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A bit worried (Read 1966 times)

jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #15 - May 30^th, 2026 at 10:51pm	Print Post
	Ok maybe I can answere all your questions. I machined the barrel from a blank. When I chambered it I indicated it in both ends with a tenth indicator and used a Clymer match reamer. I ran a patch through it before chambering for a clean bore start and made three cuts blowing the chips out then running a patch through each time. I have a recessed crown of .050 deep and polished afterward. A round is snug as it touches the rifling then fully seated into the chamber. I cleaned the barrel this afternoon and then ran a snug fitting patch through it using steady pressure. I felt NO tight spots till I got about one to two inches from the muzzle. I am thinking RKS barrels may have some choke in them but am not sure. It is 1 in 16.5 left hand twist. I am taking all comments in earnest and do appreciate them. As stated I have some SK ammo and a couple others on the way to try. Mean time I am going to take marlin guy's suggestion and run another 100 rounds of some CCI through it. I don't really want to call RKS for advise. I am hoping it is just an ammo thing. Not going to get discouraged but going to keep plugging along. I will say the two features GT uses which are the sliding bar extractor and the transfer bar ignition are working flawlessly so a big thanks to him. The answere is waiting out there somewhere. I just gotta find it. Thanks guys... JMH


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AJ Full Member Offline Posts: 218 Joined: Aug 25^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #16 - Jun 1^st, 2026 at 10:29am	Print Post
	Could be an ignition problem. Since you used a match reamer, you’ll likely need tight headspace. Otherwise the energy of the firing pin is wasted by having to seat round. Additionally, you may be able to detect ignition problems by pulling bullets from known accurate ammo and firing them. If the sound of the primed case sounds different from round to round, you might have an ignition problem. This bypasses any headspace issues since there isn’t a bullet that needs to be pushed into the chamber. If you do this with cheap ammo, you might be surprised how different they will can sound.


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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #17 - Jun 1^st, 2026 at 3:42pm	Print Post
	I don't think it is ignition. When you chamber a round it stops about .050 short as the bullet touches the shoulder. My breech block has an ample radius that it fully seats the round as it closes. I even used a pusher stick to be sure the round is fully seated. I don't know what it is. I have done machine work for 36 years and I have built enough guns that I am confident in my equipment and methods. I don't know what it is. RKS barrels have a reputation for very good accuracy so I can't understand why I am having so much trouble. It is 1 in 16.5 left hand twist chromoly barrel. I am probably tomorrow going to shoot another 100 rounds through it and try for accuracy again using some SK standard plus I have ordered. If I can't do any better it will probably be listed in the for sale section as a lightly used tomato stake...... JMH


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: A bit worried Reply #18 - Jun 1^st, 2026 at 3:48pm	Print Post
	jhm wrote on Jun 1^st, 2026 at 3:42pm: I don't think it is ignition. When you chamber a round it stops about .050 short as the bullet touches the shoulder. My breech block has an ample radius that it fully seats the round as it closes. I even used a pusher stick to be sure the round is fully seated. I don't know what it is. I have done machine work for 36 years and I have built enough guns that I am confident in my equipment and methods. I don't know what it is. RKS barrels have a reputation for very good accuracy so I can't understand why I am having so much trouble. It is 1 in 16.5 left hand twist chromoly barrel. I am probably tomorrow going to shoot another 100 rounds through it and try for accuracy again using some SK standard plus I have ordered. If I can't do any better it will probably be listed in the for sale section as a lightly used tomato stake...... JMH Not a gain twist?

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #19 - Jun 1^st, 2026 at 8:03pm	Print Post
	You know I'm not sure. When I ordered it I don't remember him mentioning gain twist. I told them I wanted a 22LR chromoly blank. He said it was 16.5 left hand twist. He also told me they were having some tooling trouble because it was taking forever to get it. Last time I talked with them he said they had got the tooling problem fixed and apologized for the wait. He didn't say what the tooling problem was. I will check it in the morning. Got me curious now... JMH


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: A bit worried Reply #20 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 2:59pm	Print Post
	If it turns out to be a consistant twist, you could slug and measure both ends of the barrel. If the big end is at the muzzle, well... Or start a pulled bullet at the breech end and push it toward the muzzle. Shouldn't get loose.

