this yesterday and there is a different tool to do it and the guy did 100% by hand then I watched one by leith and the guy even said Remington is bad about getting the bore hole center of the barrel so there is that
Not a horrible video and I enjoy the series, but your play on myth busters should obligate you too bringing some actual data to the table. I would have liked to see you take barrels that had some other issue, so that you don't waste a barrel, and try to turn them by hand and show the issues that result.
I highly agree. You want accuracy let a gunsmith thread it with his expensive lathe. If you just want to put a muzzle device with very loose bullet clearance on a cheap rifle then go ahead and try the threading kits.
It's okay on any rifle you only intend to install a loose bore brake or flash hider to. Video is catered by low in for low iq. AKs are not good suppressor hosts because their threads are almost always inconsistent and non-concentric, make your AR like that and it's not a good host either.
The way it work doing it by hand is you follow the instructions on the kit step by step . Go test fire the rifle then get the squib out of your bore cut the end of the barrel off and discard in a place no one will find it then take the rifle to a Smyth and convince them you have no idea what happened and pay them to make you a new barrel .thanks for the vid
How can aluminium thread adapters work and have suppressors work as intended? I feel like the risk for them becoming unaligned would be greater than someone really carefully threading their barrel? The way I've done mine previously, I've scrapped working it by hand completely and instead I put a rig in my vise and turn it that way instead, I feel the risk of the die becoming remotely crooked if you do the actual application of pressure by hand is too great considering it's a barrel and not your sink pipes.. However I wouldn't even consider doing it for anyone else.. If I do it myself to my own things.. Its my risk and responsibility.. And the potential consequences the same... But you never know wether or not people truly understand firearms nor how they treat them, If I do it, I know how I've done it and if there's anything I have to consider.
Yes a machinist CAN do it but they have to do it right. The barrel should be indicated by the bore, not by the outside diameter. As was said in the video, sometimes barrels aren’t concentric. If you indicate from the outside and the bore is .003” out from being concentric, your threads will not be aligned properly and if you’re using a suppressor or brake with a close bore you could have the bullet strike the muzzle device. Lots of people may already know this, but for those that didn’t it might save some time and a replacement barrel. Just make sure whoever works on your firearm knows how to do it properly
It's doable with an annular cutter, thread die and some other specialized gunsmithing tools, but the cost for all those tools can be hundreds of dollars. better off going to the smith.
So I just got the kit from South Carolina shooter supply. Used the annular cutter to reduce the diameter of the barrel and threaded it for 14x1. Pin and welded for 16” OAL finished with a DA flash hider. Topped it off with my can and using an alignment rod the concentricity is damn near perfect.
There are A LOT of successful videos on here showing barrels threaded for brakes using an annular cutter and then threading the barrel so I don't know why you're saying it's not possible to get it right.
Multiple people have said it but it absolutely is "possible" to do it by hand and have it work just fine.... but why? A machinist or gunsmith can do it in 5 minutes.
When I was a mechanic, we had a lady come in just before close one night with burned out headlights. She had failed state inspection and needed them replaced. She was wicked mad. So she goes up front while I opened the hood. Someone had tried it and failed. So I got the right bulbs and replaced them. She came into the shop and said, "I paid ten bucks to have you do five minutes of work?" And I replied, "No, ma'am. You paid ten bucks to have a trained professional use the proper tools and equipment to replace your headlights. It only took five minutes because I've done a hundred of them and I know how to do it right." Most bulbs that go in your car can't be touched with your bare hands. The oil from your skin can cause the bulb to burn out early once it heats up a few hundred times. Most people don't know that. Some of them are really expensive.
Many of the comments say it can be done with an annular cutter. I find it funny that Brownell's says it can't be done. I wonder if it's because they don't sell annular cutters on their site.
Gun plumbers everywhere will tell you "don't waste your money on a gunsmith. Just put the barrel in a vise and put a thread cutting die on it." 1st bores ARE NOT concentric with OD on a barrel, often being off by several thousandths of an inch. Second, consider POLAR mathematics, the same system that produces 1" appx of accuracy per 100yds of distance for a 1 minute gun. That is, the longer the barrel attachment, the more likely a baffle strike unless the barrel is PERFECTLY concentric with the BORE. The ONLY was to make this happen is by indicating the BORE of a barrel on a lathe with a tungsten carbide rod in the BORE, not by indicating on the OD. If you want to blow the can off the end of your barrel, go ahead and thread the muzzle the gun plumber way.
