It’s been since October that I’ve had a chance to get back to working on the custom rifle project I had started on. There have been so many projects for customers come through the door, that I’ve had to set the project aside on hold temporarily. Today I had the chance to cut threads on a barrel blank and begin cutting the chamber. This rifle will be in a standard caliber; the venerable .308 Winchester. After the measurements are made, I mark my stopping point with the chamber reamer with tape and cut the chamber to depth. Then I remove the blank from the lathe. I can then mount the barrel to the action and finish reaming the past few thousandths of an inch by hand. I use a Go and a No Go gauge to get the bolt to close properly and set the correct headspace.
Tomorrow I can get back to putting the final finish on the gun stock itself.