Hand barrel crowning tools?

I want to buy a hand crowning tool. I see brownells sells one as well as midway but I'm finding mixed reviews on them. Specifically, where can I find one for use on multiple calibers with changeable pilots? I don't know if that exists or not but my googleing turns up posts indicating such.

 

Check out Brownells. They offer (or at least did) a crowning too that takes pilots.

 

Yep!

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=2614/pid=628/Product/79-deg-MUZZLE-CROWNING-CUTTER

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=41628/Product/Rifle-Muzzle-Brass-Pilots

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=7718/Product/PRECISION-REAMERS-MUZZLE-CROWN-REFACING-KIT

For a couple jobs a year without spending $400 bucks?
You can do as well for a perfect crown with a machinests square, a file, a brass round head screw from a hardware store, and Clover valve grinding compound in a drill.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=855/Product/POWER-CUSTOM-BRASS-MUZZLE-CROWNING-LAP

rc

 

I did exactly what rcmodel suggested, and it turned out quite well. I could not find a round headed brass bolt sold alone at a hardware store, so I bought the set to bolt the upper tank onto the lower part of a toilet. Using one of the two brass bolts included, it has a slot in the top for tightening with a screwdriver. This will hold more lapping compound. The only problem is that it a slow process. Even with that said, if I live long enough to re-crown 100 rifles, unless I ever were to buy a lathe, I figure I will always use the brass bolt and lapping compound trick. It should work for most any caliber barrel as far as I can tell.

 

Saw this on eBay.

 

Ive considered using the bolt/ lapping method. Why should brass be used over a steel bolt?

 

The brass being softer allows the lapping compound to embed in it. Also, steel on steel will gall, destroying the job.

 

I tried a job on my old beater AK. I used an RCBS case chamfer tool to clean it up and get the major gouges out, worked really well with some Tap-Majic. THen did the brass bolt with lapping compound, worked ok to deburr the very edge of the rifling. Lastly I used some 0000 steel whool on the brass bolt to polish everything up and finished it off withsome Oxpho-blue. Looks like new! I need to get some pics.

 

I got one for a Mosin 91/30 from mansonreamers.com. They were very nice when I called for the order and the crowning tool worked great!

 

The brass crown head screw method was actually suggested by Brownell's in their Gunsmith Kinks book.