How to Shorten and Recrown a Rifle Barrel with Hand Tools | The Model 67 Project | MidwayUSA

Although most people are intimidated when it comes to shortening and recrowning a barrel, it's pretty easy when you have the right tools. In this GunTec presentation Larry Potterfield, CEO and Founder of MidwayUSA, demonstrates how to cut and recrown a rifle barrel using an old Winchester model 67. He starts by clamping a Wheeler Engineering dovetail cutting fixture on the barrel at the point where it is to be shortened. A hacksaw is used to cut off the portion of the barrel to be removed and a smooth file is used to true up the surface. The hardened fixture will insure the muzzle is filed down square to the bore. For cutting the crown Larry uses an eleven degree piloted reamer. Chatter marks are removed using abrasive paper backed by his thumb.
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[@jme92685]

Straight to the point in just 90 seconds.

[@bobhunt7553]

I have been buying used and miss treated firearms for 8 years , and with your helpful videos I have fully restored 5 double barrel 12ga shotguns , 3 long rifles and 2 pistols ...I can not thank you enough Larry .

[@lilrugah3433]

I love to hear that, you give those pieces the love they deserve

[@aidendelong5869]

Great! Thanks for doing so- not all of us can!

[@oshacraig]

Larry you are just cool and that's the way it is.

[@dwightandersen8053]

I wish i could find a local gunsmith with even a measurable fraction of knowledge and competence as you Mr. Potterfield.

[@anthraxjm]

"Well, it all starts with a hacksaw and ends with abrasive paper and your thumb." Sounds like date night to me.

[@stangtattooful]

It's really funny how know it alls are claiming this is a bad idea, yet MANY have done this mod over MANY years with great success.

[@stripnastythangthang8084]

As long as there is no cracks or bad chips in the barrel, I dont think its really a bad idea

[@SilencedLamb69]

Yeah. This isn't brain surgery. You just cut it straight and make sure the end of the barrel is flush after cutting jt

[@midwayusa]

@mobapadmin The thing about a crown is consistency. An 11 degree target crown is common in target rifles, and is not really caliber specific. The 5 or 8 would be quicker to cut, and under wartime production demands it makes sense that they would be cranking them out as quickly as possible. Also, they were not really target rifles. More simply put, consistency is the most important factor here. If you have any additional questions give us a call at 800-243-3220. Thanks for your business!

[@clems6989]

For some reason I always expect at the end for Larry to say "We'll leave the light on for ya".......

[@redneckzen]

So simple, it eludes so many. Excellent!

[@kys00ner1]

True. A lot of gunsmiths's say to use a brass, round-headed screw and lapping compound. Just stick it in your drill, and rotate/move the drill around.

[@Emorysr]

Love watching Larry's videos. He obviously loves his job.

[@kicker1911]

Larry I want to watch you on Saturday morning! Give that man a show

[@SGTType1EA]

Just be advised, if you're trying to accomplish this with a hard chrome lined barrel you may be left with a chipped bore which will adversely affect accuracy. I should know. I have to replace my S.C.A.R. barrel (virtually impossible at this time) so much for adding a can!

[@unleasheth]

I dont mind working on guns galore until it comes to anything specialty like this pertaining to barrels. Sooo glad i work for a gunshop and can hand stuff like this off to the smith when the need comes up

[@2tommyrad]

Larry's a good man. His company, Midway, stood far back from all the price gauging going on in this industry.

[@bxbalisong5776]

is this statement still true in 2024

[@HannsCaldari]

I like larry too! seems like a nice chap you could have interesting conversations for hours with!

[@joseurbijr.8040]

The most sensible e-gunsmith there is.

[@midwayusa]

Our product is HSS however we include 4 pilots as opposed to 1. Thanks for Your Business!

[@cheekyrick9529]

You could never distrust a gentleman that spoke like Larry.

[@Jamesmartens55]

Potterfield is a national treasure.

[@mdgsies]

Larry and MidwayUSA rocks. Thanks for your great guides/videos and awesome business.

[@ELITEHAMSTER123]

@DaPingas lol, thats the face of experience and humbleness. Larry is the best!

[@midwayusa]

You can find the products in this video on our website MidwayUSA. Do a quick search for PTG 11-Degree Muzzle Crown Facing Tool and you will find what you are looking for. If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-243-3220. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT; Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT. Thanks for Your Business!

