Guide Gun Safety Question

[slimster]

Can the barrel vent holes on a Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun be tapped for set screws to seal them, or would muzzle pressures be tooy great for safety?

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

What size are the holes. If they are the proper size to be tapped for a fine thread plug screw and you use a bottom tap but don't run the tap all the way in they should hold the pressure just fine if you lock tite them in. If you have to drill them for the proper tap size and you drill through you will need to fire lap for any burs caused by drilling through.

[slimster]

Thanks NKJ, I haven't measured the holes, but they are the stock factory porting holes and I hate the blast, especially with the hotter loads. This was just an idea that jumped into my head and I sure didn't want to just dive in without first getting you guys' opinions. Thanks for an expert's view.

[Old Time Hunter]

Might just be easier to slap another barrel on it, the new ones do not have the vented barrel.

[Goat]

Or you could shorten the barrel to 16-1/4" and re crown the muzzle and have a super short Guide Gun. I like short guns so I could not help but mention that option.
Goat

[Coldfingers]

Those ports made me NUTS!!!

Cut & Recrown.

I saw a slight improvement in accuracy when shooting mid level cast boolits and did not notice any loss of accuracy with the heavy hitters, cast or jacketed.

Still loud, but the blast is no longer knocking my hat off.

Cheaper than a new barrel and did not change the feel or pointability of the gun. I cut it right down the center of the first port (as the boolit travels) leaving a slight index mark to get the front sight remounted. That left me a little "grace" for BATF mismeasurment.

Scotty

[AJMD429]

Can the barrel vent holes on a Marlin 45-70 Guide Gun be tapped for set screws to seal them, or would muzzle pressures be tooy great for safety?

Are you shooting with hearing protection? With muffs, mine (so far) isn't bad, but I've yet to shoot any really HOT loads from it.