Pricing a take-off barrel

[milanuk]

Hello,

I'm looking at rebarreling one of my rifles, and the question of what to do with the 'old' barrel came up. A friend is interested, very interested actually, but I have absolutely no idea where to begin for an asking price. He'll probably get a substantial 'friends & family' discount off whatever ends up being a fair price (we shoot together in matches several times a year), but I'd like to recoup a little bit of my cost as well.

Background on the barrel...

25" Rock 5R .30 cal 11.25" twist, M24 contour, fluted (by Rock, so very *deep* flutes), fitted w/ a Vais muzzle brake + thread protector, chambered for .308 Win using a variant of the WTC95 reamer throated for the 175gr SMK and headspaced to fit my Forster Go/No-Go gauges. Barrel, brake and thread protector are all coated w/ Norrell's moly-resin finish. All work to date done on the barrel by Randy Cain of R&D Precision in Glendora, CA (highly recommended, BTW).

The barrel is about a year and a half old... been in my hands about a year, and I've got something like 700rds through it. One load, 175gr SMK over 43.7-44.0gr RE-15 (depending on lot and/or time of year), Winchester cases, Rem 9-1/2 LR primers. Actually, little to no load development was ever done... it shoots very well w/ BH 175gr match factory loads, and I tried a load from another gun, and it just stacks them on top of one another. Summed up, the barrel just flat shoots.

Here's what I figure I have into it:

Rock Creek 5R M25 contour 26" barrel (got trimmed to 25" for cosmetic reasons) $295
Fluting by Rock Creek $110
Vais brake ~$100
Moly-resin coating (including action) $150
Chambering ~$150

I figure I'm probably going to end up eating the moly coating and probably the chambering... though my buddy will probably be sticking it on a Remington 700 PSS so who knows, he might get lucky and have it headspace just right as is Otherwise, though, I've got a little over $500 into the barrel in just the steel, the fluting, and the brake (not counting installing the brake, etc.)

What's a reasonable asking price for something like this, which is a proven performer and should have a *lot* of life left in it? $300? More? Less?

Thanks,

Monte

 

[milanuk]

What? Nobody around here ever sells a take off barrel in good condition?

 

[Joel Russo]

Okay Monte, I'll bite.

Can't say that I ever sold a used barrel to a buddy, I end up giving used barrels away.

What are they worth??... well you are right in that you'll end up eating the chamber job, and any coating that's been applied. That leaves you with a "used" barrel that still has "some" life left, and some value.
Perhaps a fair number would be half that of what it costs new, unless he's really good friend.

 

[J E Custom]

Monte

The problem with take offs is that you cand spend almost as much
installing one as a new barrel.

The barrel has to be headspaced in the new recever and that usually
means setting the shoulder back ,changeing the tenion and breach face,
and touching the chamber with the reamer to get the correct head space
also if it has a break that neads to be timed this is more work.

Your price is ok for what you have in the barrel but the cost of installing
it would be the problem.

When I sell a brand new factory take off I ask $125 for a fluted stainles barrel
$75 non fluted stainless and $35 for a new cm barrel.

I have never sold a custom barrel take off because they are normaly shot out.

If it is for a savage then it would not require all of this work and would be a
good deal for him.

If he's a good friend talk to a smith and find out how much he would charge
to install your barrel and then you would know about what to charge him.

J E CUSTOM

 

[NONYA]

If it is for a savage please post pics,my bro is working on a savage project.