New/replacement Shotgun Barrels cost

[Rob-E]

Out of interest does anyone know how much a set of new barrels would cost for an OU browning?
I love my GTS but it’s not High Performance steel proof and only has 2 3/4 chokes.

If this cost isn’t extortionate I’d want to replace them with 30/32” High Performance barrels with either a 3/3.5 chamber.

So before I go to a gun dealer, I thought I’d ask on here what people’s thoughts were on approximate cost I should be paying.

Thanks I’m advance.

 

[griff]

More than the guns worth. The fitting alone would probably cost as much as the gun, I presume that you mean 2-3/4 chambers not chokes, I would imagine that you can get some quite hefty loads in 2-3/4 "chambers. you could always send the gun to to proof and see if it will pass for steel..
Fitting/ blueing/proof will make it uneconomical.

 

[HonestJohn]

A friend had a new set for a beretta, he paid £3.5k, I assume Browning will be much the same

 

[Liveonce]

get used to it some say we will need new barrels like we do new tyres on a car if we only have steel shot.

1 minute 40 seconds into the video

 

[HonestJohn]

or just shoot bismuth, save the cost of buying new barrels and spend it on ammo instead

 

[chriswjx]

More than the guns worth. The fitting alone would probably cost as much as the gun, I presume that you mean 2-3/4 chambers not chokes, I would imagine that you can get some quite hefty loads in 2-3/4 "chambers. you could always send the gun to to proof and see if it will pass for steel..
Fitting/ blueing/proof will make it uneconomical.

I suspect he meant 2, 3/4 chokes - i.e. not steel friendly...

To the OP, are you actually planning on shooting HP steel? or just standard steel? If so, you could just look at getting the chokes bored out?

 

[griff]

I suspect he meant 2, 3/4 chokes - i.e. not steel friendly...

To the OP, are you actually planning on shooting HP steel? or just standard steel? If so, you could just look at getting the chokes bored out?

my stupid! yes 2 x 3/4 chokes, just get them bored out. I have an adjustable reamer for that exact job if the OP would like to use it foc.

 

[Zetter]

About £600 to them Teagued including the supply of 3x chokes so will allow you to shoot standard steel and change the choking at will. I loved my Browning Ultra XS but it was choked at 1/4 and 3/4 so decided to get it Teagued as the gun fits and I have confidence in it. Smashing job done by Teauge in about a month door to door and has extended the life of the gun which to be fair I would have got hammered on in the second hand market.

 

[chriswjx]

To be fair as well, I was watching a video (or series there of) from TGS on YouTube, where they had a gun on extended test shooting steel wildfowling cartridges through a non HP steel proof gun and don't think there were any issues?

Mind reading somewhere as well that so long as it's has the BNP (nitro proof) mark it'll be fine for standard steel?

 

[Zetter]

My understanding was you could shoot standard steel as long as its BNP but it had to be 1/2 choke and under? Although on a talk at the game fair last year there was discussion from someone in the gun trade of recommending a 1/4 max going forward to prevent damage.
What it seems to boil down to is running the risk of possibly barrel damage i.e. some minor choke bulging if you go too tight.

I stand to be correct on this of course this was just what was being discussed at the talk I dropped in on.

 

[Dave Lakes]

Someone posted in a thread on here recently about people on the continent shooting tighter than half choke steel with no issues at all. I know nothing about it, but would you not be better just cracking on with your current barrels then worrying about replacement if/when you get an issue? Am I right in thinking it will just cause bulging as opposed to dangerous failure?

 

[chriswjx]

Someone posted in a thread on here recently about people on the continent shooting tighter than half choke steel with no issues at all. I know nothing about it, but would you not be better just cracking on with your current barrels then worrying about replacement if/when you get an issue? Am I right in thinking it will just cause bulging as opposed to dangerous failure?

I guess if you had thin chamber/barrel walls then you may risk rupture? But imagine that's mostly for older SxS's?

 

[Rob-E]

More than the guns worth. The fitting alone would probably cost as much as the gun, I presume that you mean 2-3/4 chambers not chokes, I would imagine that you can get some quite hefty loads in 2-3/4 "chambers. you could always send the gun to to proof and see if it will pass for steel..
Fitting/ blueing/proof will make it uneconomical.

Yes sorry chambers. Brain wasn’t firing when I posted. Nor today when I was shooting!

 

[Rob-E]

I suspect he meant 2, 3/4 chokes - i.e. not steel friendly...

To the OP, are you actually planning on shooting HP steel? or just standard steel? If so, you could just look at getting the chokes bored out?

I do shoot HP steel as I wildfowl, and would like to not have to buy special loads.

 

[Rob-E]

Thanks for all the replies. I look at get a decent HP steel proofed OU to replace the GTS.

 

[chriswjx]

I do shoot HP steel as I wildfowl, and would like to not have to buy special loads.

Fair! Seen some folk panicked about it but they're all just shooting standards

 

[Heym SR20]

Before spending lots of money, just have a good look at steel cartridges available.

Things like the Gamebore dark Steel look as they shoot really well and hit hard.

Was using some Lylevale Precision steel - 28gm load of 5s on a rough shoot today. 6 shots, 2 snipe and 3 ducks all at a goodish range, all came down dead in the air. And I was my old AyA Coral which must 50 plus years old. All the other guns were also using steel and nobody noticed any difference.

And all Steel Cartridges use a shot cup type wad to contain the shot so the shot will not touch the barrel walls. This is unlike the traditional fibre wadded lead shot cartridges where shot rattled down the bore and barrels would eventually where out after a few tend of thousands of cartridges and thus eventually requiring new barrels or sleeving.

 

[Liveonce]

And all Steel Cartridges use a shot cup type wad to contain the shot so the shot will not touch the barrel walls. This is unlike the traditional fibre wadded lead shot cartridges where shot rattled down the bore and barrels would eventually where out after a few tend of thousands of cartridges and thus eventually requiring new barrels or sleeving.

Have shot thousands of fibre wad cartridges over many years, in fact i only use fibre wads, both clay and game shooting and have yet to wear out a barrel, modern steel used in barrels is high grade. Just because steel shot is in a cup wad does not mean the barrel will not wear out, steel shot wads are much more thicker and ridged plastic than for lead.
However no reason not to use steel if that’s all that remains.

 

[Pedro]

Like anything, getting something bespoke made for you, whether it be a suit, pair of shoes or shotgun barrels is going to cost. So here's the options I'd look at:

1. Just buy another gun that does what you want.
2. If the gun is of some sentimental value or you want to keep it for whatever reason, then either:
a) look for the same gun to buy second hand with some suitable donor barrels or:
b) get the original gun proofed (if possible) for HP steel.

Roughly speaking, that's in order from top to bottom price-wise. If you are going down the new (or second hand) gun route, a 3" chamber will do nicely. You only need (arguably) 3.5" chambers if you are going shooting the likes of geese regularly. And even then, they aren't strictly necessary. My choice? Who doesn't want to go shopping for another gun? It's the best option anyway, you know you are going to have the desired outcome. And you can decide whether to keep your original gun or part ex it (no doubt for a pittance).

 

[Stalker-of-the-deer]

I've asked the question.

It's about 1200 for a beretta 68 barrel set in what ever configuration.

As for browning apparently they don't sell or do spare barrels for their standard guns. Only their hand made Belgium ones.