What are your opinions on prefit barrels?

[MGYSGT]

Just like premium barrels, some are good and some are not so good. Depends on your definition of Good. Good for what type of shooting. I like Criterion and X Barrels but also Krieger.

 

[Gil P.]

Great information everyone. Lots of knowledge here.

 

[Forum Boss]

I want to clarify something. That excellent PacNor prefit barrel had a chamber cut with a new reamer supplied by PT&G. In addition, the barrel was hand-lapped by PacNor, which may be one reason why it could shoot extended strings without fouling. In considering any PreFit, enquire about the reamer and lapping.

 

[Tokay444]

I only have shouldered prefits. Some shoot in the 1s and 0s.

 

[std7mag]

I’ve never thought the selling point of a prefit barrel was that it would be more accurate or more consistent or more predictable than a barrel chambered by a top machinist with a known reamer but that the main advantage is ordering it and having it delivered to your door in less than a week while keeping your current action and still being able to shoot in the process.

I’ve never heard anyone say a prefit barrel should be more accurate.

Proof prefit steel barrels are very popular in PRS and you used to be able to get them for $425 shipped but now they are around $500.

I'm not sure where your getting your barrels in less than a week.
My Shilen prefit is 16 weeks and counting.

 

[Rob01]

I get shouldered prefit barrels for my TL3 actions from Patriot Valley Arms and they work great. Accurate and screw right on with no headspace issues. It's nice to be able to order or send a barrel in to get threaded and chambered and not have to send the action.

 

[thestoicmarcusaurelius]

Altus has Proof Steel Prefits for Impact actions in stock and ready to ship right now I think or they did recently

ETA: They do have some in stock right now

I'm not sure where your getting your barrels in less than a week.
My Shilen prefit is 16 weeks and counting.

 

[Alguapo]

Love my Prefit Shilens. They shoot .

 

[22vartarg]

I have two Shilen prefits…..one Savage large shank on a Savage Target Action and the other small shank on a Bighorn Origin. Both will do amazing groups .1’s

 

[KMart]

Don't sell Stan Taylor at Douglas Barrels short. He can supply you with nutted prefit pretty quick. And they shoot damn good too.

 

[JPTX]

Agreed. It's an entirely different "prefit" than that of some internet-based precision rifle company turning hundreds of prefit barrels a month for 15 different custom actions.

Regardless of who is turning the barrel, I do still think there's an inherent advantage to purchasing and using your own reamer for competitive barrels. Specifically that load dev after a few barrels becomes a 50 round affair, you can have custom dies setup, they're not going to get replaced after chambering 150 other barrels etc.

I was answering the question on the assumption the OP was asking about one of the many "mass prefit" online outfits.

I've had them. They can be accurate, but there's something to be said for owning your own reamer.

I do agree the question was probably pertaining to barrels advertised and sold as pre-fit barrels. Come to think of it, I had never thought of Kelby barrels as being pre-fit before. I guess they are, but on a different level.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I understand the difference between a barrel fitted without the action in hand and what is considered a "prefit". I have said it before, the question should not be about prefits vs custom fits. It should be about cheap jobs vs more expensive jobs. Unless your not doing it for a full time income, you have to earn a living. Time is money, your not getting a $300 chamber for $100. Thats not how it works. You just have to be realistic about expectations and requirements. Theres room for all types.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

This site would not exist but for the 3-groove PacNor prefit 6mmBR barrel I put on my Savage. That turned a 0.8 MOA .260 Rem that loved to spit flyers into an honest quarter-MOA rig that holds my home range record in 600-yard steel match.

First measured group out of that 27" barrel (4 shots #16, 17, 18, 19 through bbl) was a witnessed 0.168.

I think there's a lot to be said for a 3-groove in terms of ease of cleaning and (possibly) greater velocity. I was getting 2910 fps with 105gr Scenars pushed by 30.3gr Varget and CCI 450s. Warning: That load could be too hot for your 6mmBR. Start at 29.00 grains with 100 to 105gr bullets. If the weather is very hot, start even lower, and don't use that with 107s, 108s, 110s etc.

I have had similar experiences with Lilja 3 grooves. Very fast barrels.

 

[Will Henry]

If the chamber and threads are straight and concentric, they are straight and concentric. If the chamber is smooth and the throat is cut clean, it doesn't matter if the barrel is a so-called pre-fit or is fitted to a particular action. Vee threads offer considerable latitude in dimension. In any case, you are relying upon someone to do a good job of cutting that chamber. WH

 

[Petey]

Opinions are just that!

I sure don't let other people's opinions influence what I do, but it's good for content here.

 

[yotehater]

I didn't see him mention headspace at all. Do you have to send your action to them for that? With a nut setting headspace is easy that ACE looks like a shouldered barrel.

 

[yotehater]

Do custom action makers always cut their threads perfectly? What about the gunsmith who does the prefit? Is there enough wiggle room to avoid any problems?

I was looking at prefits as well as Wolf Precision Accurizing Chamber Extension. http://www.wolfprecision.net/the-ace.html

What are your thoughts on this?

Just curious, how do they get around the SBR aspect of not permanently pinning the two together? Since ATF considers the barrel starting at the bolt face, not the throat.

 

[Rob01]

I didn't see him mention headspace at all. Do you have to send your action to them for that? With a nut setting headspace is easy that ACE looks like a shouldered barrel.

Depends on the action. Most of the newer custom actions keep tolerances so tight that smiths can cut barrels without the action. My TL3 is like that. I just order a barrel for them and done.

 

[kuraki]

I don't know why one couldn't just depth mic the face of the action to the face of the bolt and headspace off that.

The one "pre-fit" I have is a Pac-Nor. But it was threaded and chambered slightly deep and required me to set the shoulder back to headspace on my action.

 

[Rob01]

Actual shouldered pre fits don’t need that work. Just screw on.