types of barrel blanks that you guys use

[brian923]

what are the types of barrel blanks that you guys like to use for making your barrels out of? i am looking to do my first, so i WONT be using a blank like Kriegar or Lilja because of the price. but... i dont nessisarly want to go so cheap that its not going to be a good shooter when i am done because of cheap parts. does this make any sence?

i see that MIDWAYUSA has Adams and Bennett blanks for $80.00. are these good products? i am just going to be reaming, threding, and using an easy straight-non taper profile for the first one. nothing spectacular. i just want to see if i can do it.

does this seem like a good thing, or should i go with another barrel blank brand? many thanks for you input, brian

 

[nobade]

For consistant good quality and quick availability, I use more Shilen select match blanks than any other. If the customer is willing to wait, then I'll get one from Krieger. The Midway barrels are fine for playing with, or plain rebarrel jobs when accuracy isn't a prime consideration. And you can't beat the price and availability! But I won't use them on customer's guns unless they insist on it, because we do have a reputation for building accurate rifles. Same reason I don't use Douglas any more, too many came back with unhappy customers.

 

[brian923]

is there a way to lap the barrels yourself? maybe with a couple different grit lapping compounds and some extra time, or is this something left to the very few and couragus that can do it? if this could be done by me, would it make the adams and bennett/shaw barrels better? also, which barrel blanks seem to be more machiner friendly? i.e. less to no barrel stress, or stress releved? thanks again, brian

 

[chuckw2]

Brian,

Call Penny at Pac-Nor!!


Chuck

 

[Rustystud]

Brian:

Don't be pennywise and pound foolish. Select the barrel for the application. Believe me you get what you pay for. If you do a little research you will find the higher end barrels in either in button or cut rifling are both competetive. But if you look at the winners circle in BR, LRP, MR, or SR there are some standouts and those names just keep repeating themselves.

I rebarrel for customers, they are paying for my services, the odds of getting a hummer barrel from the low end barrel makers is far less than a premium barrel maker.

Barrels drilled for straightness take more time and sharp bits.

Reaming and lapping take time.

Pulling a cutter box and indexing takes time.

Pulling a button takes less time but stress releiveing and lapping takes a lot of time.

You figure the material cost and manufacture time for premium barrels and these guys are not getting rich.


Rustystud

 

[tightneck]

I'm with Rustystud on this, don't waste your money or time on a cheap ass barrel. I think what would be a better bet would be to find a used Kreiger/PacNor/Hart or any of the high end barrels on ebay or one of these sites, chop off the chamber and go to town. Most of the guys that list barrels on this and benchrest.com are honest about the round count, and you can pick one up for as low as $100. Now if you get a not to used Krieger and chamber it up, you will be miles ahead of an A&B rag.

 

[keithcatfish]

I put a .308 Winchester A+B on an Yugo Mauser, put on an aftermarket stock and glassbedded the action. I'm just beginning load development but so far ALL my loads using 168 SMKs shoot 3/8 to 3/4 inch at 100 yards. Not a benchrest match winner by any means, but it is more than adequate for most other purposes. I have 2 complaints about the A+B; 1)it fouls like a b****! 5 shots and the bore looks like a brand new penny, 2) it has a long throat. OAL to touch the lands with the 168 SMK is 2.870". I may run some Tubbs Final Finish through it but I'm a little worried it may push the throat foreward. Just my $.02 based on my personal experience.

 

[dkopriva]

Brian,

I was little a nervous when I starting cutting on my first barrel. It was a Krieger and you know the price. I had plenty of machine shop expierience but was still a bit uneasy. Just go slow and check, double check, triple check, you get the point.

Like Rusty said there is no substitute for a top quaility barrel you can do what you want but once you use a premium barrel you'll not want anything less.

Daryl Kopriva
DARA Rifles

 

[Kevin_Duckworth]

Brian

If you have never chambered a barrel before and want to have "a play" before laying out dollars on the real thing, I suggest you get a barrel or barrels that are shot out-probably for free, and practice with that. Cut off the old threads and go for it. Note this is for machining practice only-I'm not expecting that you will shoot it.

If however you really want to prepare a barrel for accurate shooting, and are confident of your machining ability, follow the advice given earlier and buy a good quality barrel. That way if it doesn't shoot, you won't be left wondering-was it me or was it the low end barrel that never would have shot no matter who chambered it?

I have,painfully) learned-buy the best and cry once.