You claim it's busted, but you didn't show us that it can't be done. I have several very nice guns that I worked on myself, that I was told by so-called (Smiths) that it could not be done or should not be done, including rebarreling revolvers and rifles, rechambering and a Ruger 10/22 barrel on a savage MKII, Python barrel on a Trooper, trooper barrel on a Smith & Wesson etc. All look fantastic and perform amazing. I have over 100 guns and 95 of them have been modified by me in some form or other, there are lot of companies out there that rent tools to do the job, and If I don't think I can do it, I wont! I remember going into a shop in Oregon and telling a so-called smith about my idea for my Ruger/Savage project, only to have him tell me (You don't want to do that) to which I replied, (Really? Pretty sure I do) I am not saying all gunsmiths are like that, I just seem to run across the lazy, closed minded, cigarette smoking, don't want to get out of the chair, 300 pound jerks quite often! And if I want to destroy an Item I paid for, with money I earned, so be it! And if everyone was afraid to try something different, we would still be using muzzle loaders! Carbine Williams built a functioning rifle in prison with a file! Also I have looked into buying a mill/lathe combo, but the cost of fixtures, jigs and components, not to mention the fact that I am not a machinist, and worry I might really damage something to the point of no return.
First I mount my barrel in my 1932 drill press powered by an old Westinghouse wash machine motor, then using my home made culminated laser thingamajig made from one of those cheap Chinese laser sights to set alignment, I then file the barrel shelf and thread cut diameter with my yard sale files, ( have to save money ), then mount my thread die in my Chinese cross vise and precision align the barrel and cut the threads, ( I use the oil drained from my oil changes ) as a tap lube ( saving money ) and cut them by hand rotating the Chuck. After this procedure and checking the alignment, I use a hacksaw to remove the bad threads and repeat the process. After several attempts at this, my 20" barrel is now a 10" pistol barrel. I then use a Brownells muzzle cutter to cut and set the crown to a target crown. And the only thing that's good is crown. Yep. That's the way to save money now.
You sold me the tools years ago, and NOW you say it is Not the way, WTH ?
😂 the salesman at it again!
Used car salesmen.
I think they’re saying not to do it for the fudds😂 any sensible person could do this in a shop easily and accurately. Its like saying you can’t machine an 80% without a mill- you can its just not as easy.
I use a custom-made annual cutter with a pilot bearing in the center that’s changeable for different bore sizes. After which I thread with a die and alignment tool that also uses the boar to index off of. My shoulder as well as thread major diameter are always within spec this way regardless of barrel concentricity
An annular cutter and brass center pin will make a perfect shoulder and make it concentric with the bore.
Brownells been awfully quite since this comment dropped
I used the threading kit from CNC warriors. Annular cutter with a centering pin in the bore followed by a die with a centering pin, all with hand drills.
I put on a muzzle device with a griffin taper mount, mounted an 8" suppressor and used an alignment rod to check concentricity and it was absolutely perfect. I was amazed.
Exactly correct. Basic machining equipment. Brownells just doesn't want the liability so say it can't be done. Thus mislead a lot of people.
Lol, I came to the comment section to say the same thing. I like a lot of there content, but they can't get pretty snobby sometimes.
I am interested to learn more of what you speak.
You certainly CAN thread a barrel by hand; but you absolutely shouldn't...
You can drive a car with your feet, it doesn't make it a good idea.
Chris Rock.
@@Ogrematic You technically always drive your car with your feet lol.
And here I am just looking at the Astronaut Cat Cup.
Rumor has it he swapped someone 5,000 rounds of 9mm ammo for that cup.
So what you’re saying is, that the precision machined parts need to be precision machined?
I’ve threaded three 6.5CM by hand already and they shoot awesome.
Thread cocentricity only really matters I'd you got a massive honkin suppressor on it.
