Bartlein told me those needles are defective. Can't be relied upon to provide accurate measurements. I kid you not one bit!
Which is why all their bores meet their design tolerances. Hahaha
Carbon barrel load development
- Thread starter Dirtdevil
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Which is why all their bores meet their design tolerances. Hahaha
Laguna Freak
Well-Known Member
BrentM
Well-Known Member
You can have a bad barrel in any configuration. I've dealt with 2 mcgowens and a shillen. Neighbor has a lilja that is bad. It happens. So there's no benefit to a bad barrel period. Those barrels didn't stop me from buying them, issues were dealt with, moved on.
What other option did you have? I moved on too. Everyone either moves on, or continues to shoot a turd.
My contention is CFW barrels generate a higher percentage of poor shooting barrels than plain steel barrels. They skinny them down and then fatten them up with a CF epoxy glued wrap. Each additional manufacturing step creates additional risk of a poor shooter.
This coming from folks that receive feedback from way more barrels put on target than you and I will ever personally shoot in our lives. Alex Wheeler. Rich Sherman. You've seen 7 barrels. They've got a ton if feedback from many hundreds of barrels put in use.
If a CFW fails to shoot, a guy can be out 600-$850 for the barrel, and another $350-400 gunsmithing, if the manufacturer sticks you with a poor shooter. If you have to buy another CFW barrel and hire the gunsmith again, another $1K +, with another hope and prayer it'll shoot.
You've posted that you buy Prefit chambered barrels and screw them on an action yourself. So your costs may be lesser.
CFW are nice if they shoot. We agree on that.
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BrentM
Well-Known Member
A bad barrel is a bad barrel and it causes a lot of frustration and wasted time. Financially the steel barrel failure is less of a problem but still a problem. If people are shooting cf like they do steel, ie comp, practice etc then I think it could be big deal. I think most people will have a few barrels over a life time and not a pile like many of us do on here. We know our chances of having a problem is just statistics. I know it'll catch up to me. Could be my new xcaliber cf. I hope not. I just swapped barrels and am headed out the door to do some wind and positional practice on the mountain while forming brass for my Sherman improved. It'll be good therapy and a time to ponder statistical quality control problems and the ratio to mental therapy sessions. I'm sure I'll ll drive myself crazy
A gunsmith needs to approach how they machine a carbon barrel differently then a steel barrel. Work holding in particular. I've seen guys grip on the carbon of the barrel directly with a 4 jaw. The carbon will compress more than steel and the barrel will move during the machining process.
Also, some struggle with chambering a 5 groove barrel. If you use some of the techniques commonly accepted you can, and will get reamer pushoff in the throat resulting in a 5 sided undersized freebore.
I've had barrels come in my shop built by some well known gunsmiths that the throats looked like a pentagon and they wouldn't even chamber a factory loaded cartridge because the throat was undersize.
The barrel gets the blame in these instances, but it was in fact the builders fault.
Also, some struggle with chambering a 5 groove barrel. If you use some of the techniques commonly accepted you can, and will get reamer pushoff in the throat resulting in a 5 sided undersized freebore.
I've had barrels come in my shop built by some well known gunsmiths that the throats looked like a pentagon and they wouldn't even chamber a factory loaded cartridge because the throat was undersize.
The barrel gets the blame in these instances, but it was in fact the builders fault.
