What is Vertical and Horizontal Honing and How Does it Relate to Making a Gun Barrel?

PUBLISHED ON: March 13, 2024
LAST MODIFIED ON: August 9, 2024

POSTED IN: Deep Hole Finishing, Precihole

Vertical honing machine for gun barrel honing

In the world of precision manufacturing, vertical and horizontal honing processes play a critical role in creating some of the most intricate and vital components. These methods are the unsung heroes in the manufacturing of high-quality gun barrels, a cornerstone in both the firearms and defense industries.

Precihole Machine Tools has spent the past 40 years perfecting the art of both vertical and horizontal honing processes for finishing a large range of bore sizes and lengths. For nearly 15 years, Absolute Machine Tools has partnered with Precihole to bring these machines to the North American manufacturing market.

How Vertical and Horizontal Honing Machines Elevate Firearm Manufacturing

Honing machines play a vital role in perfecting the interior surface of cylindrical shapes. In the firearm and defense industries, this precision honing is integral for preparing gun barrels for rifling, ensuring impeccable precision.

The quality of the surface texture, finish, and taper obtained through the honing process is outstanding. Vertical honing machines in particular are equipped to significantly improve the quality of gun barrels, enhancing their precision. This honing technique is often applied to bores or holes in a wide range of components.

Beyond defense, these honing processes are also critical in the energy, automotive, aerospace, and heavy machinery industries. Notably, they’re instrumental in the medical sector for components like small bone screws and rods.

In the firearm industry, vertical and horizontal honing machines are key to boosting the efficiency and reliability of firearm parts, including barrels. Here’s a guide to understand when to utilize each method:

When Vertical Honing Machines Are the Right Choice

Precihole VHM Series Vertical Honing CNC Machine Tool Slide

Vertical honing is typically chosen for components needing stringent adherence to specifications, such as long bores where maintaining straightness and uniformity is key. With Precihole’s precision tooling, these machines yield exceptionally smooth holes with submicron-level straightness, roundness, and cylindricity.

Gun Barrel Honing

In the context of firearms, vertical honing is essential for creating barrels with unparalleled accuracy. This process allows for the gun barrel to be mounted vertically, ensuring that honing is uniform across the entire length. This uniformity is critical for achieving consistent bore diameter and a smooth surface finish, which are key factors in enhancing the accuracy and performance of firearms. The precision in honing directly influences the bullet’s trajectory, making it a critical step in barrel manufacturing.

Chip Evacuation

The vertical orientation also offers a strategic advantage in chip evacuation. During the honing process, chips and debris are produced, and the vertical setup facilitates their efficient removal. This not only ensures a cleaner process but also contributes to the overall quality of the honing.

Applications Across Other Industries

Vertical honing is not just pivotal in firearm barrel manufacturing; it also has extensive applications across a wide range of industries:

Engine Cylinders: In the automotive and industrial sectors, engine cylinders are often honed vertically to maintain consistent bore diameter and improve cylinder roundness. This process is essential for consistent piston movement and effective sealing, which are crucial for engine performance and longevity.
Hydraulic Cylinder Tubes: These cylinders, used in applications like construction equipment and industrial machinery, often undergo vertical honing. This process ensures optimal performance and durability of the cylinders, which are integral to the machinery’s functionality.
Aerospace Components: Certain aerospace parts, such as landing gear cylinders or hydraulic actuators, benefit significantly from vertical honing. This process helps in meeting stringent federal guidelines and ensures the reliability and safety of aerospace components.
Pump and Valve Bodies: For fluid systems, the bores of pump and valve bodies are often honed vertically. This precise honing is crucial for ensuring proper sealing and efficient fluid flow, which are essential for the system’s performance.
Tooling Components: Various tooling components, especially those with long bores, are subjected to vertical honing to achieve the necessary precision and surface finish. This precision is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness and longevity of these components.
Connecting Rods: In engine manufacturing, connecting rods may undergo vertical honing. This process enhances the bore’s geometry and surface characteristics, contributing significantly to the engine’s overall performance.
Transmission Components: Components such as clutch cylinders or gear housings in transmissions may benefit from vertical honing. This honing improves functionality by enhancing the precision and quality of these parts.