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #21 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 6:09pm	Print Post
	No I didn't swap ends. The breech end was clearly marked. Think I will try pushing a bullet through just for the heck of it. How hard should it be to push a bullet through? Never done that before with a rim fire. JMH


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: A bit worried Reply #22 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 6:41pm	Print Post
	I didn't want to suggest that but I was thinking that. Should be able to see if it's gain twist just by looking in both ends. Pushing a bullet down the bore is easy.

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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GT Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2368 Location: Northeast Wyoming Joined: Jun 28^th, 2015	Re: A bit worried Reply #23 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 7:04pm	Print Post
	A gain twist gets a little harder to push. With the way RKS makes a GT they choke a little anyway. Just my opinion, if you're shooting for best group shoot SK ammo as a minimum, get some Center-X for even better results. I have 12 of their RF barrels on builds, a couple shoot better than the rest, but even the worst shoot perty respectable. Running from 17, 16, 14 and 12 twist. The 17 twist compares or exceeds everything I've built at 50', the last one in 12 twist struggles at 50' but outshoots everything else I own at 150 and beyond.

	"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk" T. A. Edison "The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right" M.T.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #24 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 9:06pm	Print Post
	That makes sense. When I checked the twist the patch got a little tighter about two inches from the muzzle end of the barrel. I have some SK coming to try and will start looking for some center X. Where is a good place to get ammo? JMH


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: A bit worried Reply #25 - Jun 2^nd, 2026 at 9:30pm	Print Post
	Is it gain twist or consistent?

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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Schuetzendave Frequent Elocutionist Offline Retired Ex-Shooter Posts: 4232 Location: St. Albert, Alberta Joined: Jan 28^th, 2005	Re: A bit worried Reply #26 - Jun 3^rd, 2026 at 3:11pm	Print Post
	For a RKS barrel I first use JB Bore Polish paste (50 passes) to ensure all machining ridges or burrs are removed. For a 22 chambered rifle I have noted you may need to shoot at least 500 rounds of ammo through it before it will be broken in. Barrels shooting high velocity jacketed bullets break in faster, however breaking in a barrel shooting low velocity plain base lead alloy bullets takes considerably more passes to accomplish the breaking in. I use 400 rounds of cheap ammo and then clean the barrel again with 50 passes of JB Bore Bright paste. Then I shoot 100 rounds of my top notch ammo and do not clean it to obtain maximum accuracy. I then only clean my 22 RKS barrel at the beginning of the season but always season it first with a hundred rounds to develop it's maximum precision capability. Accuracy of my .22 RKS barrel after it had been properly broken in and seasoned. I have the gain twist finishing at 16:1 with the short leade match chamber designed to shoot high quality ammo. Ron makes the standard long leade wider chamber finishing at 17.2:1 for better precision if you intend and always wish to practice using cheap ammo. Which barrel specifications did you order? If you recrown the barrel you need to polish it well again with the red J-B Bore Bright polish paste.
	« Last Edit: Jun 4^th, 2026 at 11:47pm by Schuetzendave »

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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #27 - Jun 3^rd, 2026 at 8:51pm	Print Post
	See now more information. I never considered lapping the bore. Maybe I am expecting too much too soon without a little more effort. Sure never thought it would take 500 rounds for break in. Ok I think I have some bore paste somewhere but if not I will get some. It appears you have worked with RKS barrels quite a bit. We will try it your way. Not being sarcastic here but asking for some help and advise. Did you make a lap or just a tight fitting patch? JMH


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westerner Frequent Elocutionist Offline deleted posts and threads record holder. Posts: 12333 Location: Why, out West of course Joined: May 29^th, 2006	Re: A bit worried Reply #28 - Jun 3^rd, 2026 at 9:05pm	Print Post
	At the other end of the spectrum, I installed a SS RKS barrel on my Stevens Walnut Hill about 2001. Popped a couple rounds off in the flower bed along the shop to make sure it went bang. Stuck it in the car and drove to Etna Green where I stuck a borrowed scope on it and shot a 243-6 at 200 yards. 6 of the rounds could be covered with a dime. The rifle still shoots that way. Stopped counting perfect scores at 12. No lapping no JB bore paste. Is your barrel a gain twist or a consistent twist?

	A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
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jhm Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2036 Location: georgia Joined: Sep 4^th, 2011	Re: A bit worried Reply #29 - Jun 3^rd, 2026 at 9:28pm	Print Post
	It appears to be standard twist. I did not order a gain twist. I ordered a chromoly blank. I have a 16.5 left hand twist. If I remember right the end of the barrel was stamped .222 with the other info. JMH


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