Happy w/ both Kreiger and Shilen new barrels following mfg. mistakes

[NateHaler]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

So, I now learned the game, in order to win the game I learned that if I ever order a barrel again from someone, The day I get it, It is getting: Bore Scoped, Chamber Checked, Twist Checked and everything that I can concevably check checked before it goes anywhere.

Even with all that checking, you won't know if the barrel shoots good until you try it. Maybe you think that all of those things have an effect on accuracy. Maybe they do. Maybe they don't. But unless you only care about how perfect such items can be from a looks/manufacturing standpoint, the real test of a barrel is how well it will shoot. If it won't shoot, then it's a tomato stake. If it looks like a tomato stake, but shoots great, then it's not a tomato stake. It's a hummer. The issue is how to find a hummer. No guarantee that your newly avowed plan will work better than flipping a coin. But it's your prerogative. ;D

 

[jlmurphy]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

Barrel makers are selling a product, their current reputations are based on their past products performance and is reflected in the premium prices they charge. They advertise a level of finish and uniformity, and if a current product falls below that standard and somehow slips through their quality control, they should make an effort to correct the problem. I manufacture machinery myself, and mistakes do happen. How well a barrel purchased 10 years ago shot is poor consolation to someone trying to correct a defective barrel now. Reputations can change.

 

[NateHaler]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

How well a barrel purchased 10 years ago shot is poor consolation to someone trying to correct a defective barrel now.

"Defective" as in expected finish from the factory. Admittedly not a happy situation. But those perceived "defects" could have no bearing on how the barrel shoots. Has nothing to do with events/items from a decade ago. It's having faith in what affects barrel performance and what doesn't. Most barrel manufacturers will stand behind their product, especially when their products are installed by reputable 'smiths.

Arnold Palmer had an ugly golf swing. But he won a lot of tournaments. I'm just sayin...

 

[jlmurphy]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

"Faith" in a particular barrel maker is not the issue. The manufacturers only obligation is to provide a product as advertised, in this case free from visible defects ( damaged grooves and lands, gouges in the bore, within bore diameter uniformity, and hopefully properly stress relieved ). How the assembled firearm finally shoots is not dependent on just the barrel, in fact, many firearms shoot well in spite of defects in the barrel. The fact that premium barrel maker "A" made thousands of great barrels in the past doesn't mean a sub premium barrel can't slip past quality control now. The demand for good barrels is so great now that it is even more likely that Q.C. levels would be relaxed, after all, how many people have a borescope? Can you name any current manufacturers whose products are no longer top notch? Why? I sincerely hope these issues are settled to the O.P.'s satisfaction, in which case, more power to those mfgs, if not, there will be more room at the top for new barrel makers.

 

[savageboy]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

OK, here is the update from Kreiger- still deciding if I want to take the Shilen all apart again and get it throated the way it should have been and what it says all over the order- Anyway: Got a call from Kreiger today. They inspected the barrel, agreed that there were some cosmetic flaws, made a lead cast of the barrel and re-lapped it. He claims that all the marks came out and that he recommends shooting the barrel, etc. We spoke at length and I have decided to take his recommendation. I will get it back and the first thing I do is run it over to get bore scoped. Will advise. They are refunding my Shipping $ to me, so as long as the barrel shoots and all tooling marks, etc. are gone and it shoots good, I will be happy.

 

[savageboy]

I just received a very nice phone call from Mr. Wade Hull- Pres. of Shilen. We spoke for 45 min. as I must say he and his company are first class. He would have called sooner, however he was at SHOT show and he had to play detective as he went thru every order for a 260AI that went out in the past 3 months and looked at my profile and found I was from NC, put it all together and called me personally. I was already satisfied with their customer service, as really what else could they offer to do, but to re throat it. I was just going to shoot it and see how it worked and decide then.
Well, unprovoked by me, Mr Hull called to find find out first if this barrel actually was not throated per my order. We decided that it probably was missed on the order. He was concerned how this got missed and got out of his shop and he is investigating that further.
He did however, make the offer for me to ship the complete rifle, scope and all, disassemble it, re-throat it, and re-assmeble it if I wanted to do that.
We did also discuss the difficulty in grading a barrel based on borescoping it alone as someone else suggested.
He shared his grading methodology with me and I found that they only make one grade of barrels- not 2. They only have 1 set of tooling so the Select Match and Match barrels are made on the same machienery, and the grade of Match or sel. match come from the grading criteria.

I must say that both of these companies did respond both very quickly, and also did all that I feel they could to make me a happy customer. I would purchase barrels from both companies again based on their past track record both in the shooting community and with me. Their concern for their customers showed thru in the handleing of these 2 individual barrels.

 

[chino1969]

Re: Very disappointed in both Kreiger and Shilen-Check ur new barrels b4 installing!

How well a barrel purchased 10 years ago shot is poor consolation to someone trying to correct a defective barrel now.

"Defective" as in expected finish from the factory. Admittedly not a happy situation. But those perceived "defects" could have no bearing on how the barrel shoots. Has nothing to do with events/items from a decade ago. It's having faith in what affects barrel performance and what doesn't. Most barrel manufacturers will stand behind their product, especially when their products are installed by reputable 'smiths.

Arnold Palmer had an ugly golf swing. But he won a lot of tournaments. I'm just sayin...

I'm in total agreement on the above statement. How good a bore looks with a borescope is no indication of how it will shoot. When I check a custom barrel blank with a borescope I'm looking for visible imperfections; that's one of the reasons I bought a hand lapped barrel. I've had Douglas barrels, which are not lapped, that will shoot with my best Kreigers, Harts or Pac Nors. The proof of how well the barrel shoots in on target, not through a borescope.

Lou Baccino

 

[favload]

I agree also, the barrel can look like a piece of 12" conduit and still shoot great. It can even be a factory Remington or Savage barrel right guys !!! So, with this liberal mindset one must ask why all the fuss over custom barrels? There must be something we pay for right?

I would have usually left the above as is, however, I have come to understand my synisym is not wildly accepted. So let me explain, I have experience making things with parts cut by all sorts of equipment from wire EDM, water jet, laser, CNC lathe/ mill etc. It all boils down to the quality of the opperator and his/her training! This is what we pay for. If a company hires some smuck off the street or some ones brother in law, because production is up you may get a crappy product and the owner will "look into it". Hire good people, train them well before you sell their products, listen to the past and do well.


Just food for thought

 

[Moderator]

I'm glad the situation was resolved here.

But this points out that I really don't like to see threads start that bash a particular manufacturer if the buyer hasn't really "gone down the road" with the company, and given the manufacturer a chance to set things right.

It is very easy to jump on a Forum and trash a company. That can create a misleading impression, when 99.9% of the company's product may be very good.

As I've stated before... if you have a problem with a company's product, contact the manufacturer BEFORE you start a negative thread. If you don't get satisfaction CONTACT ME and I will intervene in your behalf. My email is posted all over this board, and here it is again:

mailbox@6mmbr.com