Some things take special equipment and a person that knows how to use it
This video: "You guys are probably as dumb as we are, so don't do it; we learned the hard way..."
Annular cut barrel with barrel alignment guide. Then use the thread alignment die starter tool and thread the barrel. When finished check with a suppressor alignment check rod. I’ve done maybe a dozen and no issues. Either I’ve been lucky or it works.
I've done a few guns like that no problem. Just a sharp half inch annular cutter, a barrel alignment guide for what ever caliber you're working and a 1/2 by 28 tap. And a pair of calipers and a file just to make sure everything's even. Done a few 22 lr, 556, and 9mm that way.
@@jdog0393 Yep. I’ve got the Brownells crowning kit so full disclosure I have had to clean up the crown on at least one that I remember. Could have been more but can’t recall.
I thread my own by hand. I hand the barrel to a gunsmith.
Well played...
LOL
I bet that got a smile out of Caleb haha
@@brownells: and smartly, and safely 🤔😉
Do you hire someone to shoot them for you too?
Would love to get a suppressor alignment gauge, I’ve done several by hand and they’ve all worked and shot under 1 moa. I do have to use a backup nut because there isn’t a shoulder. I use the CNC warrior kit, it uses special guides and a annular cutter to properly reduce diameter.
Kinda funny how the " I'm a professional " one's out there tell you that it's not a good idea and it'll get screwed up and have a machinist shop do the work . If your not mechanically inclined , then yes , pay and have a shop do the work , as far as the barrel cutting and tapping not being centered with the barrel on the inside , that's what the guides are for , to keep the tool's aligned with the center . It's a matter of taking your time and useing the right tools and having patience. Now if it were one of my high end firearms then I'd have a shop do the work vrs a cheaper .22 that I'll do myself.
You can buy an annular cutter that cuts the barrel to the right diameter and leaves a shoulder to index off of given there is enough difference between starting and finish diameter. Granted, a lathe is still the best option. I've done several both ways and both are fine.
Can you use metric 12 mm annular cutter for 1/2x28 thread ? Instead of 1/2'' ( 12.7 mm )annular cutter
@@moscowrider Potentially but your thread depth would be very shallow; the threads would not have near as much strength. I personally would not try it.
@@BadLuckBran what if use 13 mm then ? It's just 0.3 mm thicker then required 12.7 . According to some charts maximum OD is 0.510 (12.9mm) looks close to me🤷🏻♂️. Gunsmiths charge 300$ for this job.
@@moscowrider This would likely be fine as the 1/2-28 die will likely trim it down to size. Just don't expect it to be easy to turn the die by hand haha
Good info to know. I assumed DIY threading was a bad idea especially if done for suppressor use but until this video I did not know for sure.
Buy an annular cutter or look at the other guys on line who've used them and made perfect threaded barrels. These guy are dinosaurs lol
@@Bayerische.Motoren.Werke. these guys definitely know threading barrels! But it appears after watching it being done by hand BUT WITH 3 PROPER TOOLS it can be done concentric to the bore and that means suppressor safe. And this makes these guys look like dinosaurs and time passed them by. Brownells should redo this video and sell the 3 tools!
I agree and this has nothing to do with the question at hand, but where did you get the space force/cat coffee mug?
It’s listed on EBay...Kennedy Space Center Cats Space Suits Prints of Tails Coffee Mug Cup 😎🌺🌈🤙🏽
Bubba: But... I am an artist with an angle grinder! ;)
I feel attacked by this.
@@eaglethehulk8539 Haha. I consider myself to be an artist with an angle grinder as well. :D However, I can just imagine someone saying to themselves. "I can just grind down the diameter and then thread it!" Who needs a lathe! :P
_angry beaver grinding tool_
@@RichardCasto You know someone has tried it!
I threaded a marlin model 70 by hand. I cut the shoulder back with a center guided annular cutter before threading with a die in an alignment tool. Works well with suppressors. But I do recommend taking a gun that isn’t a test project to a gunsmith.
I feel like this was a given... but someone out there was about to do the dirty deed. Would love to see some examples.
I was just thinking about trying this on my Mosin 91/30 for a muzzle brake. I'll check with a gunsmith first.
