Match chamber in a Stevens 44

[TexasMac]

Hey guys,

I shoot an original Stevens 44 in .22BPCR silhouette competition. The original factory chambering has a deep throat. The bullet jump is from 0.048" to 0.077" depending on the brand of ammo. So I'm considering options. Setting the barrel back & rechambering is not straight forward due to the barrel locking bolt hole. No doubt it could be an option but the barrel would have to be set back a bunch & rethreaded. At least that's my understanding but may be wrong. Another option is to have a new barrel installed. In that case I'm looking for recommendations on someone familiar with rebarreling Stevens' with a match chamber. CPA comes to mind but none of the guys I shot with that have CPA rifles have tight match chambers. Plus CPA never answers their phone. Suggestions welcome.

Wayne

[40-65rl]

Wayne,
I have had several Stevens 44's rebarreled with Shilen non ratchet barrels from CPA. They shoot lights out. I sold one to a shooter at Smithmoor and he has moved up steadily to AAA and ready to go to master. Don't think you can go wrong. Why they don't answer the phone is unknown to me but I have very few occasions they don't answer. Then I leave a message for Joel, the new owner.

[Clarence]

Wayne,

I have a CPA with Douglas premium barrel-I went with Paul Shuttleworth's recommendation, and it is very accurate. I also have a Martini with a non-ratchet Shilen with Curt Hardcastle's chamber and a Low Wall with Shilen ratchet with Dan Zimmerman's chamber. I can't really tell the difference between them.

Clarence

[TexasMac]

Thanks guys. I'll keep trying to reach them.

So, for the guys that have a CPA .22LR how tight is the chamber. I know that a subjective question, but when chambering a round is the cartridge easy to fully chamber or does it get tight prior to full insertion?

Also, has anyone measure or tried to measure bullet jump? In a tight match chamber it's hard if not almost impossible to measure bullet jump. The process is to 1st measure from the muzzle to the tip of the bullet when a cartridge is chambered. Then make the same measurement with only the bullet pushed into the throat until it touches the lands. Then subtract the two values. The problem with attempting this with a tight chamber is it's just about impossible to determine when the bullet touches the lands.

Wayne

[bohemianway]

My 44 1/2 barreled by CPA is pretty tight. I have to push it in hard to get it in far enough to let the breechblock finish the job.

Charles

[TexasMac]

My 44 1/2 barreled by CPA is pretty tight. I have to push it in hard to get it in far enough to let the breechblock finish the job.
Charles

Thanks Charles. That's the kind of info I was hoping to hear about the CPA chamber.

Wayne

[Clarence]

Wayne,

A .22 match chamber has no jump-the bullets are engraved to various degrees, and there are small differences in chamber and throat diameters and lead angles.

Clarence

[40-65rl]

Wayne,
All my CPA barrels, at least six so far, have tight chambers. I believe they use the Winchester 52 reamer.

[TexasMac]

Wayne,
A .22 match chamber has no jump-the bullets are engraved to various degrees, and there are small differences in chamber and throat diameters and lead angles.
Clarence

Thanks Clarence. I am familiar with the characteristics of match chambers. I have not decided if I want to go with a reline or a new barrel. If a new barrel I'm considering CPA due to their expertise with Steven 44 & 44 1/2, hence the questions about their ability to provide a match chamber. If I decide on a reline, most good gunsmiths can do it but again I want one that can provide a match chamber and has the reamer.

Wayne

[TexasMac]

Wayne,
All my CPA barrels, at least six so far, have tight chambers. I believe they use the Winchester 52 reamer.

Thanks. That reinforces bohemianway's comments.

Wayne

[Clarence]

Wayne,

I'm pretty certain the bullet is well engraved, as the other posters indicated, confirming a match chamber, but I'll check it for you.

Clarence

[Clarence]

Wayne,

A Lapua Center-X cartridge touches the lands in my CPA somewhere near 3/16" before completely chambered. The block of the 44 1/2 action picks it up and chambers it with no apparent effort. It extract with no apparent effort, and the groove-diameter portion of the bullet is engraved over 2/3 of the distance to the end of the cartridge case, the same amount as in the first sentence. It is obviously a match chamber.

I compared it with my Winchester 52C target rifle. That chamber engraved the groove-diameter portion of the bullet slightly less than the CPA, but all except the lower ~1/16" of the bullet in front of the case showed it was swaged slightly by the front of the camber. So, he chamber was slightly smaller in diameter and the rifling start was slightly forward compared to the CPA. If you look at the various match chamber dimensions, these slight dimensional and throat angle differences predominate.

By comparison, a Bentz (semi-match chamber for semi-autos) chamber touches the groove-diameter of the same bullet only slightly, but requires the blot to be closed with the action spring, if let down slowly, it lacks ~1/16" of closing completely.

I have a pretty complete list of the differences in .22 match chamber dimensions and will send it to you.

Clarence

[SSShooter]

I have not decided if I want to go with a reline or a new barrel. If a new barrel I'm considering CPA due to their expertise with Steven 44 & 44 1/2, hence the questions about their ability to provide a match chamber. If I decide on a reline, most good gunsmiths can do it but again I want one that can provide a match chamber and has the reamer.
Wayne

The Shilen rachet-rifled barrel CPA put on my rifle definitely has a match chamber and shoots better than I can hold.
Same with the Bartlein barrel that TK put on my other CPA action.
You cannot go wrong with either.

[TexasMac]

I have not decided if I want to go with a reline or a new barrel. If a new barrel I'm considering CPA due to their expertise with Steven 44 & 44 1/2, hence the questions about their ability to provide a match chamber. If I decide on a reline, most good gunsmiths can do it but again I want one that can provide a match chamber and has the reamer.
Wayne

The Shilen rachet-rifled barrel CPA put on my rifle definitely has a match chamber and shoots better than I can hold.
Same with the Bartlein barrel that TK put on my other CPA action.
You cannot go wrong with either.

Glenn,

I discussed options with TK. Since the bore is fine most likely I'll have him set back the barrel & rechamber with a match chamber. He uses a Freeland MG match chamber reamer. Thanks.

Wayne

[SSShooter]

Wayne - sounds like a plan.
John Bly shoots an original 044 1/2 (lighter-weight 44 1/2 gallery or 'ladies' model) with an original Stevens 'X' target barrel and it is very accurate. Will guess your 44 will be similar after Tom's work.