If the barrel is cut down from the chamber end, properly rechambered and installed on the action, there is a fair chance that accuracy will not be impacted.

With that said, a competent gunsmith is required - with an emphasis being a gunsmith that is familiar with SMALLBORE target rifles and what it takes to do this process correctly. Joe sixpack gunsmith will not get you the results you need.

Another path to consider is going the new barrel route - shorter and smaller diameter. The cost is a little more, but you can specify a barrel that would meet your needs.

Regards,
ken

 

It's not clear whether cutting a factory Anschutz barrel at the muzzle end will affect accuracy, and if it does, by how much. There was a discussion of this, which unfortunately deteriorated into something else.

In any case, many shooters said that Anschutz puts a "choke" in muzzle end and that it was undesirable to alter it. If there was a consensus, it was to preserve the original muzzle and cut the barrel at the chamber end and rechamber. Of course that would involve barrel removal and reinstallation. https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441482

How much does a 27" Anschutz barrel weigh?

 

How much does a 27" Anschutz barrel weigh?

Anschutz list a 1913 barrel/action as 3 1kg, or 6.8lb. I have it in mind that's without the bolt. So I'd hazard a guess at around 5lb for the barrel alone. A 27in 54 or 1813 barrel should be similar.

Practically, I reckon a 20in barrel will see a reduction of 12-14oz over an 18/1913 barrel. Some years ago, when my high school maths was fresher, I remember working out that a 21in x 24mm barrel was about the same volume as a 26in X 22mm barrel. According to Anschutz a 18/1907 26in barrel is 300g (11.8oz) lighter than a 27.2in 1813/1913 barrel. My 1913 has a 24in barrel that's about 6oz lighter than my old 1813.

To the OP, are you shooting 'scope or irons? If irons, it's not just the barrel's grouping you have to consider when shortening.
7in is about 20% of your sight radius too. Will that reduction affect your aiming precision? It will certainly affect your sight picture, vertical zero, and head/cheekpiece fit. You can add an extension tube to compensate, but that will add back weight; allow 4oz+ for an aluminium tube.

On British fora there are reports of Match 54s being repurposed for vermin shooting by chopping down the barrel, that still demonstrate acceptable accuracy. Whether acceptable for bunny bashing is good enough for target shooting I can't say. Cutting at the breech and re-chambering seems less risky, and may even rejuvenate an older well-used barrel. There'd also be no need to re-mount the foresight; cutting at the muzzle your gunsmith isn't just re-crowning, they MUST ensure the foresight is vertical and parallel to the bore.

 

All good advice.
Cutting off the end is certainly the easy route, but if it's the best route is another question.
Personally, I'd want it off the breech end, though that requires a barrel pressing, new extractor cut outs, and a rechamber, which might a good thing to do.
A replacement barrel sounds good too. Something like a single shot 54:18 barrel, is 20 inches with a slenderer profile might be an option if you can find one.

If you're on Long Island, I imagine that you shoot at Brookhaven. Certainly not at the wild west show at Calverton.

 

Something like a single shot 54:18 barrel, is 20 inches with a slenderer profile might be an option if you can find one.

Interesting you say that. I believe Anschutz did themselves some years ago. About 30 years ago Anschutz offered an extra light 1907, with barrel specs identical to the 54.18. I'll dig out the advert later.

 

I agree with all the advice given so far. Before making any decisions on what needs to be done I'd slug the barrel and see if there's a tight spot at the muzzle or in the vicinity of where you might want it cut down to. I know that's what I would do because it would help me make an informed decision

 

I would like to see proof that Anschutz is choking their barrels. HK choked their .223 barrels and the proof house caught it and the guns did not pass.

Just the same forum fairy tale is around for decades that lead bullets should not be shot out of firearms with polygonal rifling because the lead would build up invisible lead deposits that spiked pressure. By coincidence I have a letter from HK in my possession giving reloading advice for the .45 ACP HK P9S. Anschutz is by far not as co-operative as H&K in answering customer questions...

 

I would like to see proof that Anschutz is choking their barrels...

I've said it before in these discussions, I'm not sure Anschutz ever intentionally choked their barrels. I think the whole thing started with the models with slight bulb on the end of the barrel. I've always assumed that was for the purpose of mounting the front sight so it's properly aligned with the rear sight. But then there's models like the 54.18 MS/MSR that have the bulb and they were never intended to be used with sights. So why create the bulb in the end of the barrel if it's not to create a tighter bore? So maybe it was intentional after all? Who knows and unless someone from Anschutz wants to chime in we'll probably never know for sure

 

Cut It!

