inspired by Madcap

[ssgross]

Worst thing is...I was about to ask again whether you had one or not. That would have just added.

I've gotten very close to dropping on one, even closer when beer is involved with the decision making process. I'm afraid though if I did, I'd have to give up my brewery in the garage to make room. It would make it harder to move too when I'm finally through with the rat race. No, I'll wait till my kiddos are safely on their way to adulthood, then early retirement, teach part time and maybe hang my shingle out somewhere quiet with 1,000yds in the backyard.

They do have quite an amount they can be adjusted too. That was the whole idea. Remove the screw, slip the keeper and turn the ring a couple of notches. Lock it up again and try it.

All the reading about "wearing over time" and people's woes trying to tighten back up and realign made me look long and hard at the schematics of the design. It looks to me like the only source of "wear" that would cause the barrel/receiver mating to loosen up is the metal-on-metal friction between the forward face of the chamber ring and the breech face of the barrel, when twisting in and out, and maybe from vibrations under recoil. Thus the recommendation from most of not taking the forend off with every cleaning, etc. I would think, on the other hand, that a little very high temp lubricant, like a nickel anti-sieze, on the surface of the chamber ring, would add to the longevity.

I think me, as well as Madcap's project, will need to find those 3 reamers, and likely a special tool to install chamber rings, or resort to sending out when we are all done. I read an account from an old winchester employee somewhere else that the final chamber ring alignment and barrel fitting was done at the very end, after all the bluing and fitting of everything else. If that's the case, then we have plenty of time to figure it out.

From the description of fitting a chamber ring, it looks like 1) special tool to screw it into place 2) a tiny set screw to lock it in place 3a) a tapered reamer, just narrow enough to clear the choke if present, is pushed from the muzzle only to rough cut the ring, and align the hole to the bore. 3b) stubby pull through finishing reamer to finish the ring flush to the chamber (don't forget some mandrels in the bore to maintain alignment), then 4) rimmed pull through reamer to set the final headspace.
Given the function of each step, I'd think it shouldn't be hard to have a set made by, say, calling Dave Manson.