Muzzle Coneing

[FlintSteel]

Have been thinking of coning the muzzle of my rifle  (.50 Rice Barrel) but don't want to destroy the dang thing. So I'm looking for comments pro and con from people who have experience with this.

[ridjrunr]

That is an interesting subject. Cant remember if it has been discussed here  or not. There have been a few discussions on the ALR site about that. I am in the process of making a coneing tool, using ideas from those discussions and also from a shop tips book I got from Toad Hall Rifleshop.

[pathfinder]

I cone ALL my barrels and have never had one shoot any different after. Sure makes loading easier without a short starter! I shoot the guns for group first,then cone, shoot again for groups and then ship to the customer. Never a complaint.
I use the tool that Dave Rase makes, takes @ 1/2 hour and it works AWSOME!

[david32cal]

i have coned a few of mine,.32,.40 and .50. i also test fired before and after,did not see that it affected accuracy in any way. it's not difficult to do but i would recomend useing good quality emery cloth.

[Capt. Jas.]

R U talking about coning the bore or just crowning the muzzle?

[david32cal]

well, i took out enough rifleing that i can thumb start a .490 ball with a pillow ticking patch flush with the muzzle.

[FlintSteel]

R U talking about coning the bore or just crowning the muzzle?

I'm talkin about coning the bore

[FlintSteel]

David
Looking at your pictures, it seems that something else is going on around the grooves, is that something you did, or is it just the photo?

[david32cal]

Flintsteel it must just be the photos,what exactly are you seeing

[Captchee]

im not big on coning . so i wont get into that .
 but if it were me I  would now come back and re crown your muzzle

[FlintSteel]

im not big on coning . so i wont get into that .
 but if it were me I  would now come back and re crown your muzzle

Capt. I'd appreciate your opinion on this, Like I said I don't want to ruin the dang thing. Once it's done it's done for good.

[Captchee]

im not big on coning . so i wont get into that .
but if it were me I would now come back and re crown your muzzle

 this was  in refrance to davids photos

Capt. I'd appreciate your opinion on this, Like I said I don't want to ruin the dang thing. Once it's done it's done for good.

 Well , coning has  it seems become  somewhat of a common  thing in the last 10-15 years. If done right , you shouldn’t have any issues . Think of it as shooting a shorter barrel . In reality that’s what one is doing. Basicly your making the last 1-2 inchs a permanently attached false muzzle   .
 See the most important part of a bore , is the muzzle . Its important that the pressure  be released evenly as the projectile leaves the muzzle.   As such the lands and groves have to be consistent in their  depth  all the way around . I cant tell you the number of rifles and pistols  I have worked on where folks are having accuracy issues . A quick look at the muzzle often tells the tail .
 A good and proper crown  IMO is all a person really needs .
 Myself , none of my rifles have coned barrels . Just never seen the need to fix what isn’t broke .
 If  what your wanting is ease of loading , go to a smaller ball and thicker patch . Once you find the proper combo and load , it will load with your thumb and it will be as accurate as coning at hunting distances .

 Some years ago I was part of a discussion on coning . Don Getz was also  part of that . One of the fellas ask Don about   his opinion on coning  and he basically said , he wouldn’t do it   and will not do it on any of his rifles or for customers who order barrels   ..
 He said that at one time they did sell coning  burrs  to folks  to do it themselves if they wish  or  he would recommend someone to send the barrel to IF they  felt they must have a coned barrel .
 But Getz  would not do the  coning .

[FlintSteel]

Thanks Capt.

[Loyalist Dave]

There are two styles of "coning".  One is basically what it sounds like.  A tool is inserted into the bore at the muzzle, and a  portion of the interior, lands and grooves, is removed, leaving a "cone".  I have seen this done with abrasives, for a small portion of an inch (if the ball is .490, then if you coned the barrel 1/4 of an inch you'd have more than half the ball started).  The more drastic way of doing the same thing is with a cutting tool.  As mentioned you are merely reducing the barrel crown down, into the interior of the barrel.  IF done right, it shouldn't mess with the accuracy of the barrel...

The other method is to only file down the lands of the rifled barrel, often done by hand, which makes it easier to load as well, but the grooves remain untouched.  This gives me the willies for IF you aren't symetric, you should expect a screwed up bore, and I can't see how folks can "eyeball" it accurate enough.  

I am too chicken to try either method on my present hunting rifle, as she shoots better off the bench than I can in the field, so I have no reason to mess with her.  Though, some folks swear by one method, others by the second method.  I don't know that I'd do it on a Rice barrel, which are known for being pretty dang accurate right out of the shop..., I mean if it ain't the olympics, why bother?

How about reducing the size of your bullet by .005 - .010, and trying a thicker patch?

LD

[Swamp]

I hear Pathfinder uses a rasp to cone his customers barrels!  :rotf