Rifling Machine

[LMMasterMariner]

This is my first post ever.

RIFLING MACHINE

10 years ago I made rifling machine of very simple design and later on when I had
internet access, found that some more clever people did it using much better design
and they did it in 1853. Just google '1853 rifling machine' and you will find it.

Must say that I am seaman and at that time I didn’t have internet access on board.
When ashore I didn’t have time for internet café. I was younger and I was spending
most of my free time in bars, pubs, night clubs and discoteques.
Life is much easier nowadays. Have internet on board and I no longer make bars.

At that time I was aboard brand new cargo vessel with brand new professional
grade lathe and milling machine. Once when I was in Hong Kong, I found Canton
Road, the street with so many shops for all kind of tools, bearings, gears, v-belts, etc.
You name it, they have it there. (picture 01) The street next to Canton Road is
Reclamation street and there I found aluminum shop where they cut aluminum to
required size and they do it immediately for additional small fee.

As I already had idea what to do, I decided to buy parts in order to build rifling
machine, so I spent approx. 400 US Dollars for 6 bearing housings with ball bearings,
8 pieces linear bearings dia 20mm, 3 meters of 20mm shaft, 50cm geared rack
2 gears (one for 9mm Luger and another for .22 LR calibers), couple of aluminum
plates and whole bunch of bolts and nuts. Gear sizes were determined in the shop by
turning the gear on the rack for one complete turn and measuring distance.

Design is very simple. Changing direction from longitudinal to rotational by
means of gear and pinion. That came for free as I took it from vessel's spares.
These were gears and pinions of Nitto Kohki angle grinders. Extremely accurate and
also extremely expensive, but as I said that came for free. Took me couple of months
to complete the job. In the meantime stopped with machining aboard vessels, as at
home I have 11 x 26 cutmaster lathe and 6 x 26 mini knee mill (harbour freight 40939).
Both made in China but not so bad. Can’t afford any good quality machines (read heavy),
as I have more than one hundred stairs from the street to my house. From 10 attached
pictures it can be seen what machine looks like and pictures 09 and 10 show recent
condition of rifling machine. These last 2 pictures were taken when I was rearranging
my workshop. Machine is not in use anymore and I am planning to use sliding parts
(linear bearings and shafts) to convert it to cut off saw.

Hope that this article will help someone to build his own rifling machine.

LMMasterMariner

[kbalch]

Hi LMMasterMariner,

Welcome!

Wow, what a neat solution to the rifling challenge - and a great first post!

What are you working on currently?

Ken

[LMMasterMariner]

I am presently in China. Bought some descent quality tools.
Paid USD 170 for all that tools on the table.
Would pay much more at home.

[sking0369]

Thanks for your post. I have been searching and trying to get ideas for a rifling machine myself and appreciate you post. Tell me- how did you do your cutter, assuming you did cut rifling?
Sean

[LMMasterMariner]

Hello sking0369,

Yes, I did cut rifling as machine is made for cut rifling. Rifling cutter is carbide
insert which is placed inside slotted keyway in the head of rifling rod.
Rifling rod is made of 416 stainless steel and one keyway is slotted near the end
of the rod. The keyway dimensions are 15 x 3 mm and carbide insert is also
15 x 3 mm. Slot is approx. 4 mm deep. The end of the rod is turned to 8.8 mm in
length of approx. 35 mm. and polished. The rest of the rod is turned to 8 mm.
I never hardened rifling head and it worked fine. I made less than 20 barrels and
all of them were drilled with 11/32” drills and reamed with with 8.85 mm reamer.
That reamer was made by grinding tapered 9 mm reamer down after 8.85 mm
diameter using plenty of water for cooling.
The recess at the top of rifling head is cut with 6 mm end mill at the middle of the
slot and it’s only purpose is to enable pulling carbide insert out with pliers.
I didn’t make lift mechanism to raise the cutter. I was taking cutter out by pliers and
always added one more shim underneath the cutter. Used very thin paper strips as
shims for lifting the cutter. After several passes at every groove I removed both,
the cutter and all paper strips. Afterwards placed one more paper strip than before and
little by little job was done. It was an easy job with bronze barrels for muzzle loading
pistols, but with 4140 steel it was never ending story. Must also say that my barrels
were not very accurate. The best 5 shot group with 9mm Luger ammo from bench
rest (read: bench vise) was about 20 cm at 25 meters distance. That result was with
my most accurate 25 cm long barrel Also forgot to mention that weight of rifling
machine is just little below 40 kilograms including cranking handle which can’t be
seen on the pictures. I even don’t know where it is now. Didn’t see it for long time.

Here below is the drawing of the rod end which some people call rifling head.

More can be found at making a cutter for rifling

LMMasterMariner

[Paul Jones]

Thank you for the wonderful history and detailed photos. I will have to check out the Internet reference.

[DIYer]

Thanks LMMasterMariner! We've added your Rifling Machine to our Firearm and Weaponry category, as well as to your builder page: LMMasterMariner's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Rifling Machine by LMMasterMariner

tags: gunsmithing

[DIYer]

Thanks LMMasterMariner! We've added your Rifling Machine Cutter to our Firearm and Weaponry category, as well as to your builder page: LMMasterMariner's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Rifling Machine Cutter by LMMasterMariner

tags: gunsmithing, cutting tool

[Shade]

Would you have a set of prints for the machine? Would you be willing to share them?

[LMMasterMariner]

Hello Shade,

Unfortunately I don’t have those drawings anymore. Lost them during
numerous files transferring from one external hard drive to another.
So many other things were lost during the years. I made drawing of
rifling cutter couple of days ago. It was an easy job, but drawing of
whole machine again would be mission impossible. I can’t remember
what were dimensions of shafts, bearings, gears, aluminum plates, etc….
The only thing I can do is to dismantle machine and take pictures
with measuring tape next to parts and post them. Even that I can’t do
right now, as I am not home. Expect to be home again end April.

LMMasterMariner