There is a nine-inch Stellite liner in front of the chamber of a .50 caliber Browning machine gun. Its purpose is to make the chamber throat last longer. The manufacturer had an outside vendor producing these liners, but they weren’t maintaining the quality or production numbers required.

They asked if I could build a rifling machine capable of rifling the Stellite liners for them. I did. The word got around quickly. Another machine-gun manufacturer heard about the machine I had built and asked me to build two for them: one short-stroke machine for Stellite liners and another with enough travel for 20-inch barrels. I never advertised my new and improved rifling machines. I relied on word of mouth within the industry, and companies continued coming to me asking for machines.

Eventually, I built six machines for Benchmark Barrels in Washington State. Those machines allowed Benchmark to produce cut-rifled barrels alongside their production of button-rifled barrels, greatly expanding their capabilities and market presence. And with every machine I built, I learned something. There was always something that could be refined, adjusted, or made better. Over the years, I incorporated those lessons along with new processes and technologies into each generation of the machine.

The final result is a CNC-controlled rifling machine capable of handling barrels up to 48 inches long while also accommodating pistol-length barrels with a simple adjustment. It represents everything I learned from decades of building, operating, modifying, and improving rifling machines. Much of that history and what I learned along the way can be found in my book, Rifling Machines and Methods. The original edition is currently out of print, with a second edition planned for release in early 2027.

At 89 years of age, I’ve slowed down—oddly enough!

I’m no longer building these machines myself, but I don’t want the knowledge gained over a lifetime of building and refining them to disappear with me. I’d rather see that knowledge put into the hands of the next generation of craftsmen who can continue the work. That is why I’m making my final design available.

The complete package includes the rights, drawings, CNC program, and parts list needed to reproduce the culmination of more than 50 years of my work. I spent a lifetime figuring out what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done better. This machine is where all of those lessons eventually led me.

Now, I’d like to pass that knowledge along.

If you're interested in building your own rifling machine, get in touch with me to learn more.