ronlaughlin

Yesterday whilst shooting Art' 499g bullet with the X7, it became obvious the QLA had to go. For years i paid rent, and bought beans working as a carpenter. Them old carpenter used to say, 'Never walk when you can ride', 'Never stand when you can sit', 'Don't use a hand tool, if a power tool can do the job'. The last allowed us to keep our job, because we made more money for the company. The following photo show the tools used this morning to rid the X7 of most of it's QLA.















The idea to use the last tool pictured came from semisane. He used the tool to remove his X7' QLA, and i could see the value of what it did, so i stole his idea. The hardest thing for me to get done was to measure the actual depth of the QLA. I wanted to know the exact depth, because i wanted to retain a short length of QLA to kinda protect the rifling. Once i kinda figured out the depth i proceeded.

A cut line was marked by the tool shown to me by semisane, and the barrel was quickly cut off. The cut wasn't square because i wanted to be sure to cut the barrel long and veered. The barrel was kinda squared up with the grinder. The barrel was more and more squared up with the grinder. The burr was removed from the outside with a file. The burr was removed from the inside with a countersink turned by the drill motor. The file was used to kinda smooth the end of the barrel.

Then i headed out to shoot the rifle. It seemed to shoot good, but i came home because it was raining.

When i returned home, i cut the ramrod, and drilled, and tapped it. The end of the barrel was kinda smoothed some with the file and the sanding block; more work is required. The photo show the results. NOTE there is about 1/16" of QLA remaining. This should protect the rifling, and made crowning the barrel less critical--at least i think so.

chaded

You guys are really doing a good job on removing those. Good idea on leaving a little bit of it on there.

MountainDevil54

yup, looks great to me! You going to run some jb bore paste to help smooth out any hidden burrs?

Omega45

Lookin good Ron.

Here is one of mine that was done by Mike Bellm of Bellm TC's. The QLA or whatever CVA calls it was probably damaged when he received it, hence the chop and recrown.

cayugad

Very nice job there. I am curious as to how it will shoot for you.

sbuff

Very nice Ron, I do get chills looking at that.Now you have to choose the deep curl or a big ole lead conical for hunting season.
Steve

Semisane

Looks good Ron. Man, I never even thought about leaving a little bit of QLA. I would have been more comfortable with the thought of a countersink with that bit of QLA for a starter guide.

Hand held grinder? Not for me. No way could I control a grinder the way you did. My muzzle would look like the angle cut on the tip of a hypodermic needle if I attempted that. I would end up with a ten inch barrel trying to get it square.

ronlaughlin

The line cut by the tubing cutter that you showed me to use, was used for the go by when i went at the end of the barrel with the grinder. Never once was the line touched with a power tool. Care, and fear of the line is the technique i used.

For some reason just cutting 11/16" or so off the barrel has made the rifle a way 'shorter'. It kinda seems like a handgun now. Right now i am really really looking forward to deer season in the timber of the hills, and carrying this X7 during regular rifle season. Weird it is. Probably try some no excuses this summer just for the fun of it.

ronlaughlin

Omega45

Is that a wolf?

ronlaughlin

Choosing might be tough. Chances of a 200 yard shot in the timber wouldn't be common, but could happen. Deep Curl then?

Chills?!? It could be the secret is to be terrified of the line that you are using for a go by while the grinder is being used.