AlNyhus
Silver $$ Contributor
A friend gave me a couple old BR barrels a while back from the days of sleeved XP's and 700's. I was organizing my barrels the other day and took at better look at this one. It's been set back and worked over...likely multiple times over the years. But there's a lot of history here and some interesting questions.
It's a Hart and the bore/groove dimensions and date were at one time stamped on it. Some of this has been lost to the subsequent set back(s). A .010 shim still remains on the tenon along with a generous amount of still tacky anti seize compound. The threads are not oversize and the barrel screws nicely into several 700 untouched receivers as well as a new Mack Bros. 700 clone receiver :
Barely visible is the name 'H.W. Creighton' stamped on the barrel. Mr. Creighton was a pretty well respected accuracy 'smith from the Memphis, Tn. area at that time. I understand it was his custom to stamp the bore/groove dimension on the barrel. So that all fits together:
Now things got really interesting. On the barrel was 'F. Pindell' along with this cartridge info:
I dropped a variety of cases into the chamber and a 223 Ackley (40 degree shoulder) fits like a glove.
It's hard to see in this shot but there's epoxy residue along the bottom side of the barrel extending from roughly where the front of the barrel channel would have been all the way back until about an inch ahead of the receiver. This was from the time when they were experimenting with doing a glue-in of the barrel to the stock and letting the action 'float' with no contact:
By borescope, the barrel looks very nice inside. It's 22" long and twisted 1:14.
Kind of a snap shot of a time where the leaders in BR were working with everything they could think of to pick up accuracy.
Your comments and thoughts appreciated, as always.
Good shootin'
-Al
It's a Hart and the bore/groove dimensions and date were at one time stamped on it. Some of this has been lost to the subsequent set back(s). A .010 shim still remains on the tenon along with a generous amount of still tacky anti seize compound. The threads are not oversize and the barrel screws nicely into several 700 untouched receivers as well as a new Mack Bros. 700 clone receiver :
Barely visible is the name 'H.W. Creighton' stamped on the barrel. Mr. Creighton was a pretty well respected accuracy 'smith from the Memphis, Tn. area at that time. I understand it was his custom to stamp the bore/groove dimension on the barrel. So that all fits together:
Now things got really interesting. On the barrel was 'F. Pindell' along with this cartridge info:
I dropped a variety of cases into the chamber and a 223 Ackley (40 degree shoulder) fits like a glove.
It's hard to see in this shot but there's epoxy residue along the bottom side of the barrel extending from roughly where the front of the barrel channel would have been all the way back until about an inch ahead of the receiver. This was from the time when they were experimenting with doing a glue-in of the barrel to the stock and letting the action 'float' with no contact:
By borescope, the barrel looks very nice inside. It's 22" long and twisted 1:14.
Kind of a snap shot of a time where the leaders in BR were working with everything they could think of to pick up accuracy.
Your comments and thoughts appreciated, as always.
Good shootin'
-Al
Last edited:
-Al
RG