You mentioned that you cannot do threads without the use of a Lathe because of the need to get the Barrel Outer Diameter to be within the Correct Diameter for the Threading need it but what if an ANNULAR CUTTER with the Proper Caliber Guide is used to KEEP the Cutter Straight? Is this setup a PROPER WAY to CUT Threads on a Barrel without the use of a LATHE?
Ive used the kits, they do work !
Ok...now that it’s down to 1/2” x 28, can I crown the muzzle that’s left? Worth doing??
I respectfully disagee. I have a very good technique. I have used it on non concentric barrels. It requires patience and skill to do right but it is possible. It is very helpful on rifles where the barrel is difficult to remove or if you needed to work in the field. I will grant that hand cut threads do not look as nice as machined. But the fit and function is there. the tool to reduce the diameter of the barrel was 90$ for just the cutter. Another 50$ for the brass pilot and tool holder.
Interesting. If you are ever motivated to make a video on your process i would watch it.
I hand threaded a 5/8 od barrel by hand to 1/2-20 with hand files (bastard, flat mill and then thread cutting) and sanding blocks (no dies) in high school metal shop to get a good grade on filing technique. The muzzle brake was tapped on a lathe with a tap holder and taps.
@@benevolenthighwayman882 sounds slick. must've had a good shop instructor to let you do that in a HS class
They didn’t say that it couldn’t be done, just that it never ends well. You’re never going to be able to guarantee that the threads are concentric to the bore. You aren’t going to be able to get the shoulder perfectly square to the bore. It might be “good nuff”, but it isn’t worth even trying it. It may be good enough to thread on a muzzle brake or flash hider, but I wouldn’t even think about throwing a suppressor on hand cut threads. I’m nervous about baffle strikes for the first few shots on a cheap factory threaded barrel.
For what you spent, you could have had two barrels professionally threaded.
Why take the chance?
Why dramatically decrease your gun’s value? Even on something like a $100 .22lr, you’re wasting your gun’s potential value. A $100 .22lr with hand cut threads is probably going to sell for $50-$60. A $100 .22lr with professional threading, is going to be worth at least $125-150. Some will pay a little extra for a threaded barrel. Most will pay significantly less for something that’s been bubba’d.
@@patrickc1508 It is funny how machinists respond. Im a professional gunsmith. You are wrong about how accurate hands can be. All just skill, good eyes, and careful slow work. And your wrong about baffle strikes btw. I have done 15 + barrels with the tools, No complaints. Highpower rifles and all manner of muzzle accessories no problem...
I had my SCAR 17 barrel cut and re-threaded, then pin and welded the muzzle break which was threaded for my suppressor. It was the best $150 I ever spent.
I have used an annular cutter with caliber specific pilot guide to create a shoulder and then used a die to create threads multiple times with great success. As a caveat, I have never used this for direct thread suppressors, only muzzle breaks
If you use the annular cutter first to cut down the diameter then thread it, it works fine
you can use annular cutter to get that shoulder. still wouldnt trust a long suppressor on it though.
I’m not sure how much faith I have in your advice after watching this video.
I use a STEEL FILE TO CUT MY OWN THREADS, kidding.
This is not completely true. An annular cutter with the correct I.D. and bore alignment tool will simultaneously reduce the OD of the barrel to proper size while cutting concentric to the bore and creating a shoulder for the muzzle device to index off of. It can even be used in a battery drill with an adapter and turned at low rpm with plenty of cutting oil. (Cut a water bottle in half and tape it to the barrel to catch shavings and oil) Then you can introduce the threading die with bore alignment tool and thread until proper timing with your desired muzzle device is achieved. I’ve used this method multiple times since I can neither afford a lathe, nor have the want for someone else to do my gun work. Research until safe.
I hand cut a 300 WM with hand saw, used tools I bought from Brownells and put a muzzle break on it.. 22" barrel now and its an absolute tac driver.. Would do it again.. Note though.. I crowned the face with he target barrel bevel before doing the annular cut.. Has the kick of a 243-308 range.. If you have a 24 inch pencil barrel and it sprays them outside your MOA... It will tighten that up!