[@aphex4000]

Man, Larry really makes everything look so easy in his videos. Maybe one day I'll get up the nerve to try this. Thanks for sharing this info, Midway!

[@brochslanders1845]

It's really not hard. I was skeptical at first as well but it's a piece of cake with a few good tools.

[@ewingfox]

He sure makes this stuff look easy! A few pointers I gleaned a master gunsmith and a tool/die maker. 1. Novices without really good file skills will mess this up. 2. Considering the $ of a crowning tool ($85) and lg. T handle (40$+), if you are not planning on doing more than half a dozen or so, just have a pro do it right! 3. If you do want to try (I do too) go at least 1/2 inch over minimum so a gunsmith can fix it if you botch the job! (ATF says 16" from cocked bolt face to muzzle)

[@harleyghost]

Larry , I always like watching your videos. This one is very useful, I was planning to do this on a mosin nagant. Keep up the good work.

[@Gorbachev]

@clubredsilvia The 11 degree target crowning tool is completely concentric with the bore because of the caliber specific guide rod. Seeing as this cuts deeper than the hacksaw cut I think the accuracy will be just fine.

[@DrThunder88]

I just recrowned the muzzle of one of my rifles using a hardened setup v-block as a guide. That Wheeler kit would've been much better suited for the task, I think, plus I wouldn't have scratched up the nice face of the block with the file! I hope someone starts making jigs like that again.

[@th3soulreaper]

Larry seems like a pretty cool guy

[@javedqaisrani4604]

Always great videos by yourself 👍

[@Valentinik09]

Excellent video!!!!

[@KalashKrusador]

Love you Larry

[@santalocker1]

thanks for posting

[@Gonamez]

Larry ur the man!

[@RamblerTurbo]

some people find a shorter barrel easier to handle in brush, or wooded areas. or, the barrel end has been damaged. accuracy in hunting rarely if ever reaches the maximum distance the barrel can shoot accurately, so a shorter barrel makes for an easier handling gun and still reaches out to usual hunting ranges. hope this answers your question.

[@valstar1000]

and that's the way it is haha great video

[@Bisse_Elison]

greetings from SWEDEN Larry! I just ordered some stuff from 'You, again, hehe. keep up the good work;-D

[@MavHunter20XX]

It happend fairly recently, except it wasn't a bayonnet, it was a kitchen knife at a grocery store and he just neglected to procure a gun. They just called the event "maniac killed with a knife" instead of "People killed in knife violence" You know where I"m going with this. You have a good point. SBR's maybe more concealable, but when was the last time a crime was commited with a legal folding stock rifle?

[@midwayusa]

@mikesucho Check out our video "Gunsmith - Shortening the buttstock on a shotgun"; this video will give you an idea of how to shorten a stock to get the right length of pull.

[@joeddox]

Larry it would be great if you made kits for every episode. You know like "just about everything you need to cut and crown a barrel" :-) That way people wouldn't have to search your site. Seems like this would be a good show for the DIY network (do it yourself) but then I think Larry would have to start more projects then he probably wants to...

[@blaketheawesomedude]

If you dont want to buy a fixture to get a square cut on your barrel, you can simply warp a piece of masking tape around it, carefully lining it the edge up with itself as you wrap it around the barrel, now simply use the edge of the masking tape as reference line to cut the barrel.

[@ELITEHAMSTER123]

@dsspike51 you dont get the consistent crown this way does, and that makes a HUGE difference.

[@ray1965ify]

Start with hand held tube cutter. makes job easy.

[@janbernad4729]

That thingy you spin around the tube?

[@ianmangham4570]

Amen Larry

[@terminal99]

The Wheeler dovetail cutting fixture is now discountinued.

[@captainpegs07]

He's convinced me I can do this! What grit papers?

[@fordtractors4100]

good job larry :)

[@hdrjunkie]

yes... a recrown needs to be done so the firearm performs as it should.

[@osabeh5045]

Wheeler cancelled that cutting tool. Does Midway sell a replacement tool? after cutting my barrell Will the 11 degree reamer work for my mini 14 chambered in 5.56 Nato?Thanks Larry you are great.

[@MavHunter20XX]

@rifleslol The m38/m44 is 20", I'm looking to 19" plus threading the muzzle for attachments such as a muzzle brake or flash hider combo. I'd rather modify a more common 91/30 and keep m38/m44 as is. Besides, I already have the 91/30 and have done some work on it.

