Counterboring

[pjm204]

Does anyone here know if counterboring is something that can be done at home, on a lathe? Will this produce acceptable results. I have one barrel in an 1888 commission that has a buldge roughly an inch from the end, the rest of the bore is very nice. If not I am going to cut it shorter and shorten the barrel jacket.

[Shovelheadfxwg]

You can counterbore on a lathe, but if you are talking about the inside diameter of a barrel, you will probably have to drill it out.
You are not going to be able to get a boring bar in there, if that is what your asking. Might be able to use a chucking reamer of the desired size, chucked in the tailstock. You may have to drill first and then ream to size, or ream in steps.

[pjm204]

my lathe vocabulary is limited but my plan was to chuck the barrel up and then put a bit into the peice which normally holds the live center and then bring that into the barrel?

[Shovelheadfxwg]

my lathe vocabulary is limited but my plan was to chuck the barrel up and then put a bit into the peice which normally holds the live center and then bring that into the barrel?

That piece that holds the live center is called the tailstock, and yes that would probably do what you are wanting to do. Just put a drill bit in the tailstock and drill, or use a jacobs style chuck in the tailstock with a chucking reamer. Several ways that would probably produce acceptable results. You have to chuck it pretty close to the muzzle end, or the chamber end, whichever end you are drilling from.