That would depend on your intentions with that barrel in my opinion. I have no issues turning down to the right diameter, thread and crown a barrel by hand if I plan on only using a flash hider, small single chamber brake or one of a larger caliber if it’s a longer muzzle device. If I’d be building something more precision oriented, mount a silencer,.... I most definitely would send that barrel to be threaded by a competent gunsmith and have them mount and check alignment on the muzzle device that will be on the barrel.
This video: "You guys are probably as dumb as we are, so don't do it; we learned the hard way..."
A properly fitted pilot on a tight fitted annular cutter will reduce the diameter of the barrel to the major thread pitch. Then using a die starting pilot of the EXACT same dimension as the one used on the cutter to start the threads WILL thread a muzzle without a lathe, but you will have no relief cut toward the shoulder. Not saying the results will be as good or as cost effective as taking the barrel to a Smith to be dialed in an turned in a 4 jaw chuck+spider but it can be done. But then again who knows it might be better. Do you know what YOUR smith's acceptable amount of runout is when dialing one in?( Might be having one of those days and .003" is good enough for someone who has no way of checking it.)
Curious, is it possible to thread a female side like for example: a Surefire Muzzle Brake in 1/2x28 to 15x1 RH? Another question is, is there a tool other than a lathe that could do that?
JB Weld has always worked for me.
Can't you just drill out the threads on the muzzle device and JBWeld it to the barrel?
I really doubt JBWeld will survive heat and temperature expansion of barrel and muzzle device. It would be a good episode for Project Farm though.
cut down a gi profile ar barrel from 16 to 10 and the turned down portion of the barrel is perfect for 5/8x24 thread.
used an alignment tool, worked out ok. But for the most part a lathe is a good idea.
Is it by hand when I operate a lathe manually?
Only if you pedal the chuck like a bike
Huh. Ive done two barrels by using a pilot guided annular cutter, pilot guided die, and crowning tool and they have come out perfect. Use multiple suppressors on them. I don’t understand how they couldn’t come out concentric if everything you’re doing is using a pilot in the bore. I watched this video thinking you were going to say, “sure you can do it by hand”. Interesting.
Yeah especially since they sell the tools to do it by hand.
I have worked on a fair number of space programs and deal a lot with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). In short, the datum for thread cutting is a non-physical bore center for thread cutting whereas a die uses the exterior of the barrel as a datum. It is a bad idea and if you attach a suppressor to those threads, you could get a baffle strike which could be WAY more expensive than just buying a new threaded barrel.
As a machinist for over 10 years, I can confirm what you just said. Thanks.
I believe the crowd of folks that would be interested in threading a muzzle by hand are the "solvent trap adapter" gang.. they don't care too much about concentricty, as it won't make much difference to them.
You could index off the bore with a cutting tool using a guide rod inserted in the barrel, make a concentric cut to remove any excess material, then cut the threads. Not sure any tool exists to do that, but a determined individual could pull it off. Seems easier to use a lathe though.
They make equipment to use annular cutters to properly size the OD of barrels for threading, they include a guide that goes in the barrel so that the OD is consistent with the bore. During threading another tool is used to align the die to the bore so that the threads are concentric. Any thoughts on that process?
Obviously I'm going to have to turn the muzzle down to the diameter for the thread and create a shoulder for the muzzle device but can I run a die over it while it's in the lathe or is single point threading recommended for it.
Caleb is the Tom Brady of gun smithing, and Steve is John Elway.
New England is not happy brady left.
I once tried to thread my mak-90. Got halfway and realized I had ruined it.
Still shoots fine, but has an ugly and weird step
Send me the gun and I will see if I can fix it for you, just pay the return shipping. Look me up, Texas Precision Guns, Karnes City/Kenedy, TX. I am a certified Gunsmith, I hate to hear and see guns done badly. I use a G0824 Lathe and PTG Range Rods, and high quality inserts for my tooling.
Takes a big man to admit his mistakes.
