Cutting down a Barrel

[Boba Debt 350]

If I want to shorten the length of my barrel to 18" to include the flash suppressor what is the best way to cut it?

 

Once it is cut is it easy to re-thread?

[Red Jacket 329]

When we do it , it involves pulling and stripping the barrel and putting it on a lathe . Not to hard like that .

[TheDarkHorse 216]

You can use a tubing cutter designed for plumbing. I cut down and old single-shot 12ga years ago and it did a very good job and left a clean cut. I only had to lightly deburr the inside of the barrel but it came out great. Just make small adjustments and take your time. It works great.

[BuffetDestroyer 969]

I had a 24" barrel and used a hacksaw. It isn't the cleanest way, but it is relatively cheap and easy. Then you will need a file or grinder to make it flush and debur it. I did a makeshift rounding tool with sandpaper and the inside of the funnel so it isn't sharp on the edges.

 

The plumbers tubing cutter would be much cleaner, but I was impatient and too cheap to buy one.

 

Make sure you leave enough barrel so 18" isn't a question. I cut mine to 18.5 to match up with my other IZ109. I didn't rethread mine, but Dinzag rents out the tool for it.

 

 

 

A final note... If you have a longer barrel and cut it down, you will most likely need to bore out the gas holes. Mine only had three so I added the fourth and increased the size of the others. It now functions 100% with the factory gas knob on appropriate setting, and even better with MDArms/GunFixr's due to increased adjustability.

[6500rpm 670]

If your barrel diameter is concentric, Dinzag rents a DYI kit. Cut it with a hacksaw (some use a tube cutter to scribe a reference line). Use Dinzags S12 crowning tool to square up the end of the barrelHe also has a barrel t.a.t. and die to thread it to the factory thread size/pitch. Before someone jumps your shit, if you didn't know, the proper way per BATF would be to pull the barrel first IF you cut it below 18" before you permanently attach the muzzle device. (unless you have SBS papers for it-if you do everything I told you, you already know).

 

http://dinzagarms.com/tools/tools.html

[Boba Debt 350]

Thanks for all the info.

[Azrial 1,091]

If you crank in to much feed, too quiclky, with a tubeing cutter, you will put a crappy choke on the end of your barrel!

[r40734 19]

I've cut them with a quality tubing cutter before, and as Azrial said, be careful with the feed or you can end up with an oval barrel. I usually pull the barrels and take them to the machine shop, but I understand not everybody has that opportunity. I've always thought that if I was forced to cut one with a hacksaw and I needed to keep it square, I would use one of these:

 

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/13185-325_PARFS4-2-Accessories-42-Tools/Park-SG-6-Threadless-Fork-Saw-Guide.htm

 

[gtnichols 51]

A metal chop saw,

Slowly so it dosen't heat up

Will need crowned and threaded after clean up.

 

I seriously doubt a regular pipe cutter would work on that hard russian steel.

[presto_z 125]

A metal chop saw,

Slowly so it dosen't heat up

Will need crowned and threaded after clean up.

 

I seriously doubt a regular pipe cutter would work on that hard russian steel.

 

if you have a access to a high quality tubing cutter you should have no problem cutting through it..

 

i cut and thread galvanized steel, black iron pipe and carbon steel on a day to day basis...

[aresv 49]

If you crank in to much feed, too quiclky, with a tubeing cutter, you will put a crappy choke on the end of your barrel!

 

+1 Azrial is right. You could use a tubing cutter if it's all you have, but GO SLOWLY. I'd much rather use a clamp-on guide with a saw, or (if you care to press your barrel off) cut it on a lathe.