These diverse applications underscore the versatility and importance of vertical honing in various sectors, beyond its critical role in firearm barrel manufacturing.

When Horizontal Honing Machines Are the Right Choice

Precihole Deep Hole Finishing - Horizontal Honing Machine

Horizontal honing is ideal for a range of cylindrical components, especially when the horizontal layout is more practical or the bore length is less critical. It’s notably efficient for large bore artillery barrels, offering ease of handling and flexibility for various components.

Large Bore Artillery Barrels

In the firearms industry, horizontal honing machines are particularly suited for large bore artillery barrels, ranging from φ30mm to φ205mm. These machines can accommodate barrel lengths up to 10,000mm, making them ideal for honing artillery pieces. The horizontal setup allows for fast loading and unloading, which is crucial when dealing with such large and heavy components.

Ease of Operation

The design of horizontal honing machines facilitates ease of handling for operators. This is especially important when working with heavy or unwieldy components, as it ensures efficiency and safety in the machining process.

Flexibility for Various Parts

These machines offer flexibility in honing various parts, making them suitable for different components that may not require a vertical setup. This adaptability is vital in industries that work with a diverse range of cylindrical parts.

Small Components

Horizontal honing is ideal for smaller firearm components such as cylinder bores and chambers. The horizontal orientation is often more suitable for parts that are easier to handle and process in this position.

Applications for a Wide Range of Industries

Horizontal honing has many applications outside of the firearms industry, including:

Engine Cylinder Liners: Frequently applied to engine cylinder liners, horizontal honing ensures precise dimensions and surface finish. This precision is critical in maintaining proper piston-cylinder interaction in internal combustion engines.
Brake Master Cylinders: For components like brake master cylinders, which have shorter and more compact bores, horizontal honing is used to meet strict dimensional accuracy and surface finish requirements. This is essential for the effective functioning of braking systems.
Small Hydraulic Components: Certain small hydraulic components, such as pistons or valve bodies, are horizontally honed. This approach offers efficiency and convenience in the machining process, which is particularly beneficial for components produced in high volumes.
Pneumatic Cylinders: In pneumatic systems, cylinders may undergo horizontal honing to ensure smooth operation and optimal sealing. This honing process contributes significantly to the reliability and longevity of these systems.
Short Bore Components: Components with short bores or those that are more easily handled in a horizontal position are ideally suited for horizontal honing. This includes a variety of parts in different industries, where ease of handling and processing is a priority.
Tool Holders: Some tool holders used in machining operations may be horizontally honed to achieve the necessary surface finish and dimensional precision. This ensures that the tools perform optimally and have a longer lifespan.
Gear Housings: Housings for gears and other transmission components with shorter bores benefit greatly from horizontal honing. This process enhances the component’s functionality by improving its geometry and surface characteristics.
Small Engine Components: Various small engine components, such as crankshaft bearings or connecting rod bushings, are best suited for horizontal honing. This precision honing plays a crucial role in the overall performance and efficiency of engines.

Precihole and Absolute Machine Tools – Your Partners in Precision Honing

Precihole Machine Tools stands as a leader in high-precision deep hole drilling and finishing technology. In partnership with Absolute Machine Tools, they offer innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of the firearms and defense industries.

Together, we provide a comprehensive range of advanced drilling and finishing machines, backed by expert service and engineering support. This collaboration is at the forefront of technological advancement in deep hole drilling, continually pushing the boundaries of precision and quality.

For manufacturers seeking unparalleled precision in gun barrel production and other critical components, Absolute Machine Tools is the go-to partner for all deep hole drilling and deep hole finishing requirements. Contact us to learn more.