I would nickname your rifle the: Scar-90
If you could thread your own barrel you certainly have more knowledge and tooling than I'll ever have.
either that makes me a genius or you an idiot
you pick
I was hoping for an attempted thread cutting
I have a L1A1 inch pattern FAL. The muzzle threads are 9/16x24 RH. The muzzle brake I want to use is Mic McPherson’s L.A.W. muzzle brake that Pacific Tool and Guage sells. It has a 5/8x32 .318 ID.I assume it to be LH. Do you or anyone sell a adapter for the different size ? I don’t believe CNCWarrior does though they have one for most every other size. .
In all honesty, everyone interested in gun work should buy a lathe. The most challenging muzzle thread I have done is for an SU-16, where you can not remove the barrel from the action. It was done in a lathe, but I turned the work in back gears with my slowest setting to get my OD while holding the rear of that polymer action in a 4 jaw. I only started the thread single point. I finished it with a die. It also turned out to be a long thread to get back to a shoulder because the barrel OD was pretty closed to the finished OD. And I was careful not shorten the 16 inch barrel. In all honesty I like the SU-16 far better than any of my AR's, but that does not mean it is "better", just that I like the gun's ergonomics, weight, and features.
I can attest to the statement that barrels are often "not concentric." Back in the last century I was troubled by a clan of opossums that lived under my floor. So I had an expert machinist thread my quality Remington .22 barrel for possum medicine. The bore was straight, but the barrel had a pronounced curve, only found out by the rotating lathe! Oddly, the possums were psychic, and by the time I brought that barrel home---they had disappeared............................elsullo
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Thanks again !
As a machinist I 100% agree.
Yeah I tried this once on a 16" sks...$150 for the threading and $200 later for the tax stamp and now I have an sbr sks. Never again.
I took shop in high school, and we learned how to properly use lathes, milling machines, surface grinders, etc. If I had the proper equipment I could do it. But I would never attempt this by hand.
Great video
There is no better way to trash out a good barrel than to mess up the muzzle/crown
Why trying hard to do pointless stuff while you can easily machine it..?
Unless it is Khyber.
I feel that if you really wanted to spend the time and effort that it may be possible to do it by hand and without a lathe, but it would require a lot more than a Die and may cost more than just having a gunsmith do it.
Already knew the answer but stop by cuz I love you guys content
What if the barrel is cut down to size by hand(drill) with an annular cutter that uses a pilot that goes into the barrel?
you'll likely destroy the crown...
That’s exactly how I’ve done it. Annular cut barrel with barrel alignment guide. Then use the thread alignment die starter tool and thread the barrel. When finished check with a suppressor alignment check rod. I’ve done about a dozen and no issues. Either I’ve been lucky or it works.
How would you destroy the crown nothing comes in contact with it. If youre worried about the barrel guide most of them are flat so they never come in contact with the crown after that, and if you still worried about it you can buy aluminum barrel guides.
As a certified gunsmith myself, I respectfully disagree with this. I agree that most probably shouldn't but to anyone with the knowledge and skill, there is no reason you shouldn't if you want to. I hand threaded and AR barrel chambered in 6.5 Grendel. I used a 16" M4 profiled barrel that I had cut down to 12" and so the "M4" profile for the 203 launcher attachment happended to be the correct diameter for the thread. 5/8-24" (.308) muzzle device. Anyways, turned out great, including the crown I did and most important, the accuracy was spot on. 1" at 100 yards with steel cased Wolf out of 12" barrel is acceptable I'd say. But to the point, most people probably shouldn't and I could have certainly messed up and ruined a barrel.
Then Why do You sell Muzzle Threading Tools?
I literally just watched a video on this yesterday and there is a different tool to do it and the guy did 100% by hand then I watched one by leith and the guy even said Remington is bad about getting the bore hole center of the barrel so there is that
Not a horrible video and I enjoy the series, but your play on myth busters should obligate you too bringing some actual data to the table. I would have liked to see you take barrels that had some other issue, so that you don't waste a barrel, and try to turn them by hand and show the issues that result.
I highly agree. You want accuracy let a gunsmith thread it with his expensive lathe. If you just want to put a muzzle device with very loose bullet clearance on a cheap rifle then go ahead and try the threading kits.
Rifle for sale! Lightly used. Comes with an awesome muzzle break.
Pretty sure every one’s had a diy fail ha
So how did they get threaded before lathes were invented?