Slug it like Pat said if it makes you feel better.

Personally I think the choke point is highly over-rated as it pertains to accuracy. More so as it pertains to non-benchrest shooting.

I've had Anschutzs with no choke point that I could feel and some with choke points other than at the muzzle...Tom

 

Anschutz profile there barrels after rifling, leaving the end larger naturally choked without any lapping.

 

Is this opinion or does Anschutz confirm this somewhere?

 

I'm trying to recall the number of Anschutz .22 LR barrels I have slugged. The ones I specifically recall are: two 54:18 MSRs, one 54:18 MS, a 1417, two 1710s, one 1712, and an older 1427 biathlon rifle. That's eight rifles, and all had chokes about the last 2" of the barrel. Now, I can't say that all Anschutz rifles have chokes, and I know Anschutz is not likely to acknowledge it, but every one I have slugged had a choke.
To the OP, no one can tell you what will happen if you lop off that barrel. My sense is it won't matter enough for you to tell (regarding the mechanical precision), but I would be more inclined to rebarrel it using the exact barrel contour you would like. All the barrel manufacturers can give you their barrel weights. I personally prefer Lilja barrels, and I KNOW Lilja laps its rimfire barrels with a choke.

TBR

P.S. While I agree cutting off from the breech would be safer, if you're going to pay a gunsmith to do all that, I think a new barrel is the way to go.

 

Those darn Germans are pretty smart, easy way to make all their barrels same length same sight window off the shelf semi competitive rifle. I have been fortunate enough to slug a few take off barrels, quite obvious what they did.

 

sample size-1

tried to make weight for sihlouette by cutting off the muzzle end, Made weight but lost significant accuracy at 100 meters. YMMV

 

My experience is limited to mainly barrels off of 54 actioned rifles but every one I have or have had have choked barrels. (I borescope and slug every rifle or barrel I buy) Usually ~ 3 inches which does correspond with the "barrel swell" at the muzzle.

 

I have a 64 MPR that was a club gun before I purchased it.Stock looks like it was used as a boat paddle. A tight fitting patch run down the bore shows a loose spot about 9" from the muzzle and then tightens up again.Gun shoots as well as I can hold it.

Is this "loose " spot a normal thing in these guns or was it damaged in some way ?

 

A tight fitting patch run down the bore shows a loose spot about 9" from the muzzle and then tightens up again.Gun shoots as well as I can hold it.

Is this "loose " spot a normal thing in these guns or was it damaged in some way ?

Wayne,

How loose is loose? If the patch jumps suddenly, even pushing gently and carefully, you may have a bulge (ring in US speak). This is where a faulty round has lodged a bullet in the bore unnoticed, and the next shot knocked it loose. The impact squashes the bullets enough to stretch the barrel steel.

You can sometimes see the bulge on the outside as a faint ring. Clean and oil the barrel, and look along it towards a light to check. Mark the depth on your cleaning rod to give a rough idea where to look.

 

For earlier in the thread, I had an 1813 barrel, it weighed 5.05 lbs. My 1807 barrel, that I had tapered is at 3.75 lbs. Found my other notebook, 4.09 lbs before tapering on the 1807 barrel

I had no loss of accuracy when I had that 1807 barrel tapered to fit silhouette rules. And it shot quite a few lots of lapua very well at their testing center. I will have to check for a choke today

 

OK you expert barrel makers. How can you taper a bore? Or choke the end of it?

I don't think they modify an existing, chambered barrel. They take an unfinished barrel blank, measure it, and pick the narrower end for the muzzle, then cut, taper, chamber, etc, to make a finished, mountable, barrel out of it.

 

A little reminder from the rules folks...

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https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259414

 

Very informative video. The goal is to produce a drilled and honed barrel blank that is the same diameter from one end to the other.

 

I would be happy to again explain here the basic techniques for creating a tapered or "choked" bore in a rimfire barrel, if the question were a genuine one. I will instead encourage those with genuine interest to research the subject here and elsewhere for previous explanations and descriptions and allow the others to remain uninformed of this common practice in the rimfire world.

 

I contacted two custom barrel makers well known to all of you. In both cases, they indicated that they do no supply choked barrels. The cost would be prohibitive.

Edit: I got a response from Shilen. They said that their ratchet barrel is "tapered". How much?? IDK.

Edit again: I retract what I said origninally. Lilja just replied and said that their barrels are "taper lapped" which improves accuracy. Sorry 'bout that.