[@arentol7]

@eeluk Search again. It clearly says that it is discontinued and won't let you add it to your cart.

[@MavHunter20XX]

I'm thinking about doing that to my Mosin Nagant, I wonder how what length will actually start to degrade accruacy instead of help it.

[@briani7858]

helpful video i wish you guys would re film it in something better than 144

[@MavHunter20XX]

@706d Hey, wow. That's for the advice. I'm thinking about cutting down at most to 18". I want to make it more compact, but I have time to decide. I also plan to fit a muzzle brake or flash supressor, perhaps one that can accept a suppressor for ballistics (one of the reasons i want it so short, it'll be long againt w/ equipment.)

[@mikesucho]

Hey MidwayUSA, Great videos. Can you give me the tools I would need to shorten my Mosin Nagant. Besides the hacksaw and sandpaper.

[@nextlvlroy]

Old video, but what can we use instead of that dovetail cutting fixture? It's discontinued, so there must be a much better upgrade to do that with.

[@theduke7539]

Larry, I have a Turkish Mouser and I want to use it for more accurate long range shooting/hunting, I like these old Mouser rifles but the crown is badly damaged after 75 years of use, how can I recrown it while maintaining it's original crown lip design?

[@706d]

@MavHunter20XX look at articles based on .308 rifles, the general concensus is 20-24" is best. 7.62x51 is a .308, yours is a 7.62x54. Your mosin is about 28-3/4" (if its a 91/30) so chopping somewhere around 6-8" off should be good. average .308 rifles are 1:10 twist, your mosin is 1 in 9.5 so its about the same.

[@jcims]

i like Larry

[@HunterToby1]

Can you cut back the barrel how ever long you desire. I heard that if you go back too far or not far enough if wont keep the same accuracy.

[@MavHunter20XX]

@drewnickel Besides, I don't intend the mosin nagant to be shorter than 18". I'd only have something shorter than 16" if it shot pistol rounds and is for CQC.

[@goodinsrt8]

I read somewhere that larry potterfield used to be a sniper

[@lomparti]

Is the recrowning a very important step or can it be skipped?

[@aarondimabuyu8855]

Thumb power yeah! Where could i buy that? Haha great vids!

[@Kirk1957]

Hmmm the Wheeler Engineering dovetail cutting fixture is Status:Discontinued by Manufacturer.

[@MavHunter20XX]

@drewnickel I roger that. It's wacky how just by deleting the butt stock of what would otherwise be considered a rifle will turn it into a pistol. They should just classify it by ammo or purpose and not worry about barrel length, they all do the same thing, destroy.

[@joseurbijr.8040]

I have a 22llr savage model DL-N. I tried to search this particular model in the internet but can't find anything. Can you tell me any history about it, what year it was made? Thank you. New subscriber here....

[@FUNKCHUNKEM]

I'm thinking about cutting down an NEF single-gun as a first project in barrel work. What kind of tools will I need?

[@rockereazye14]

What kind of reamer works best for a SKS and Ruger 10/22. Do you have to recrown a gun after cutting the barrel?

[@49walker44]

Larry, where do you get the wood for the old rifles especially trapdoors?

[@mobapadmin]

question, in your video you mention using a 11* reamer, a .22 such as the example model 67 is normally lead based, for a rifle such as a mosin nagant shooting FMJ, would 11* be the same? i only ask because i was reading else where that other manufactures use 8* or even 5*. how does this play into the accuracy when being square, round, and true are whats important? am i over thinking this? i plan on taking off 2 inches to remove the front sight when i add a scope.

[@MyNameAintEarl270]

Would this affect the accuracy of a rifle in any way?

[@PNWLeviathanFPV]

Adam Manning it does, but for a rifle that has a beat up muzzle and crown the extra 2 or 3 inches won’t matter that much in this case such as with a .22. If there was an aggressive rifling to it then there could be a decent change at greater distance. The biggest thing is compression. A shorter barrel equals less time for the gasses to compress and move the bullet to max velocity before existing the barrel. Longer barrel- more time for full use of all your powder= more power behind your round= greater accuracy and distance.

[@garrettdylan5782]

Would an 11 degree reamer would on a .223 also? Or should the method on the other youtube video be used?