Well, lathes were invented in 1751. Not a lot of suppressor and muzzle device hosts were around back then.
New design Idea. 3dprinted ECM set up to go in conjunction with Ivan The Trolls ECM barrel making set up to thread barrels.
So is it ok on akm barrel then? I'm thinking about getting that kit you guys make
It's okay on any rifle you only intend to install a loose bore brake or flash hider to. Video is catered by low in for low iq. AKs are not good suppressor hosts because their threads are almost always inconsistent and non-concentric, make your AR like that and it's not a good host either.
@@EtherFox i just want slant brake on ak. Woth a locking nut behind it like ultradyne does so it ines up right no matter the threads
Why would you want to buy an AR barrel that wasn't threaded in the first place.
Cli to. Era tyranny. Scary gun features were banned. Like the deadly bayonet lug and threaded barrel.
I really want to see a video on shot chokes and slugs / buckshot!
The way it work doing it by hand is you follow the instructions on the kit step by step . Go test fire the rifle then get the squib out of your bore cut the end of the barrel off and discard in a place no one will find it then take the rifle to a Smyth and convince them you have no idea what happened and pay them to make you a new barrel .thanks for the vid
How can aluminium thread adapters work and have suppressors work as intended? I feel like the risk for them becoming unaligned would be greater than someone really carefully threading their barrel?
The way I've done mine previously, I've scrapped working it by hand completely and instead I put a rig in my vise and turn it that way instead, I feel the risk of the die becoming remotely crooked if you do the actual application of pressure by hand is too great considering it's a barrel and not your sink pipes.. However I wouldn't even consider doing it for anyone else.. If I do it myself to my own things.. Its my risk and responsibility.. And the potential consequences the same... But you never know wether or not people truly understand firearms nor how they treat them, If I do it, I know how I've done it and if there's anything I have to consider.
what about on a manual lathe witch i have i can make a shoulder easy but mine does not have feeds to thread
The annular cutter will index flush
Ha, loved this one!
But what about cleaning up rough threads on your own?
Soon as I saw tge title I was like oh he'll no nonono no
They cut before the synchronized coffee sip. So disappointing.
That must mean they're doing the "cant shoot 556 in a 223" myth soon?
What about using a annular cutter?
Us AK guys just ignored everything you said lol
Yes a machinist CAN do it but they have to do it right. The barrel should be indicated by the bore, not by the outside diameter. As was said in the video, sometimes barrels aren’t concentric. If you indicate from the outside and the bore is .003” out from being concentric, your threads will not be aligned properly and if you’re using a suppressor or brake with a close bore you could have the bullet strike the muzzle device. Lots of people may already know this, but for those that didn’t it might save some time and a replacement barrel. Just make sure whoever works on your firearm knows how to do it properly
Thanks guys. Very interesting........
Thanks for watching!
The right way to thread your barrel....buy one from Brownells.
It's doable with an annular cutter, thread die and some other specialized gunsmithing tools, but the cost for all those tools can be hundreds of dollars. better off going to the smith.
So I just got the kit from South Carolina shooter supply. Used the annular cutter to reduce the diameter of the barrel and threaded it for 14x1. Pin and welded for 16” OAL finished with a DA flash hider. Topped it off with my can and using an alignment rod the concentricity is damn near perfect.
@@jhirata6456 nice, how much did all the tooling cost?
@@sdh2383 about $120? I don't recall the exact amount.
Pretty sure Robski of AKOU suppressed a psl or sks using a die from CNC Warrior. I’m definitely not gonna try it though...
There are A LOT of successful videos on here showing barrels threaded for brakes using an annular cutter and then threading the barrel so I don't know why you're saying it's not possible to get it right.
Multiple people have said it but it absolutely is "possible" to do it by hand and have it work just fine.... but why? A machinist or gunsmith can do it in 5 minutes.
When I was a mechanic, we had a lady come in just before close one night with burned out headlights. She had failed state inspection and needed them replaced. She was wicked mad. So she goes up front while I opened the hood. Someone had tried it and failed. So I got the right bulbs and replaced them. She came into the shop and said, "I paid ten bucks to have you do five minutes of work?"