Kevin

 

[Wild_Bill]

Hi i have just switched to LAwton Rifle Barreles we are now importing them into Australia Barney is a great man to deal with and he will help you out with any requirements you have he is making us a special bore size for the disipline we shoot and they work very well. He modified his tooling just for us to have the best barrel he could make to suit our needs i can not recomend anyone better that will back up their product and help every step of the way.

As an Extra the Fluted barrels we have recieved are the best finished barrels i have ever seen with the external fluting finish is machined like every barrel should be no big burs or file marks every where and no course machining marks inside the flutes. Imagne how good the inside is when he takes as much care on the exterior. Barney also hand laps and measures EVERY barrel personaly and if the barrel is not6 match quality it does not get down graded and sold as a sporter it is trashed. I dont believe their should be Match, Ultra Match, Super Match and Sporter all from the same manufacturer if they are worth making they all should be MAtch with no better or worse.

Cheers Bill
Australia

 

[edpmedic]

Brian same boat and I got a A&B barrel to do my first thread and chamber job. I got the 308 Heavy barrel and it looks fine on the outside. I have not checked it with a Bore-scope yet. But I know Tubbs final finish will work wonders on barrels.

Best thing is practice the threading on round-stock. I am more worried about that and counter-boring the recess for the bolt head more then doing the cambering job. There are lots of little things you need to do for a Remington barrel besides cambering.
Do you have Hinnant's book. Complete Illustrated Guide to Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting?

He sets things right out there for you and I have been reading it over and over prior to doing my barrel.

I am also in the process of turning a Receiver Facing Mandrel and making some of the other things in his book.

 

[Critter_Capper]

Im With mark on this... Almost Done with chambering, threading, etc. my own barrel,a Shilen Select Match) hinnant's book really helped as a guideline and saved me some serious money, in about 15 min.s you can turn the mandrel that you use for receiver facing, a key part of an accurate rifle, the same part would sell for about $50 in brownells. one thing i did goof up on is the bolt recess depth, which is what mark,edpmedic)is so worried about... after i re-cut the recess in the morning, i'll have to re-check the headspace, etc. to make sure everything is GTG... hopefully i'll finish up in my 2 hr window in the morning, so i can see how accurate/inaccrate this baby's going to be!:thumb:

 

[edpmedic]

Hey critter..Hope I was able to help you this morn over the phone. I didn't realize you were here also. See you at Quantico this weekend.

 

[StephenPerry]

Bryan
Ask your smith if he has take-off barrel for sale. If it's a Krieger let him give the price. $100 for a take-off K would be good. If it's Hart or Shilen maybe $75. He should give you a break if you have been a good customer before.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

 

[koginam]

I have used most brands of barrels and A&B are ok for hunting and some varmint hunting.My best barrels were from Olympic Arms, you can no longer get them except on their guns, I have them on my long range varmint rifles in 6X284 & 7STW. Both are stress relived before drilling and again before rifling, and while the Oly. Arms are not lapped they came as smooth as class on the inside.
I paid a premium for the Oly barrels but they were worth it. If Oly starts offering barrels again I would buy them in a heart beat.

 

[varmint]

I would stay away from A&B I here they are ruff and I have used most brand names out there, and for the price I would go with for Shaw S.S. you can't go wrong they are good barrels. My two cents.Tim

 

[Clark]

I have heard that the terrible A&B barrels I got from Midway in 2001 were Shaw rejects.

I have heard the the much better A&B barrels sold more recently were from Green Mountain.

In any case, having received barrels in 2001 that were out of straight by 1/2" and some that were as rough as a file inside, I will have nothing to do with wasting my time, money, and enthusiasm with anything bearing the A&B name.

Shilen Stainless and Lothar Walther Chrome Moly are giving me great groups.

 

[Bill_Jacobs]

I have 2 complaints about the A+B; 1)it fouls like a b****! 5 shots and the bore looks like a brand new penny, 2) it has a long throat. OAL to touch the lands with the 168 SMK is 2.870".

I might just comment that the throat on the A&B barrel is whatever you cut into it. The barrels come either short chambered or unchambered, so final reaming sets the throat dimension. I have found the A&B barrels to be fine for hunting. They are not the same quality,or price point) of a Krieger or Bartlein.

 

[varmint]

I have never use a A&B but have used a Shaw and they shot great and cleaned up easy so I find it hard to beleave that Shaw would sell thier barrels to some one else,---it could be they are seconds but not with their name on it --that I would have to ?.Would you be dumb enough to sell your barrels some one one else to compete with, I think NOT.Tim

 

[Preacher]

ER Shaw and A&B are the same barrels coming out of the same place, made on the same machinery in Pa.
So if your shooting a Shaw barrel, your also shooting a A&B barrel......