Bench-Talk

 There are many types of barrel crowns...... here is just a few. Step Crown, dish crown, factory crown, and yes a floor board crown. A floor board crown has been told to me as when you set the barrel on the floorboard of your pickup it doesn't damage the crown. Anyway, I have done some of them and its basically recessed slightly more so the crown is more protected. Some crowns have a sharp edge and are left just as they are machined. Some have the edge broken  etc. What I want to know is..... which is the best in your experience and why. I also have a video of a knife crown that is used by Al Nyhus on all of his rifles and will show that at a later date. But for now lets hear what YOU have to say.

Stan I have done all of the crowns that you described and can say I can`t tell any difference in them. I think what is the most important thing is that it is always indicated to the center of bore. Have left sharp edges on the crown and also have left a 45 degree angle back about .003 or .004 and can`t see any difference in the way they shoot. I have not done one like Al does most of the time, I put a 11 degree on my on. But Stan the way I have been shooting lately I believe I could use a pocket knife and do as well !!! HA!!

HUMBLE HENRY

PS-want to see Al`s video

Henry,

I like a 45 on my crowns. Found it really helps guide a brush or jag back into the barrel. Of course, you still have to be careful pulling these things back up the tube. --Greg

Greg I have done several that way for Joe, Gary told Joe about that and he likes the way it works!

HUMBLE

Humble H,

Gary was my source for that improvement also. Smart cookie that Pennsylvania side hill badger!

     The main thing I look for in a crown is durability. Whenever I've had Stan freshen up a crown for me, I've never seen an accuracy improvement. That tells me that the style of crown...and maybe more importantly how  the crown is done...is working well. Greg brings up a good point about a crown that eases the brush back into the bore. None of my barrels require a lot of cleaning, so I clean only when needed.

Al,

I still can't bring myself not to clean between matches. I don't shoot coated and just use a wet patch, 2-3 brush strokes, 2 more wet and 2 dry. It's kinda like me trying to drink black coffee...I just cain't do it! However I may coat some bullets soon and give it another try. If I can convince myself that the gun is shooting as well not cleaning with coated bullets I may again try to re-enter the "kick the cleaning habit" clinic. --Greg

Stan, I've made most of mine as a "dished/step" crown, and have had them of nearly every type. I've got to confess to liking them (regardless of general type) "lapped"  - just enough to [lightly] bevel the groove: this type of crown has held up extremely well for me - though, I confess to scarcely ever cleaning.  This past weekend, I shot the entire GRAND AGG (100/200), including the "warm-up" matches without cleaning! The Kostyshyn barrel, which, at the beginning of the day, had just over 3000 rounds through it, shot me a nifty 498-22X ; not enough to best the HOT shooting "SWEET BABY JAMES" (Lederer), but the crown sure isn't worn out either ! ;) This barrel features one of my  square [deeply] cut (faced) crowns, out to about 0.050" past the groove, then with a 29 Deg. "dish", leaving a "nice" flat on the "outside" end of the barrel crown. I know people who freshen their square and un-lapped crowns every couple of GRAND AGGs, and swear by it. Following re-crowning, I have yet to observe a restoration of precision, this, I assume, indicates that the various crowns, if undamaged, all hold up well to shooting and moderate cleaning. RG

 Randy and Humble,

I could not agree more......  the type of crown does not matter as long as it is concentric, parallel with the bore. I have seen some done with a pilot and a counter sink so to speak that were no where near straight and indicating them in proved worth the time. I personally use the dish crown at 11 degrees then go with a sixy degree inside of that on the bore. I like to break the sharp edge of the land on the groove diameter and keep going down to the bore diameter and breaking that edge about .005 or so. I like to break the edge rather than leaving it sharp especially if using a brass brush for cleaning. It just seems to me that in and out with a brush may change that sharp edge different on one side or the other. 

I have noticed when your all done with a crown and the barrel is broke in the you get a carbon pattern on the end of the muzzle. Each one is different in respect to bore diameter, land configuration etc. The point being that the Carbon footprint so to speak is sharp and clear and after a year or so it seems to get fuzzy. Normally after 1000 rounds or so and in some cases may take two seasons of bench shooting to do that. I do not know if its indication of barrel wear and and time to re-crown or not.  I have done some at that time but it did not seem to change things any other than it made the footprint sharp and clear again.

Henry, I will get the video on the Nyhus knife crown up asap. I have to get permission from him to use it and well.....you know how stubborn Al can be at times.  :)