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Wilson barrels

As I understand it, they are machine lapped. Not that that's good or bad, either way. I have seen one of their bbls that had a spot that appeared as though it was not lapped equally to the rest of the bore...but it shot fine. I think there are some other well known bbls that are rough lapped by machine and then finish lapped by hand, fwiw. That may be the case with Wilson, too. IDK.
 
gunsandgunsmithing said:
As I understand it, they are machine lapped. Not that that's good or bad, either way. I have seen one of their bbls that had a spot that appeared as though it was not lapped equally to the rest of the bore...but it shot fine. I think there are some other well known bbls that are rough lapped by machine and then finish lapped by hand, fwiw. That may be the case with Wilson, too. IDK.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what machine lapped means. Other than you have a stroking machine that would pull the lap back and forth. I've seen people hand lap barrels and do the stroking with their arm. I don't see why they're be any difference. I do have an acquaintance who owns a company and he makes barrels. I don't think that there's any magic to saying that you have a guy who strokes the rod or machine that strokes the rod. As long as the rod gets stroked.

No jokes please... haha
 
I will say this. By the end of 2023 I will have about 300 Wilson barrels in stock on an ongoing basis, and I defy you to pull one out and borescope it and find a bad one. I mean, it might happen, but you're going to look for a while. And you may never find one.

There is an awful lot of Wilson bashing going on on the internet, most of it driven by people who've never looked at one in their whole life. I suspect that the marketing from the machine cut barrel guys is starting to falter in the age of the "budget prefit". With many of the budget prefits performing exactly the same as their expensive machine cut counterparts.

In the 1990s when machine cut barrels showed up if you didn't shoot a machine cut barrel you were just an unwashed, ignorant heathen.
 
urbanrifleman said:
I will say this. By the end of 2023 I will have about 300 Wilson barrels in stock on an ongoing basis, and I defy you to pull one out and borescope it and find a bad one. I mean, it might happen, but you're going to look for a while. And you may never find one.

There is an awful lot of Wilson bashing going on on the internet, most of it driven by people who've never looked at one in their whole life. I suspect that the marketing from the machine cut barrel guys is starting to falter in the age of the "budget prefit". With many of the budget prefits performing exactly the same as their expensive machine cut counterparts.

In the 1990s when machine cut barrels showed up if you didn't shoot a machine cut barrel you were just an unwashed, ignorant heathen.
Click to expand...
How are your Wilson barrels done, button or machine cut or something else ?
What is the wait time on your barrels ?
What is your opinion on hammer forged barrels ?
 
No bashing here. Lapping takes time and a machine to do at least part of the rough lapping keeps costs down and I don't think it automatically means quality is any better or worse. It may be better! As for cut vs button, my allegiance is to GOOD bbls, no matter how they are made or by whom. I don't care if it's cut, buttoned or if a machine takes some of the work load off of lapping. I care how they shoot. The very best bbls I've owned have been button bbls. But I've had good ones made both ways.
 
urbanrifleman said:
I will say this. By the end of 2023 I will have about 300 Wilson barrels in stock on an ongoing basis, and I defy you to pull one out and borescope it and find a bad one. I mean, it might happen, but you're going to look for a while. And you may never find one.

There is an awful lot of Wilson bashing going on on the internet, most of it driven by people who've never looked at one in their whole life. I suspect that the marketing from the machine cut barrel guys is starting to falter in the age of the "budget prefit". With many of the budget prefits performing exactly the same as their expensive machine cut counterparts.

In the 1990s when machine cut barrels showed up if you didn't shoot a machine cut barrel you were just an unwashed, ignorant heathen.
Click to expand...
Are you going to be selling blanks that are not threaded etc?
 
gunsandgunsmithing said:
No bashing here. Lapping takes time and a machine to do at least part of the rough lapping keeps costs down and I don't think it automatically means quality is any better or worse. It may be better! As for cut vs button, my allegiance is to GOOD bbls, no matter how they are made or by whom. I don't care if it's cut, buttoned or if a machine takes some of the work load off of lapping. I care how they shoot. The very best bbls I've owned have been button bbls. But I've had good ones made both ways.
Click to expand...

I agree. Good barrels are good barrels. I'd look at the company first and the guy doing the work instead of looking at whether or not it's machine cut or made with a button.
 
You normally get what you pay for, but sometimes you get lucky. All barrel companies make a bad barrel from time to time, but the chances lesson on your top barrel makers. I have had Wilson barrels in my 3 Gun Ar's and they done what was needed. If you are on a budget, which most of us are in todays times, Urbanman offers a fairly economical way to get into a barrel. If you are looking for the most accuracy you can get, spend your money once and it will pay in the long run. A lot depends on what you are wanting to do with your rifle. JMO
 
Many barrelmakers do not actually lap their barrels; they polish them. Lapping denotes the use of a lap, (usually cast of lead but I have also seen laps made with 5 minute epoxy) and a lapping compound. Polishing uses a patch, a bob, or fine steel wool charged with lapping or grinding compound. Both will affect change in the surface finish. Lapping will do this while, at the same, it will cut on the high spots and not the low spots. In other words lapping allows one to improve dimensional uniformity while also achieving the desired surface finish. The use of a resilient polishing bob, and the same compound, will polish the surface finish, but will perpetuate dimensional variations.
Polishing bobs which consist of hard leather washers, charged with lapping compound, kind of split the difference. They are less resilient than cloth, paper or steel wool but more than lead. In the end, the process is determined by what you want to accomplish. A lap alters dimensions and finish, a polishing bob alters finish. WH
 
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