And I replied, "No, ma'am. You paid ten bucks to have a trained professional use the proper tools and equipment to replace your headlights. It only took five minutes because I've done a hundred of them and I know how to do it right."
Most bulbs that go in your car can't be touched with your bare hands. The oil from your skin can cause the bulb to burn out early once it heats up a few hundred times. Most people don't know that. Some of them are really expensive.
Well, I don’t know about 5 minutes, maybe 1/2 an hour.
@@filster1934 I was being ambitious haha
@@filster1934 That's true, you have to set up the machine, do your measurements, check out of round, etc.
I can't believe this is actually even a thing...
What about Kyber Pass weapons
Many of the comments say it can be done with an annular cutter. I find it funny that Brownell's says it can't be done. I wonder if it's because they don't sell annular cutters on their site.
Because they don't anymore. But used to
When the gunsmith charges more than the guns worth ,, do it yourself,,, !!!!
My family and a few friends have done it many many times its not hard. These guy are not familiar with it so they shouldn't be busting any myths
I can say I have 4 times and messed up 1 out of the 4 costing me 135 for a new barrel that was threaded anyways
Gun plumbers everywhere will tell you "don't waste your money on a gunsmith. Just put the barrel in a vise and put a thread cutting die on it." 1st bores ARE NOT concentric with OD on a barrel, often being off by several thousandths of an inch. Second, consider POLAR mathematics, the same system that produces 1" appx of accuracy per 100yds of distance for a 1 minute gun. That is, the longer the barrel attachment, the more likely a baffle strike unless the barrel is PERFECTLY concentric with the BORE. The ONLY was to make this happen is by indicating the BORE of a barrel on a lathe with a tungsten carbide rod in the BORE, not by indicating on the OD. If you want to blow the can off the end of your barrel, go ahead and thread the muzzle the gun plumber way.
You claim it's busted, but you didn't show us that it can't be done. I have several very nice guns that I worked on myself, that I was told by so-called (Smiths) that it could not be done or should not be done, including rebarreling revolvers and rifles, rechambering and a Ruger 10/22 barrel on a savage MKII, Python barrel on a Trooper, trooper barrel on a Smith & Wesson etc. All look fantastic and perform amazing. I have over 100 guns and 95 of them have been modified by me in some form or other, there are lot of companies out there that rent tools to do the job, and If I don't think I can do it, I wont! I remember going into a shop in Oregon and telling a so-called smith about my idea for my Ruger/Savage project, only to have him tell me (You don't want to do that) to which I replied, (Really? Pretty sure I do) I am not saying all gunsmiths are like that, I just seem to run across the lazy, closed minded, cigarette smoking, don't want to get out of the chair, 300 pound jerks quite often! And if I want to destroy an Item I paid for, with money I earned, so be it! And if everyone was afraid to try something different, we would still be using muzzle loaders! Carbine Williams built a functioning rifle in prison with a file! Also I have looked into buying a mill/lathe combo, but the cost of fixtures, jigs and components, not to mention the fact that I am not a machinist, and worry I might really damage something to the point of no return.
Yeah but steven segal did it in a movie once, and it turned out great!
Why would he lie?
Sometimes it's better to let a guy who does it for a living do it, Like Dirty Harry said, "A man's gotta' know his limitations" !
First I mount my barrel in my 1932 drill press powered by an old Westinghouse wash machine motor, then using my home made culminated laser thingamajig made from one of those cheap Chinese laser sights to set alignment, I then file the barrel shelf and thread cut diameter with my yard sale files, ( have to save money ), then mount my thread die in my Chinese cross vise and precision align the barrel and cut the threads, ( I use the oil drained from my oil changes ) as a tap lube ( saving money ) and cut them by hand rotating the Chuck. After this procedure and checking the alignment, I use a hacksaw to remove the bad threads and repeat the process. After several attempts at this, my 20" barrel is now a 10" pistol barrel. I then use a Brownells muzzle cutter to cut and set the crown to a target crown. And the only thing that's good is crown. Yep. That's the way to save money now.
Iv done it, but you have to be real careful
If you have it in the lathe to turn the end to the correct diameter then you would just thread it there too.