Like the title says, I am interested in machining my barrel to achieve a shorter "free bore". My reason for doing this is because I have found a good load for my rifle, that is very accurate, but the seated depth of the bullet for best accuracy will just barely squeeze into the box magazine. If I load each round individually into the chamber it's not a problem but if I try and push all 5 rounds into the magazine the plastic tip (Hornady SST bullets) are literally riding firmly against the forward wall of the box magazine causing the rounds to stay depressed in the magazine instead of riding up on spring tension.

I'm NOT a certified gunsmith, but I DO enjoy tinkering. I can thread barrels for suppressors, and crown the ends... But I'd like to move forward with "setting back" the barrel so that I can seat the bullets deeper into the shell casing so that I can still have good accuracy, and have them feed reliably from the magazine. And this is not just for one rifle as I have several that could benefit from this procedure if I can accomplish it. I have a Browning Micro in 22-250 that I MUST shoot 55 grain bullets out of as the free bore is so great that any lighter (shorter) bullets and the jump to the rifling is excessive, and accuracy suffers. I would like to test my skills on a cheap rifle (Howa MINI action) and see if I can get it done safely, and have it function correctly. Since the barrel on this gun threads into the action, I realize I will have to cut the shoulder on the barrel where it butts up against the action, and then cut the same amount off the very end of the barrel, and then lastly I will need a reamer that has a short, shorter than current, free bore, to open the chamber back up to receive the loaded shell.

It's not that I HAVE to do this... I just like tinkering. I enjoy taking on little projects like this and taking pride in how well it works when I'm done. If anyone has any suggestions on how to move forward I would appreciate hearing those ideas.

Once I get the free bore situation resolved, I will then be asking for advise on "bushing" the firing pin hole in the bolt head.. Mine measures .078" of an inch with a pin gauge! But, that is another project for another day. For now... I have free time, idle hands, and a gun that if I destroy it I'm not out much.

I'm aware that there are companies that will "rent", or "loan" the reamers out.. If anyone can recommend a company for this project, I would appreciate that as well.

Can you modify magazine? I've done this many times. Also, the SST is not a seating depth sensitive bullet. You should be able to seat it deeper and keep the accuracy. Second, what cartridge are we talking about?

Is modification of the magazine or purchasing a different one not an option?

Even if I were to modify the magazine, I believe (without looking at the rifle right now) that it would make problems with how the TOP bullet in the magazine lines up with the feed ramp.. I think it's best (as in I WANT to machine the barrel) to move forward with my plan. I like the idea of making the rifle work with the rounds (hand loading) that I am producing.

4D reamer rentals will rent reamers and gauges.