No. 1 — Accuracy & barrel work

Accuracy and barrel work.

Making a rifle put its shots in the same place. Mostly lathe work and careful measuring.

Starting at: $35
Bench time: 2–3 weeks

Close-up of the bolt handle and receiver of a wood-stocked bolt-action rifle, shallow focus, dark background; a thin display support rod crosses the left foreground. — Bolt handle and receiver of a bolt-action rifle.

When you need this.

It used to shoot well and now it doesn’t, and nothing else has changed.
The first shot from a cold barrel lands somewhere different from the rest.
The muzzle has a ding in it, or has been cleaned from the wrong end for forty years.
You have a new barrel, or want one, and it needs fitting to your action.

Most rifles that won’t group don’t need machine work. We check screws, mounts and ammunition first, and say so if that fixes it.

The work and what it costs.

Accuracy & barrel work: every service, with its starting price, time on the bench and how to get it to the shop
Service	Starting at	Bench time	Drop-off or send
Thread the muzzleThreads cut on the end of the barrel so a brake or other muzzle device screws on straight. What this involves: Thread the muzzle The barrel is set up in the lathe and dialed in to the bore, not the outside, so the threads run true to where the bullet travels. A thread protector is fitted so the rifle looks finished without a device on it.	$175	2–3 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Parts can be mailed. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
Fit and time a muzzle deviceA brake fitted to an already-threaded barrel and lined up so its ports sit level. What this involves: Fit and time a muzzle device The device is seated, timed with shims or a crush washer, and checked for clearance down the bore. A brake that sits a few degrees off pushes the rifle sideways, so this is worth doing carefully.	$50	1 wk	Drop off at the shop in Boerne.
RecrownThe very end of the barrel recut so the bullet leaves clean and square. What this involves: Recrown The crown is the last thing the bullet touches; a nick there lets gas escape unevenly and tips the bullet as it leaves. We face the muzzle in the lathe and cut a fresh, even crown.	$100	1–2 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Parts can be mailed. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
Install a pre-fit barrelA barrel that arrives already chambered, fitted to your action and checked. What this involves: Install a pre-fit barrel The barrel is installed and headspace is set with gauges, then checked again. Pre-fit barrels save lathe time, but they still need measuring; we don’t take the label’s word for it.	$225	2–3 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
Chamber and fit a barrel blankA new barrel threaded, chambered and crowned to your action from a blank. What this involves: Chamber and fit a barrel blank This is the heart of a rebarrel: threads cut to your receiver, the chamber reamed in small steps and measured between each, then the crown. It is slow lathe work and it sets the ceiling on how well the rifle can ever shoot.	$400	4–6 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
True the actionThe receiver face, threads, lug seats, bolt lugs and bolt face machined square and concentric to the centerline of the action. What this involves: True the action Factory actions are made to a price, and small errors stack up. Truing takes a light clean-up cut on each bearing surface, only as much as it takes to make it square, so the bolt, barrel and receiver all agree on where straight is.	$300	3–5 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
Lap the bolt lugsThe locking lugs hand-fitted so both bear evenly when the bolt closes. What this involves: Lap the bolt lugs Lapping compound and patience bring both lugs into full contact with their seats. We check headspace afterward, because lapping moves it.	$80	1–2 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Ask before sending a whole firearm.
Headspace checkA gauge check that the chamber is the right length for the cartridge. What this involves: Headspace check Go and no-go gauges tell us whether the bolt closes when it should and refuses when it should. It is a safety check, not a guess, and it’s worth doing on any rifle you didn’t buy new.	$35	While you waitat a booked visit	Drop off at the shop in Boerne.
Chamber castA casting of the chamber, to find out exactly what an unmarked or older rifle is chambered for. What this involves: Chamber cast A low-melting alloy is poured into the chamber, pushed out and measured. You get the measurements in writing and a plain statement of what ammunition is and is not safe in it.	$75	1 wk	Drop off at the shop in Boerne.
Accuracy work-upBedding, crown, trigger and a range session: the usual first steps for a rifle that should shoot better than it does. What this involves: Accuracy work-up We bed the action, recut the crown, tune the trigger and shoot it for groups with your ammunition. You get the targets back and an honest account of what changed. No group size is promised.	$495	4–6 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Needs time at the range.
Range zero and data cardThe rifle shot with your hunting load, zeroed, and its impacts at distance written down. What this involves: Range zero and data card We zero with the ammunition you’ll actually hunt with and record where it prints at the distances you ask for. The card goes in your rifle case, in pencil, so you can correct it as you learn the rifle.	$115+ ammunition	1–2 wks	Drop off at the shop in Boerne. Needs time at the range.

Labor only. Parts and ammunition are extra. Confirmed once it’s on the bench.

What changes the price.

Whether the barrel comes pre-fit or as a blank to be chambered.
Lathe time. It is billed at the machine rate and it is not quick.
Range time and ammunition, for any job that ends with shooting it.
What we find when it’s apart. A crown is sometimes the whole problem and sometimes the first of three.

How long it will take.

The shop takes one job at a time, and only work it can do well. When yours could start is settled at the consultation, and your dates come in writing when the job is accepted.

Reply: within3business days
Bench: 2–3weeks

The bench time is the work itself, for the usual job of this kind. Each job’s own figure is in the ledger above.

Request

No. 1

Accuracy & barrel work

Starting at$35

Bench time2–3 weeks

Request a consultation Ask a question first

Replies by email within 3 business days.

From the Journal

At the bench5 min read

My rifle won’t group: where to start

Start with the cheap things. Loose screws and scope mounts cause more misses than bad barrels, and you can check most of them at your kitchen table.

Questions about this kind of work.

My rifle won’t group. Where do you start?

With the cheap things. Loose action screws and scope mounts cause more misses than bad barrels. We check torque, mounts, crown and bore, then try a couple of loads. Machine work comes last, and only if it’s needed. The Journal has the whole list, in order, so you can check most of it yourself first.

How long will it take?

It depends on the job. The time each one usually takes is printed beside it on the price list. The shop takes one job at a time, so when yours could start is settled at the consultation. You get your dates in writing when the job is accepted, and an email if they change.

Can I send my firearm instead of driving to Boerne?

Sometimes. Parts with no serial number on them, such as a bare stock or a scope and rings, can be mailed like any parcel. A complete firearm is different, because the carriers have their own rules about who may ship one. Email first and we’ll tell you the right way to send it. Please don’t ship anything until you’ve heard back.

Can I bring my own parts?

You can. We’ll fit them and tell you if we see a problem with one. We can’t stand behind a part we didn’t supply, and if it needs extra fitting, that time is billed at the shop rate of $95 an hour. Now and then we’ll decline to fit a part we don’t trust, and we’ll explain why.