ER Shaw barrels from EABCO

[tmtreiber]

I am wanting to re-barrel my old Savage 110. It has a factory 22" bbl. E. Arthur Brown is selling Savage drop in barrels from ER Shaw for $200. I have seen mixed reviews regarding ER Shaw barrels. All I want is for it to shoot better than the old factory barrel (1 moa consitently).

The most common response to similar posts is "save your pennies and get a better barrel". I don't want to spend $300 - $400 on a new barrel. I would just as soon buy another rifle from the local gun shop. I want to try my hand at re-barreling my Savage and I am wandering if these barrels will suffice.

I have also seen many posts about these barrels not "cleaning" well. What is meant by that? I usually clean my barrel thoroughly after a day at the range. I also run a slightly dampened patch (Hoppes #9) about every 6-10 shots followed by a couple dry patches. Is this practice sufficient for one of these "hard to clean" barrels?

 

[elkaholic]

I was probably one of those guys that suggested you spend an extra $100 on a good barrel. The reason they don't clean up well is that the bore is rough and is part of the reason they don't shoot as well. Chances are, your Savage barrel is just as good IMO....Rich

 

[ZSteinle]

if a rough bore is the only issue why not just get one and hand lap it yourself. Pretty simple process, just takes time.

 

[elkaholic]

if a rough bore is the only issue why not just get one and hand lap it yourself. Pretty simple process, just takes time.

I don't think it is the only issue, that's why I said part of the issue. Hand lapping a barrel that is already cut to length and ready to install is VERY risky. It is almost impossible to do correctly without messing up the crown and then your accuracy is worse that not lapping at all.......Rich

 

[canuroper]

How about the fire lap products (Tubbs)?

 

[MachV]

I put a 6.5-284 Shaw sporter barrel on my Savage Edge late last fall, It shoots MOA no problem but what a dirty pig to clean......Hopeing it gets better as I only hve 30 rounds or so through it soo far?

 

[elkaholic]

How about the fire lap products (Tubbs)?

I have heard both good and bad about fire lapping. You may smooth the barrel somewhat but you may also erode the throat! In the case of choosing a barrel beforehand, why buy one that needs hand lapping, fire lapping, or any other treatment (which all costs $$$$$ for maybe no gain) That is why I don't think it makes any sense to build a custom rifle with a marginal barrel. By the time you spend the $$$$ to make a bad barrel good (if its even possible) you have invested enough to install a good barrel in the first place. IMO.....Rich

 

[Trickymissfit]

I have heard both good and bad about fire lapping. You may smooth the barrel somewhat but you may also erode the throat! In the case of choosing a barrel beforehand, why buy one that needs hand lapping, fire lapping, or any other treatment (which all costs $$$$$ for maybe no gain) That is why I don't think it makes any sense to build a custom rifle with a marginal barrel. By the time you spend the $$$$ to make a bad barrel good (if its even possible) you have invested enough to install a good barrel in the first place. IMO.....Rich

Bill Calfee said more than once that he hand laps each and every barrel he installs in his target rifles. He also said that he actually only uses around half of the blanks he orders in as they are not good enough. Now Calfee is a pretty sharp old man, and I would hate to think how much gold his rifles have won over the years. I think that Calfee uses nothing but Lilja and Krieger blanks depending on the caliber involved.
gary

 

[TrueNorCal]

If you're not looking for any better accuracy than you got with the stock savage barrel I would suggest you just look for a take-off barrel that get sold fairly frequently in the classifieds here. $75 or less and you can have a new barrel and $125 in your pocket

 

[Loner]

Barrel laps are plugs made to the rifling. You can't really duplicate it at home, and no
way could you lap a finished length barrel without opening up the muzzle and throat.
Worn out before you ever put a bullet through it. I had one barrel in life I fire lapped.
A ruger super redhawk that looked like they cut the rifling with a hatchet. It helped.
I would never do it to a button rifled barrel as they are never very rough. @ 1 moa I
would work on the load. 200 bucks is not going to buy you a for sure improvement.
300 will.

 

[elkaholic]

Barrel laps are plugs made to the rifling. You can't really duplicate it at home, and no
way could you lap a finished length barrel without opening up the muzzle and throat.
Worn out before you ever put a bullet through it. I had one barrel in life I fire lapped.
A ruger super redhawk that looked like they cut the rifling with a hatchet. It helped.
I would never do it to a button rifled barrel as they are never very rough. @ 1 moa I
would work on the load. 200 bucks is not going to buy you a for sure improvement.
300 will.

My sentiments exactly!........Rich

 

[MNbogboy]

I have 3 Shaw barrels a .221 fireball, a 25-06 and a .260..They are all sporter contour and 24"...The fireball shoots spits out .5s & .6s at 100 yards without load development, The 25 shoots 3/4 moa out past 400 yards but the stainless .260 spits out 130 bergers 1/2 MOA at 600 yards....The chromemoly .221 & 25 were pretty rough at first but the stainless .260 cleaned up pretty well after 10 or 20 rounds...

If I remember right EABCO only offered chromemoly at the time I looked...
The stainless .260 came from Midway for $200 including a barrel nut wrench and head space gauges....I already had the wrench and gauges so I wish they would have offered the barrel for $50 bucks less or so.....

I have a Shilen .260 varmint weight that shoots amazing but the Shaw at half the cost shoots nearly as good or better on some days.....

For the money they definitely are a good starter barrel and most likely will shoot as good or better than factory sporters...If you don't already have the barrel nut wrench and head space gauges , then the Midway offer may be to your advantage....They do have several calibers available with that offering...

Good Luck,
Randy

 

[huffmanite]

Ordered a chromemolly Magnum heavy contour barrel in 6.5x55 for my Stevens 200 from Shaw this past May, told 12-16 weeks delivery....took 20 wks to get it.

Anyway, accuracy with it decent. On a good day, 3/4" 100 yard group, usually around a 1" group has been typical. This is after 50-60 rounds had been fired down barrel. Yep, had copper fouling with the barrel, but it was not too bad.