OEM barrel issues?

[BOLTED]

So I'm going to pick on Savage, just because there is a lot of barrel swapping going on since it's so easy.(Heh Heh..barrel swapping) What do you guys think is the biggest accuracy robbing issue, the factory chambering and reamers getting sloppy, untrued action surfaces, or the rifling maybe? I'm just wondering if anyone has had any luck squeezing a bit more out of a factory barrel by just cutting it back a little and using a sharp shiny new reamer to cut a new chamber. I know, sharp shiny new may not be the best either, but you know what I mean.
Are there a ton of factory barrels out there that just need a bit of a tune up, or do you think it is a combination of problems. Would it be worth truing up an OEM barrel for a guy on a budget that just wants a little more out of what he has? Where does the biggest part of the problem lie, in the action, the chamber, or the rest of the barrel? I think it would be interesting to do one of those Accurateshooter tests where a stock rifle is made to shoot much better, and what amendment made the biggest difference on a particular rifle.

I have an inquiring mind, and I want to know..

Chime in if you have an idea, or know already, or just want to tell me that this is beating a dead horse, and to use the search history buttons like a normal person.

Thanks,

D

 

[Someoldguy]

Even if you put some effort into a factory barrel and see an improvement, odds are it's still going to be disappointing from a consistency standpoint. IE - shoot it a few times and get it warm and the POI starts walking, rapid copper fouling, unexplained fliers, etc.
As for the common causes of problems, I personally have observed more off-center throats than any one other issue, but the potential problems with factory barrels seems to be nearly limitless. This is one area where Savage seems to have something in place to prevent this particular mistake, and perhaps that helps explain their reputation for decent accuracy. But make no mistake, if you look hard, you'll find something imperfect with any of them. The question is, does the barrel shoot to your level of expectation?

If I follow your post correctly, you are essentially asking if factory take-off barrels are worth the time to identify and attempt to correct the problems. My answer would be no. Start with a quality aftermarket blank and invest your time and effort there .

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Chamber would be worth about 5x what the barrel is worth once you realize it still wont shoot. Very disappointing

 

[BOLTED]

I guess it just kills me how many factory barrels fly through this site, as opposed to actions. May as well do what NSS is doing, and order a gun as a kit from them if you want a Savage that really shoots. It seems like Savage could really kill it by partnering up with a place like Criterion, or to offer rifles with barrels on par with an entry level benchrest gun made in house. It's so sad to think of all that wasted steel. There must be tons of Remington and Savage factory barrels sitting in corners of basements, shops and closets. Oh, and possibly one as a corner post in the garden...

Being a fixer upper of sorts, I just wondered what the actual issues in general are with the factory units. I know you can't polish a turd, but sometimes things just need a little more attention to make 'em better, like truing an action. An action is worth truing, and there are a few standard things wrong with them from the factory that you can fix. With barrels, it's too bad you couldn't just ream 'em n go. Now in saying that, I have always felt that if someone says "can't you just..." they have no idea what it takes to "can't you just" and it never turns out with any type of quality in the end.

Thanks

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I guess it just kills me how many factory barrels fly through this site, as opposed to actions. May as well do what NSS is doing, and order a gun as a kit from them if you want a Savage that really shoots. It seems like Savage could really kill it by partnering up with a place like Criterion, or to offer rifles with barrels on par with an entry level benchrest gun made in house. It's so sad to think of all that wasted steel. There must be tons of Remington and Savage factory barrels sitting in corners of basements, shops and closets. Oh, and possibly one as a corner post in the garden...

Being a fixer upper of sorts, I just wondered what the actual issues in general are with the factory units. I know you can't polish a turd, but sometimes things just need a little more attention to make 'em better, like truing an action. An action is worth truing, and there are a few standard things wrong with them from the factory that you can fix. With barrels, it's too bad you couldn't just ream 'em n go. Now in saying that, I have always felt that if someone says "can't you just..." they have no idea what it takes to "can't you just" and it never turns out with any type of quality in the end.

Thanks

What would the quality be like if savage mass chambered the finest barrel blanks available? You know, take a brand new krieger and run a die over the shank and grab the dewalt and run the reamer in to the approximate spot then adjust the end result with the nut?

 

[Someoldguy]

I guess it just kills me how many factory barrels fly through this site, as opposed to actions. May as well do what NSS is doing, and order a gun as a kit from them if you want a Savage that really shoots. It seems like Savage could really kill it by partnering up with a place like Criterion, or to offer rifles with barrels on par with an entry level benchrest gun made in house. It's so sad to think of all that wasted steel. There must be tons of Remington and Savage factory barrels sitting in corners of basements, shops and closets. Oh, and possibly one as a corner post in the garden...

