For those of you looking for tighter groups and more accuracy from your AR there is a easy, cheap, and effective way to do this. In today’s tips video Ben Brown shows us how to true the barrel of your gun to the upper receiver.
This involves using an abrasive laping compound to smooth out the extension of the receiver. Once this is done you should be able to get a better fit between barrel and receiver. Tighter fittings should result in a more accurate flight pattern from your projectile.
You can do this at home or send into a company to have it done. Let us know what you think of the process in the comments below!
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You can also do that with your bolt face and the locking lugs. The straighter all of the points of alignment are in applying pressure to the cartridge in the chamber – or against which the cartridge applies pressure during obturation: you eliminate small inconsistencies in angle of applied force and thus eliminate minute variances which affect shot placement.
High end bolt action rifles, not the mass produced stuff (not usually anyway), but all of the hand built variety made by specific named Gunsmiths: absolutely all of them true the receiver, barrel neck and bolt head. As well as lapping the locking lugs till they're at 80% engagement, using progressively finger lapping compound.
I just ordered that tool yesterday. Question, for anyone who has done this upgrade. I've already got some 1k grit garnet (Brownells) , will it be a problem with the aluminum? I can't find anywhere that garnet should not be used with a non-ferrous metal, such as aluminum.
I didn't do it for accuracy purposes, I did it because my Aero receiver fitment made my free float rail cockeyed at the muzzle end. It annoyed the hell out of me that the barrel was 1/4 inch closer to the handguard on one side. The Brownells lapping took fixed the issue.
I'm no expert but you're suggesting to square a barrel with a hand held drill? I would think that you'd have to have a lathe that's true.
Can you quantify the improvement? If not, I'm skeptical at best.
Every local gunsmith I’ve talked to about it says it’s horseshit, but it makes perfect sense in my mind. I have no idea why every old timer “who’s been building precision rifles forever” thinks it’s pointless, but they almost all do.
Too much work for myself ;(