X-caliber or Mcgowen AR15 barrels?

[msinc]

How many of you actually slug your X-Caliber barrels to see how the bore is? If your a gunsmith do you order the barrels with them knowing who's ordering them or do customers order their parts and send them to you? Have you seen how they button a barrel? Have you seen how they lap barrels?
They are over priced as far as I'm concerned, when you can put a slug in and literally mark the contour changes on the barrel by the bore it's messed up!! When you can drop a bushing through a barrel and have it stop then go down two bushings to get through a tight spot then have it flair out .003 at least at the muzzle something is messed up, ESPECIALLY when someone lapped that barrel, how can a barrel like that get past lapping, obviously there is no QC in place!!
I'm a Montanan, I'd love nothing more than to be getting Kreiger, Bux, Bartlien, Rock Creek, Hart quality barrels from a manufacture in MT for that price but their no where near that level, sure they'll have some percentage that shoot but the ONLY barrels I've rejected or have seen a company buy back a barrel or swap it out has been X-Caliber. I know of more than one other MT gunsmith that has had the same experience but just don't want to deal with the "mine shoot's great" club.
A lot of barrels will shoot that we may think won't, every gunsmith out there has bet against a barrel and it did well but I'm all about stacking the odds in my and my customers favor so if I chamber a X-Caliber it's very clear I'm not backing it up. I've had customers who have had three barrels bought back in a row!
I've borescoped a Remington Sendero that had the chamber so crooked the throat cut no rifling on one side and there was a section of lands messed up mid way down, it shoot very well, barrel is still a POS!

I can and will pour a lead lap just to see, but honestly the bore looked so good and it shoots so good I didn't really think about it.

 

[rebel]

I've had one that had just enough choke at the muzzle that I could get a brake on it but the whole rest of the bore slowly opened the whole way down, barrel shoots good fouls like crazy. NO consistency!

I was curious to know how X Caliber handled your issue.

 

[bigngreen]

They replace barrels, I have only used them when sent them by a customer, I check them carefully before I chamber them so no one is out money. On two occasions I've been sent number of barrels in a row said to measure up and were no where near close, one call to Rock Creek and one barrel that measured what I was told solved that issue.
A friend had another smith build using one and he did not check it and it was of on the twist rate, came out a twist rate they don't have a button for so last I heard they were replacing the barrel but not wanting to cover the work that was done.
They can certainly make a barrel that will shoot and is to spec, it's just right now you have to check because they obviously are not checking what leaves their shop.

 

[rebel]

They replace barrels, I have only used them when sent them by a customer, I check them carefully before I chamber them so no one is out money. On two occasions I've been sent number of barrels in a row said to measure up and were no where near close, one call to Rock Creek and one barrel that measured what I was told solved that issue.
A friend had another smith build using one and he did not check it and it was of on the twist rate, came out a twist rate they don't have a button for so last I heard they were replacing the barrel but not wanting to cover the work that was done.
They can certainly make a barrel that will shoot and is to spec, it's just right now you have to check because they obviously are not checking what leaves their shop.

Apparently there have been some issues but Dustin, the man I have dealt with, is on the job and has handled issues that have occurred in the past. I have a friend that lives in Kalispell and talks with them often and has 6 X caliber barrels, all shoot well. He is a 300 Blackout guy and has pushed the cartridge further than anyone I know, including me.
He has worked with bullet mfg. and x caliber to push the limits of it. Having a barrel mfg. near your home town means you can get stuff without mail order, so he has all sorts of twists. Tried a lot of bullets, Lehigh, Maker, ect. All have shot well in his barrels. I have one x caliber in a 6mm bolt, as well as a couple of Shilen's .I don't compete but do shoot quite often and am happy with my purchase. Just concerned as a business owner myself and reputation means everything. A few bad examples shouldn't reflect on the company if they offered to replace said defective product. Hell, I've had with several mfg's in the past that offered to let me test their product only to have it never show up. I haven't bad mouthed them, that's a business decision I guess. In any case, the groundhogs here don't like x caliber barrels

 

[Knotwild]

I have been following this thread because I am/was/maybe thinking about purchasing an X-Caliber AR 15 barrel to have in reserve. But, I do not have the experience most of you guys have, which means I could get a barrel and find out it's flawed only through shooting it, which means I couldn't return it. I don't have that kind of money to gamble with.

