Sinclair Barrels
- Thread starter Boatninja
- Start date
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Sinclair doesnt make their own small branded parts, i doubt they would make barrels and not simple stuff like bore guides. Fred sinclair used to build BR rifles so his name was on a bunch of barrels. Maybe thats where the confusion comes in
DaveTooley
Gold $$ Contributor
Fred was a very good accuracy gunsmith who turned gadget builder after he got sued for a trigger problem. Painful at the time but turned out well for him. One of the good guys when I started shooting BR in the late 70's
The first fiberglass stocked hunting rifle that I owned was built by Fred Sinclair. Yes, he marked the barrel "Sinclair". It was a 700 ADL in one of the first Brown Remington ADL pattern stocks. The rifle was chambered in 308. Not being the original owner, I don't know what brand barrel was on the rifle. I purchased the rifle used from Ace Sporting Goods in Washington, PA for $325, complete with a 3x9 Leupold on it. ACE did not know what they had in that rifle as they labeled it "Sinclair Barrel".
I knew the history of the rifle because the original owner belonged to the gun club where I was an active member. That club ran 200 yard BR score matches (non-registered) once a month in the summer. The competition were a bunch of serious BR shooters that were shooting Hart or Shilen actioned rifles built by the best smiths. The guy who ordered the rifle was not serious shooter but a rather a local "wise guy" with more money than most of us had, who thought he could whip the PPC shooters if he bought a Sinclair rifle. Well, needless to say, he didn't do too well against the guys with BR rifles and boosted Leupold BR scopes. At the time, I had a 40x-H2 222 with a 16x Leupold that I shot in those matches.
In his infinite wisdom, he blamed the smith for his poor performance and full legnth bedded the rifle. He eventually traded the rifle at Ace's for a trap gun, giving up on rifle shooting. When I got the rifle, I re-bedded it before I even shot it . I wanted the rifle as a deer rifle. At the time, the Nosler Solid Base Boattail was a favorite of mine. That was before the Ballistic Tips were popular. The rifle was a solid sub-MOA hunting rifle with the 165's, which was saying a lot for rifles at the time when the 1-1/2" three shot group was touted as the standard. I hunted with that rifle for a few seasons and then moved on to something new. I sold that rifle to a colleague at work who was moving home to Idaho and wanted a 308 to hunt with when he got there.
I knew the history of the rifle because the original owner belonged to the gun club where I was an active member. That club ran 200 yard BR score matches (non-registered) once a month in the summer. The competition were a bunch of serious BR shooters that were shooting Hart or Shilen actioned rifles built by the best smiths. The guy who ordered the rifle was not serious shooter but a rather a local "wise guy" with more money than most of us had, who thought he could whip the PPC shooters if he bought a Sinclair rifle. Well, needless to say, he didn't do too well against the guys with BR rifles and boosted Leupold BR scopes. At the time, I had a 40x-H2 222 with a 16x Leupold that I shot in those matches.
In his infinite wisdom, he blamed the smith for his poor performance and full legnth bedded the rifle. He eventually traded the rifle at Ace's for a trap gun, giving up on rifle shooting. When I got the rifle, I re-bedded it before I even shot it . I wanted the rifle as a deer rifle. At the time, the Nosler Solid Base Boattail was a favorite of mine. That was before the Ballistic Tips were popular. The rifle was a solid sub-MOA hunting rifle with the 165's, which was saying a lot for rifles at the time when the 1-1/2" three shot group was touted as the standard. I hunted with that rifle for a few seasons and then moved on to something new. I sold that rifle to a colleague at work who was moving home to Idaho and wanted a 308 to hunt with when he got there.
Thank's for the reply guys. The reason for the post was that I have acquired a .220 Swift on a Remington action, with a Barrel marked Sinclair. I know the guy (deceased) that owned the gun and remember that he had it in the late 70's but don't know when he had it built. I also had some ammo that was loaded for it in Norma brass that I pulled the bullets and tried unsuccessfully to clone. It was a hole puncher
I hope to get more info, I have heard that Sinclair didn't make their barrels but were made by Krieger and others.
More info welcome!!!
I hope to get more info, I have heard that Sinclair didn't make their barrels but were made by Krieger and others.
More info welcome!!!
It was not and is not unusual for the gunsmith to put his name or initials on his work. Occasionally the barrel maker was marked but usually not. WH
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Where would you suggest a gunsmith mark his name? I had an early Shilen DGA BR rifle in 22ppc marked Sinclair on the barrell. Checking at the time showed that Hart supplied most of his barrell blanks.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Krieger started in 1982 so im sure some were
Boatninja -
Howdy !
I lived about 6mi from Fred, and he did all my custom rifles ( varmint / benchrest ) when I could afford the work.
Fred used Hart barrels predominantly for his bench guns; and a sprinkling of Shilens.... as I recall.
When " Hunter Class " was in its infancy, I saw Fred visually inspect bores of Remington M700 barrelled actions in .308Win. If they optically looked good, Fred used these to make " hunter " class guns in fiberglass stocks. DK fer sher how he went on the triggers. 6X scope was the limit.
All of my custom " Sinclair " rifles featured Hart barrels. As regards actions, Fred patently refused to work on Mauser-pattern actions, and I was surprised when I got him to re-barrel an M-77. For that job, he took a .22BR Hart barrel off a Mini Wichita ( that he had previously built for me ) and fit it onto the M-77; for a no kiddin' varmint rifle. The thread diam for the M-77 was just a skosh smaller than it is for the Wichita's.
Fred did great work, was an NBRSA Hall of Fame'r; and held a couple of world records for small group.
With regards,
357Mag
I have always stamped the cartridge , my initials or name, and the year, on the left side, just ahead of the receiver. On BR rifles I also stamped the neck diameter of the chamber. I did not put my name on re-chambers. I would, occasionally, put my name and the year on the bottom of the barrel but it seemed some people preferred to have the name visible so I kept doing that. In the last twenty years, some people stated a preference to have the marking engraved and I left these unmarked since I didn't engrave. WH
Have two rifles that Fred Sinclair buit for me on LH Remington 700 actions back in the 1970's. He used what I think were early McMillan stocks.
One was a 22/6mm. The other was a 340 Weatherby. Still got 'em nearly 50 years later.
Think I recall that he didn't think too highly of building either one of them since they weren't exactly NBRSA or IBS type benchrest cartridges.
But they both do a number on prairie dogs.
One was a 22/6mm. The other was a 340 Weatherby. Still got 'em nearly 50 years later.
Think I recall that he didn't think too highly of building either one of them since they weren't exactly NBRSA or IBS type benchrest cartridges.
But they both do a number on prairie dogs.
I started at SINCLAIR INTL. in 2000. Worked there till BROWNELLS bought them. Then worked at BROWNELLS as a SINCLAIR RELOADING TECH till moving to BERGER BULLETS. Fred , Becky , Bill and Cindy were great to work for and with. Miss those days. But life is good here at CAPSTONE PRECISION GROUP. All of the TECHS are SINCLAIR alumni and one is in our marketing department. Contact PMA TOOL if you want to get good reloading equipment from the two guys that worked with Fred designing and making the tools we sold. Pat and Matt are great guys.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
I did not know that. Thanks for the background and lead.
i loved Sinclair Int. and I LOVE both f the Sherman/Sinclair Rifles I now own.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.