There are three machining methods that have been developed to rifle barrels. Cutting the grooves incrementally with a single point hook cutter is the oldest method. This technique has been in use for as long as rifle barrels have been made. More recently, the two alternate methods of button-rifling and hammer-forging have been developed to reduce the time, and therefore the cost, associated with making rifle barrels. Both of these recent developments turn a drilled and reamed bore into a rifled bore by cold-swaging the steel of the barrel walls.

             While cold-swaging the rifling grooves is indeed faster than cutting them, there are several disadvantages associated with this type of machining operation from the perspective of the home shop custom rifle barrel maker. The most obvious of these disadvantages is the need to stress-relieve the steel after the cold-forming operation is complete. The machines also need to be more robust (and more expensive) than the machinery needed to employ the cut-rifling method. This makes cut-rifling the obvious choice for most of us.

             Chapter 2 provides a full discussion of the three types of operations that can be used to fabricate rifle barrels with the advantages and disadvantages of each explored. Since cut-rifling is the clear choice for most aspiring barrel makers, Chapter 3 provides a more detailed look at this method of rifling. In particular, the four most common methods used to index the twist rate of the hook cutter are explored in depth. Which of the twist-indexing mechanisms is best for an individual barrel maker is determined by the type of barrels to be made and the floor space available in the machinist’s shop. Chapter 3 provides all of the information necessary to choose wisely when selecting a twist-indexing method.

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