bronko22000

Well I checked the federal regs and this is considered a "Contender" type firearm. It can be swapped from rifle to pistol to muzzleloader to shotgun provided you use the correct configuration (i.e.: butt stock or pistol grip). The finished barrel is 16 3/4" and because the total overall length of the firearm with a butt stock on exceeds 26" I can use it in either the rifle or the pistol configuration. But I plan to only use it in the pistol configuration. I have other muzzy rifles to use.
Today using nothing but hand tools I lopped 10" off the barrel then polished the face with various grits of sandpaper followed by 400 grit emery paper (oiled). For the crown I used a 5/16" cap nut and cut the head off a 5/16" bolt to be able to put it in my drill. for an abrasive to polish/cut the crown I used FEL-PRO Clover Compound which is a silicon-carbide grease mix.
When all done I blued the face. Total time took about 2 hours. The longest time was truing the face of the muzzle using a square and levels and a mill bastard file.
Semisane said it best when he said something along the lines "that hacksaw is an imaginary tool that cannot cut a straight line" Even using a piece of angle iron as a cutting guide I went off on a slight angle.
But the finish job came out pretty good if I must say so myself. I'm happy with it.

RedneckGeek1

Nice job. I look forward to reading how it performs.

bronko22000

Thanks. Scope base, scope and rings ordered from Cabelas. Time to use some of the gift cards I got for Christmas.

Semisane

Well done Bronko. I too am looking forward to shooting results.

I like that cap nut idea for the crowning. I've never thought of doing it that way.

As for a square cut on a round barrel, my pipe cutter system works really well.
Cutting A Barrel Shorter - HuntingNet.com Forums

bronko22000

That looks like it would have been a better way to do it. I did use a tubing cutter to scribe where i wanter to cut. I had a piece of angle iron clamped to the barrel to act as a guide and thought for sure I had follwed it. But you know hacksaws. They seem to always get off track. The angle of the cut was only slight but a square and careful filing got it trueto the bore.
For working the face I drilled a 1/2" hole in the center of a 2" piece of 1 1/8" dowel then tapped a 4" piece of 1/2" dowel thru it. I chucked the jig in my drill press and trued up one of the faces with a file. Using 2" square pieces of various grit paper and emery cloth and a half inch drill.

Semisane

Now the question is.......are you going to make a caplock pistol with the 10" cut off section?

bronko22000

Nope...but if you want it I'll send it to you.

Semisane

I appreciate the offer Bronko, but already have more projects waiting that I never seem to get around to.

With only minor machining to create an entry throat, you can use a three or four inch section of that barrel to create a perfect sizing die to size full bore bullets with rifling that exactly fits your barrel.

bronko22000

IMO I think this barrel will likely shoot better now because I got rid of that QLA at the original muzzle.

Semisane

Yeah, I think the odds are in your favor. Removing the QLA from my Omega X7 gave me slightly better 100 yard groups. Nothing major, but consistently slightly tighter than with the QLA.