Being a fixer upper of sorts, I just wondered what the actual issues in general are with the factory units. I know you can't polish a turd, but sometimes things just need a little more attention to make 'em better, like truing an action. An action is worth truing, and there are a few standard things wrong with them from the factory that you can fix. With barrels, it's too bad you couldn't just ream 'em n go. Now in saying that, I have always felt that if someone says "can't you just..." they have no idea what it takes to "can't you just" and it never turns out with any type of quality in the end.

Thanks

I think they do a decent job given the price point. It would be hard to argue that the rifles they build don't shoot as well as those sold for the same cost.
Precision requires quality time and quality materials. Naturally, the buyer is going to have to pay for that. I think they did a fine job of forcing the market to step-up their game concerning triggers. They may figure out how to do something similar regarding barrels one day. Time will tell.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I think they do a decent job given the price point. It would be hard to argue that the rifles they build don't shoot as well as those sold for the same cost.
Precision requires quality time and quality materials. Naturally, the buyer is going to have to pay for that. I think they did a fine job of forcing the market to step-up their game concerning triggers. They may figure out how to do something similar regarding barrels one day. Time will tell.

What did they do for triggers? Gotta be the absolute worst design ever put on a rifle. So junky they had to put a safety blade on there to make them safe enough to sell. And remington triggers have gone downhill many times over since then so they didnt make them step up for sure.

 

[Someoldguy]

What did they do for triggers? Gotta be the absolute worst design ever put on a rifle. So junky they had to put a safety blade on there to make them safe enough to sell. And remington triggers have gone downhill many times over since then so they didnt make them step up for sure.

For the Average Joe, the availability of an owner-adjustable trigger which broke considerably lighter than the 'lawyer triggers' of the time was a big deal. Are they bench rest triggers? No, obviously not. But I'm speaking of a rifle that retails for roughly the same price as that trigger alone costs.

As for Remington, seems they have considerably more problems than just crappy triggers these days.

Failure is where the information is at.

 

[ballisticxlr]

The biggest problem with factory barrels are the owners of factory barrels. They shoot them hot, they bang the crowns into stuff, they do unconscionable things to barrels with cleaning rods and chemicals and power tools and they assume that a factory barrel cannot be made to shoot. If the average owner of a factory barrel took nearly the care with it that those of us who immediately reach for aftermarket barrels take with our pipes, I think we'd have a lot less of a value proposition in aftermarket barrels.

 

[Ccrider]

Funny. Over the years I have had savages that were pretty accurate. All have been moa or better. For the price, hard to complain.

 

[BOLTED]

I don't care for the blade on the savage trigger either, but that is personal preference. Cant stand the trigger before the trigger feeling.

Every company seems to have good times and some bad. Some guns are shooters, and some not so much. Poor setup, lack of maintenance or QC, disgruntled employees, insufficient testing in real world applications etc... I don't think that any one gun company is the best, just like auto makers, some hit the mark with a year or model, but so does the other company at some point.

I do think Savage has done pretty well for themselves, and I think pre-fits are fun for the average Joe to be able to take some pride in a decent shooting rifle that he assembled at home. It's definitely a good feeling when something works well that you have put together yourself, no matter what it is.

I guess I was hoping that there was an easy fix that didn't cost too much in time and materials. I Love heavy stuff, heavy is usually expensive and barrels are heavy, so they are cool. Expectations get higher every time a person upgrades, so factory accuracy is getting slightly disappointing now that my equipment and my shooting has gotten better. I must say though that every gun I own is good enough for me, and working up loads to find the best for each one is still fun.

Thanks guys

 

[Big_Daddy]

Never a complaint with the "higher" end Savages.
My Prairie Dog gun is a Model 12 BCTSS.
It shoots just fine...

 

[Someoldguy]

An accuracy proof group is 10 in my book.

Fouled barrel is fine. No fliers.

Repeatable on 3 days .

Yes, it's a high bar.

I've yet to find a 1 MOA factory rifle.

 

[Big_Daddy]

An accuracy proof group is 10 in my book.

Fouled barrel is fine. No fliers.

Repeatable on 3 days .

Yes, it's a high bar.

I've yet to find a 1 MOA factory rifle.

Well everyone has their opinions and I welcome / listen to them all.

For what it is worth, this rifle has, in its short life, shot several groups under .35 MOA.
This rifle currently has 250 rounds thru it.

As far as a 1 MOA factory rifle, I have seen a good number of them shoot sub MOA with the proper hand loads.

Our experiences are obviously different in this area.

 

[MihiT]

An accuracy proof group is 10 in my book.

Fouled barrel is fine. No fliers.

Repeatable on 3 days .

Yes, it's a high bar.

I've yet to find a 1 MOA factory rifle.

My Tikka will pull that off, with factory ammo to boot. 3 Days, 5, 20... I was actually more than a little surprised at just how accurate it is.

 

[Someoldguy]

My Tikka will pull that off, with factory ammo to boot. 3 Days, 5, 20... I was actually more than a little surprised at just how accurate it is.

I've heard many good things about Tikka. If I ever decide to buy another factory rifle, I've already decided I'm going to try one.