Looking for advice, not trying to name and shame the shop at this point.
Built a 6mm ARC precision upper around a custom barrel from a small shop. Upper was built around this specific barrel so swapping to a different maker isn’t straightforward.
First session results, tested four ammo types at 100 yards including Hornady ELD Match (the reference load for 6 ARC). Groups averaged 2 MOA.. wildly inconsistent.
Sent the upper in for warranty inspection on my own dime, waited almost 3 months with no responses when reaching out. Shop re-bedded the barrel with Loctite, removed a steel shim I had installed following Joe Carlos’s accurization method, said something about barrel nut torque, and returned it stating it was “within 1 MOA.”
They publish sub moa guarantee - and I asked if that would maintain for larger groups, or if it’s based on 3 shots…and they said it should absolutely hold for 10 shot groups as well.
No response after when I asked what ammo was used, group size, etc.
Second session after their service, identical results to the first session. No improvement.
One of the guys who runs the 3 gun league at my club was present second time around and I had him shoot it as well. His personal opinion was the results were atrocious…2” spread horizontally and vertically on a 5 shot group.
Called the shop. they acknowledged the issue and said they’d call me back. Would push for a replacement in the following week.
Day came and went and phone call never came, so I called back and got the owner on the phone.
They offered three solutions:
1. Identical replacement on their house blanks, no names given.
2. Replacement with a Bartlein blank built barrel legitimate upgrade in materials, but back of queue meaning 3-6 more months wait on top of the 3 months already lost.
3. Refund
My concern is I don’t know if the root cause is the blank quality or the shop’s chambering/reaming process. I found multiple threads on Reddit, snipershide, etc after of the same issue with this barrel line, and getting back “inspected” barrels with no improvement, odd excuses, or even worse replacements.
Question for the community, would you take the quick identical replacement and roll the dice, wait potentially half a year for the Bartlein, or just take the return.
Keep in mind I’m out around 400 in ammo costs and shipping, between the two “tests” so far.
Built a 6mm ARC precision upper around a custom barrel from a small shop. Upper was built around this specific barrel so swapping to a different maker isn’t straightforward.
First session results, tested four ammo types at 100 yards including Hornady ELD Match (the reference load for 6 ARC). Groups averaged 2 MOA.. wildly inconsistent.
Sent the upper in for warranty inspection on my own dime, waited almost 3 months with no responses when reaching out. Shop re-bedded the barrel with Loctite, removed a steel shim I had installed following Joe Carlos’s accurization method, said something about barrel nut torque, and returned it stating it was “within 1 MOA.”
They publish sub moa guarantee - and I asked if that would maintain for larger groups, or if it’s based on 3 shots…and they said it should absolutely hold for 10 shot groups as well.
No response after when I asked what ammo was used, group size, etc.
Second session after their service, identical results to the first session. No improvement.
One of the guys who runs the 3 gun league at my club was present second time around and I had him shoot it as well. His personal opinion was the results were atrocious…2” spread horizontally and vertically on a 5 shot group.
Called the shop. they acknowledged the issue and said they’d call me back. Would push for a replacement in the following week.
Day came and went and phone call never came, so I called back and got the owner on the phone.
They offered three solutions:
1. Identical replacement on their house blanks, no names given.
2. Replacement with a Bartlein blank built barrel legitimate upgrade in materials, but back of queue meaning 3-6 more months wait on top of the 3 months already lost.
3. Refund
My concern is I don’t know if the root cause is the blank quality or the shop’s chambering/reaming process. I found multiple threads on Reddit, snipershide, etc after of the same issue with this barrel line, and getting back “inspected” barrels with no improvement, odd excuses, or even worse replacements.
Question for the community, would you take the quick identical replacement and roll the dice, wait potentially half a year for the Bartlein, or just take the return.
Keep in mind I’m out around 400 in ammo costs and shipping, between the two “tests” so far.
