How to Reline a Rifle Bore

According to Redman's Rifling, relining your rifle bore is the best way to restore an antique rifle, because it retains the original caliber, barrel lettering, bluing, and barrel contour. While some gun shops offer services to reline your rifle barrel, it is something you can do at home with the proper equipment and preparation. Relining a rifle barrel is essential for gun collectors and amateur gun dealers.

Things You'll Need

  • Lathe
  • Piloted drill
  • 120-grit sandpaper
  • Barrel liner
  • Flashlight
  • Vice grips
  • 680 Loctite
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Instructions

    • 1

      Assess any damage or problems in your rifle barrel. Remove the barrel of the rifle and check to see if it is straight and clean. If the barrel of your rifle is warped or deteriorating, relining it may be a waste of time.

    • 2

      Clean the barrel of your rifle with a metal rod, cloth and oil. This will eliminate any debris from the barrel and lubricate it for the tools you will use when installing the new barrel lining.

    • 3

      Bore the inside 2 inches of the barrel with your lathe. This removes remnants of the previous rifle lining and eliminates any other unwanted material not removed when it was cleaned. This also narrows the walls of the barrel so you can more easily maneuver your drill inside of it.

    • 4

      Drill the remaining old lining of your rifle barrel so the interior walls have been cleared of the remaining old rifle lining. Use your drill sparingly after boring with your lathe, using the sides of the drill bit to chip away at the old lining.

    • 5

      Prepare the new rifle bore lining by sanding it with your sandpaper. This removes any factory coating and slightly narrows it to better fit in the rifle barrel. Your liner should be about .004 to .006 inches under size.

    • 6

      Apply a coat of 680 Loctite to the new liner and slide it into the rifle barrel. Let this adhere for some time before testing its strength. After about 12 hours, your relined rifle should be ready to go.