Barrel length

[Ranger188]

Is it true that you don't want to cut more than a couple inches
off a barrel blank to finish it?
You don't want a 29 inch blank and cut to 23 finish length.
Not trying to making weight or worrying about anything else.
True or false?

 

[Sniper338]

My experience is buy the length blank for what you want. Its cheaper.... you will pay more for a 29 or 30 inch compared to a shorter if your just going to cut it down anyways...

Yes they can be cut down and work fine.

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Is it true that you don't want to cut more than a couple inches
off a barrel blank to finish it?
You don't want a 29 inch blank and cut to 23 finish length.
Not trying to making weight or worrying about anything else.
True or false?

Not true. You can cut a barrel down and everything will be fine. No problem.

 

[Walt Krafft]

Standard barrel blanks are often 27" to yield a 26" barrel. No problem at all cutting it off to what ever length you want.

 

[Ranger188]

I've heard that more than once. One of them damn internet BS stories.
It would take 6-8 weeks or more for a custom (shorter) length barrel
and can find some longer ones now at places. A couple bucks, isn't going to kill me.

 

[K22]

I Douglas Barrels installed on both of my 223 Rem Model 7's, cut to 20" length and they are both 1/2 moa rifles.

 

[Ranger188]

I had a very well respected shooter here tell me they use a particular contour
and then cut it from both ends to make weight.
Just wanted to make sure, you hear dumb ass sh$t on other forums.

 

[rsmithsr50]

yes br guys do this all the time.

I had a very well respected shoot here tell me they use a particular contour
and then cut it from both ends to make weight.
Just wanted to make sure, you hear dumb ass sh$t on other forums.

 

[Homerange]

I Douglas Barrels installed on both of my 223 Rem Model 7's, cut to 20" length and they are both 1/2 moa rifles.

In the same pencil weight contour ?
Lengthened from 18 1/2" or the later 20" models ?

 

[TAJ45]

For those with a very sensitive "touch/feel" - they may well buy a longer tube and feeling the variation in the bore dia, cut so the "choked" area will be at muzzle end.
Maximize the bbl's dimensional quirks, if any.

I dont have anywhere near that sensitivity but have a friend that does.

 

[Stan Taylor]

I had a very well respected shoot here tell me they use a particular contour
and then cut it from both ends to make weight.
Just wanted to make sure, you hear dumb ass sh$t on other forums.

If you call me at Douglas the shortest
profile barrel we make is 23 1/2 inches to finish 22 inches or shorter an no more than a couple weeks turnaround.

 

[ihmsakiwi]

I bought a 32" target grade barrel went halves with a fellow IHMSA pistol shooter and got both halves turned to same profile ( or slightly heavier) as the standard XP100 barrel and had each one chambered in 30BR. Both shot great.

 

[Iowa Fox]

I think it depends on what the guy doing the barrel work is set up for with tooling. Especially on pistol length barrels. I've got one going right now that is being finished at 17.7" breech face to crown He wanted to start with a blank 22-24 " . He will be chopping about 6'.

 

[Sniper338]

I forgot to add.. i bought a barrel once and had it cut in half and two barrels made out of it for a xp100 pistol

 

[6fatrat]

Order your blank 1" longer than your preferred finish length.
You must remove 1" from the muzzle end as this part of the blank will have run out.
At the chamber end the chamber will take care of your run out.
Steve Bair

 

[K22]

In the same pencil weight contour ?
Lengthened from 18 1/2" or the later 20" models ?

I went one contour heavier than the factory barrel which added only about a 1/2 lbs to the weight but provided a much stiffer barrel.

Also went with a 20" length to retain the "carbine" handling qualities since I use my Model 7's for stalking. With the Bell and Carlson medalist stocks these light weight rifles shoot in the 1/2 moa range.

 

[Homerange]

I went one contour heavier than the factory barrel which added only about a 1/2 lbs to the weight but provided a much stiffer barrel.

Also went with a 20" length to retain the "carbine" handling qualities since I use my Model 7's for stalking. With the Bell and Carlson medalist stocks these light weight rifles shoot in the 1/2 moa range.

Yep quite understand and I've got one in 223 that shoots surprisingly well and another in 6mm Rem that shoots well enough to take deer to medium ranges. Both are getting on now and have 18" tubes.
They can be finicky buggers though and unless you do what you have done with yours frustrating until you find what they like to eat.
The larger calibers in Model 7 aren't much fun at the bench as a couple of buddies with 308's have found out !
Still they're a great youths and ladies rifle if their dad or partner does the sighting in.

 

[K22]

Yep quite understand and I've got one in 223 that shoots surprisingly well and another in 6mm Rem that shoots well enough to take deer to medium ranges. Both are getting on now and have 18" tubes.
They can be finicky buggers though and unless you do what you have done with yours frustrating until you find what they like to eat.
The larger calibers in Model 7 aren't much fun at the bench as a couple of buddies with 308's have found out !
Still they're a great youths and ladies rifle if their dad or partner does the sighting in.

Trust me - you don't want that model in a 308 unless you are immune to punishing recoil.

My rebarrel / restock Model 7's 223 Rem's shoot extremely well with tailored reloads but it was an expensive fix - Douglas match barrels and B&C metalist stocks but what the hell - it's only green paper.

PS: Had one of my best years ever ghog hunting last summer with the Model 7, 49 out 51. One of the ones I missed was standing at 176 yards and ducked when I shot, the other I rushed the shot at 191 yards as he was nearing the end of his feeding cycle heading back to his hole. Made a 235 yards shot off the shooting cross sticks - my longest to date with the Model 7 223 Rem. The Model 7's are my go to stalking rifles when I want roam the fields or on recon looking for new holes and scouting new fields / field I haven't hunted for a while due to crop rotation cycles.

 

[Homerange]

Trust me - you don't want that model in a 308 unless you are immune to punishing recoil.

Yes very noticeable at the bench and even with the 308 you want to sissy bag up to shoot it. Over here most anything close can be taken with 150gr loads so offhand shots aren't so bad however if you've been belted at the bench with a Model 7 your chances of placing good shots are somewhat diminished.
Other than them being stiff recoiling in the larger calibers they're noisy little beasts too and the only rifle I've had ring my ears when firing one so I threaded both mine for cans which not only tames their noise but removes a good amount of boot too.
The end of my days of bush crashing is drawing near so varminting has more interest for me now and punching paper with larger caliber Model 7 has lost its gloss and better accuracy than with the pencil weight barrel of a Model 7 hence the interest in what you've done with yours.
Thanks for the chat.