Too many manufacturers today promote their warranty service when they should be focusing on the product they are putting out there.

 

[mic2377]

I have McGowen custom barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor on one of my LR-308. It shoots well, the bore looks decent, and the machine work was well done. No complaints.

I would also suggest Criterion as well, have another LR-308 upper with their 20" M110 profile barrel (read HEAVY). It shoots quite well, and can shoot 1 MOA past 500 yds on a fairly consistent basis.

I also have no experience with X Caliber, but don't feel the need based on my positive experience with the above 2.

 

[ratbuster]

I have purchased 5 Criterion barrels that all shoot beautifully. I bought 2 X Caliber AR barrels, one 20 Practical and one 204R. The accuracy was acceptable for the AR platforms but both of the rifles had much lower than expected velocities. 24" barrels and were both about 200 fps slower than I think they should have been.

 

[wildchild]

How many of you actually slug your X-Caliber barrels to see how the bore is? If your a gunsmith do you order the barrels with them knowing who's ordering them or do customers order their parts and send them to you? Have you seen how they button a barrel? Have you seen how they lap barrels?
They are over priced as far as I'm concerned, when you can put a slug in and literally mark the contour changes on the barrel by the bore it's messed up!! When you can drop a bushing through a barrel and have it stop then go down two bushings to get through a tight spot then have it flair out .003 at least at the muzzle something is messed up, ESPECIALLY when someone lapped that barrel, how can a barrel like that get past lapping, obviously there is no QC in place!!
I'm a Montanan, I'd love nothing more than to be getting Kreiger, Bux, Bartlien, Rock Creek, Hart quality barrels from a manufacture in MT for that price but their no where near that level, sure they'll have some percentage that shoot but the ONLY barrels I've rejected or have seen a company buy back a barrel or swap it out has been X-Caliber. I know of more than one other MT gunsmith that has had the same experience but just don't want to deal with the "mine shoot's great" club.
A lot of barrels will shoot that we may think won't, every gunsmith out there has bet against a barrel and it did well but I'm all about stacking the odds in my and my customers favor so if I chamber a X-Caliber it's very clear I'm not backing it up. I've had customers who have had three barrels bought back in a row!
I've borescoped a Remington Sendero that had the chamber so crooked the throat cut no rifling on one side and there was a section of lands messed up mid way down, it shoot very well, barrel is still a POS!

Sounds like there contouring a straight blank (as in a previously finished and laped barrel) and the bores are bell mouthing from it. I've slugged a many barrels and have found problem barrels are 100% this way. You need either straight or slightly tappered to bore to have a good chance it'll shoot as a "quality" barrel should.

 

[msinc]

Sounds like there contouring a straight blank (as in a previously finished and laped barrel) and the bores are bell mouthing from it. I've slugged a many barrels and have found problem barrels are 100% this way. You need either straight or slightly tappered to bore to have a good chance it'll shoot as a "quality" barrel should.

Not sure I understand...please explain how contouring a "previously straight blank" bell mouths the bore????? You're saying that a barrel blank that was a straight, say 1 1/8" finished and lapped bore is contoured to say a #3 sporter and that causes the bore to open up at the muzzle end?????

 

[wildchild]

Not sure I understand...please explain how contouring a "previously straight blank" bell mouths the bore????? You're saying that a barrel blank that was a straight, say 1 1/8" finished and lapped bore is contoured to say a #3 sporter and that causes the bore to open up at the muzzle end?????

Yes, sorry about the confusion.