barrels

Ted47

Well-Known Member
Can you purchase replacement factory barrels ( remington 700) instead of going down the precision aftermarket route ?
 
most rifle smiths will have a few sitting in the corner from semi custom builds, I know Riflecraft use to even advertise prices to fit secondhand or new factory barrels.
Atb Matt
 
Personally, I wouldn't bother, even if they were available.

Even a pulled barrel from a new rifle used for a donor action would require some machining / re chambering, by the time the work had been completed including proof the likely costs would be similar to that of fitting a good quality aftermarket barrel.

​False economy in my view.
 
Yep Riflecraft had according to what they chap there told me, a 50 gal drum of Remington take off barrels, so if you want one then talk to them.
 
i bought a s/h sako 75 with a remmy takeoff barrel fitted by riflecraft, purely with the intention of having it rebarelled. i did shoot it, just out of curiosity, and it returned groups that some would deem acceptable, about 2" at 100y if i recall with good quality handloads, but no load development for that specific rifle.

shoots ok now though with a proper barell fitted by a half decent smith.
 
New ones from here are cheap enough and you won't have to worry about it's history?

http://www.bergarausa.com/store.php

There is some tie up / part ownership with Shilen so they are quality products and you can buy from Spain to avoid all the US walhalla?

It was reported the Mr Shillen visited Bergara BARRELS on a consultancy type visit to advise on manufacturing process only, did he buy into the company then?
They are produced in Spain in the first place. so very cheap and easy to get hold of but I would spend just a little more on another brand just my opinion.
 
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It was reported the Mr Shillen visited Bergara BARRELS on a consultancy type visit to advise on manufacturing process only, did he buy into the company then? They are produced in Spain in the first place. so very cheap and easy to get hold of but I would spend just a little more on another brand just my opinion.

A little more than a visit -

http://www.bullseyegroup.net/portfolio/portfoliopdfs/bergara/BB_09_Catalog%20V17.pdf

but I had read somewhere he has subsequently increased his interest beyond the manufacturing consultancy. If I can find that article again I will post a link to it.

Also, I do know a very good rifle smith in the UK who is using them with superb results.
 
A little more than a visit -

http://www.bullseyegroup.net/portfolio/portfoliopdfs/bergara/BB_09_Catalog%20V17.pdf

but I had read somewhere he has subsequently increased his interest beyond the manufacturing consultancy. If I can find that article again I will post a link to it.

Also, I do know a very good rifle smith in the UK who is using them with superb results.

He's been working along side them? very little else in the article. The original you tube footage shows him just visiting the factory and was paid to visit and advise them on production, things might of changed recently but untill they start winning matches and become consistant there is so much choice with barrels and do they work out that much cheaper not really and when investing in a semi custom rebarrel job there is so little in the price most people want a good name brand especially when and if it comes to resell value.
 
Can you purchase replacement factory barrels ( remington 700) instead of going down the precision aftermarket route ?
I think it can easily be done, especially with a remmy as one only needs to downsize a oversized recoil lug to headspace the new barrel. No re-chamber required.
I know of one precison rifle smith that uses spacers without the recoil lug bit to headspace. He claims the go/nogo gages are so lousy nowadays that he has an arrangement with the proofing agency that they fit the spacer on the barrel that "their" gages work with. Saves sending back and forth.
Most rifles in this world have been made by fitting pre-chambered and pre-threaded barrels. These only get headspaced when fitting.
I would have no problem with pre-chambered or pre-threaded but have no time for hammer forged barrels.
edi
 
You often see, on eBay USA, "pulled" barrels for sale. So, yes, they do exist as does a market for them. But as to getting them into UK nowadays I don't know. Not impossible that is sure but would the add-on costs of shipping outweight any saving?
 
I wanted to build a 338-06 on a Weatherby mk 5 action and Weatherby had stopped producing them and would not sell me a barrel to fit my mk 5, so I purchased a brand new one off Ebay US from a dealer that had bought a job lot of unused and takeoffs from Weatherby.
It arrived by Parcelforce total cost to me includind Import duty carriage and VAT £117
 
Thanks for the replies, my barrel isn't that old but has signs of pitting about 2-3" from the muzzle it still fires really well but for how long?
 
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