[@gregoryjamesaustin]

1000th like. 👍👍😎

[@midwayusa]

Unfortunately the Wheeler Engineering Dovetail Cutting Fixture has been discontinued. It was once product number 720537. If you have any additional questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-243-3220. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT. Thanks for Your Business!

[@MrTheree]

where do oyu get the reamer from

[@googlemyharbl]

What would be the best reamer for simply re-crowning a .30-06?

[@Mingebagz1]

Hey Larry, mind sending me the end of that rifle barrel? Haha, dang those things are expensive.

[@rifleslol]

@MavHunter20XX You might want to look into an M38 or M44 instead of chopping up your 91/30. It isn't exactly an uncommon gun at all, but there certainly are no more being made, and if you really want a rifle that is shorter, why not spend a little more and have your cake and eat it too?

[@Specialized1993]

so i can cut my mosin nagant barrel to the size of a carbine mosin nagant?

[@jawbone83]

the muzzle is the last point of contact you have with the round. you want it to be as perfect as you get it so the trajectory isnt affected.

[@robertdevito5001]

What about lapping?

[@my3406cat]

@Tux3d0 thats what i was just thinking! lol he should be on spike tv!

[@2keya]

can you shorten a inline black powder barrel

[@8thshot]

Is there anything like the Dovetail Cutting Fixture? it seems to be discontinued....

[@Nitricthunder]

Does this method put small burrs on the rifling at the crown?

[@RippSnortin]

Yes

[@FallOuttMedia]

it is illegal depending on your laws for your state, for instance if i want to shorten a barrel that was considered to be a rifle under 16 1/2 i think, i would have to register it as a pistol if it was under that length in the state of michigan, however if i shorten it to a length lower than that, and put a permanent muzzle brake that extends the barrel to 16 1/2 inches than it is legal.

[@Lacoste099]

Is this also possible on a 9mm revolver ?

[@shanobix]

The fixture is discontinued Larry!

[@MrBenski81]

Shanobix209 It has been discontinued for a reason. The whole thing is an incredibly bad idea. The 11 deg reamer pushes metal shavings into the rifling of the barrel causing further damage. Ask Larry how many people broke of the reamer guide in the barrel! Bet he doesn't answer that one too!

[@mr.rightman3562]

question: can some one shorten m16 barrel to m4 barrel ? thanks

[@MrBeast758]

+Mr . Right Man No. M16's and M4's have different gas lengths

[@Cplatt97]

or the paper work for an SBR

[@user-rd8gl7hp4k]

where to buy reamer sir thanks

[@hawkdlb06]

i was wondering if anyone knew if it was possible to re-thread a barrel for a choke tube. what i want to do is change my single shot 12 gauge into a turkey gun or skeet gun but dont want to go out and buy a new gun please let me know

[@strt6ranger938]

You still have your "thumbs!" :)

[@MrMapex2010]

How would a copper pipe cutter go?

[@RippSnortin]

It wouldn't

[@thefriendlygunsmith]

i can't find the wheeler dovetail fixture on the website. can you help?

[@scallawagerry]

@MyNameAintEarl270 It will decrease your velocity, it may make some bullets more or less accurate (with your bigger calibers where you tune the weight of the bullet to barrel length and twist) and it will decrease your sight radius (which doesn't drop your accuracy as much as it does your perceived accuracy). If you bone up the crown, you will lose accuracy...think about it; that's the last part of the gun to touch your bullet...you want it done right.

[@johnnorman7708]

I just cleaned up and recrowned the rusty muzzle on a .223 with a flat file and some 220 grit and a small abrasive ball bit from a Dremel kit. Turned the grinding ball with my fingers instead of a drill. 3 shots touching at 100 yards now. I can now kill postage stamps at that distance. I may even get a brass lap in there later. It's not as hard to get decent results as you might think.

[@twistednd]

the wheeler dovetail cutting fixture is discontinued by manufacturer and cant even be bought.

[@RippSnortin]

And now there are small burrs at the end of the rifling.

[@diderr01]

LOL. Thanks for the laugh.

[@hdrjunkie]

or find a local machine shop with a horizontal hack saw.. some schools with good metal shops also have them as do some local universities. as long as the barrel is off the rifle, they shouldnt have a problem cutting it, and it shouldnt cost that much. I had a guy machine down two 10" PVC couplings so I could use them as forms for wood bending.. he did it for a case of beer.bud light, not even anything good!!