To prefit or not to prefit…🧐

[Coldfinger]

Hello all,

I love the .308 Win cartridge. I own two M1A's that are a gas to shoot. I own several other .30 cals in various calibers. But alas…I don't own a .308 bolt gun!!! Everything in my soul is telling me not to buy a factory rifle to fill this hole. I've toiled over the modern offerings (which is limited with the 6.5 man bun covering every wall of every gun store I visit), and I just can't quite find what I want. What shall I do???

"BUILD A CUSTOM," a voice keeps telling me.

So here I am. I've decided this is the way to get serious and build something special. And to me, chambered in .308, is the perfect way to do my first build.

With all that being said, I have been doing my homework and have seen (from my perspective) two different routes to the end goal.
1. Buy desired parts and give to a smith for assembly. This could be shouldered or prefit.
2. Buy desired parts and tools and go the prefit barrel route built by my hands.

The whole reason I started this thread, I've read enough posts on this forum saying prefits don't cut the mustard compared to traditional shoulder fits. Is this true? What say you?

From my experience Remage style prefits with barrel nuts shoot just as good as any custom shouldered barrel. I have had several of both. In my opinion I personally think that the barrel nut looks like sh;t boots on a stripper! If you know what I mean. It's really what you like to look at in reality. I still have a PacNor select match 338 edge with pacnut that'll shoot with the best of the shouldered barrels. My favorite coyote rifle was a 22 creed with a remage criterion barrel laying in a chassis, just one of them rifles that couldn't miss i wish I didn't parts it out. I still have a Hankins remage smokeless muzzleloader that shoots just as good as my shouldered barrel mounted to a Mesa action. The Mesa setup is just prettier 'to me'

 

[Tom264]

Last summer I built a shouldered prefit on a Lone Peak action.
I had Straight Jacket Armory thread and chamber a Proof Research barrel.
When they shipped me back my barrel they said to make sure to check headspace.
I did and it was perfect.
Easy peasy.
I've got more than $5k invested in this rifle including scope.
Just saying.

 

[cb186]

I have two rifles I just built using Kelbly Atlas Tactical, the shouldered pre-fit barrels are made by Preferred Barrel Blanks, the headspace was checked for both and they were perfect with Clymer Go and No-Go gauges. That would be your biggest concern is headspace. If you do not have the tools, barrel vise and action wrench, I would suggest purchasing a Terminus Zeus QC action, no tools needed other than an Allen wrench. That is going to be my next action to buy, and I will use it for my personal rifle. Good luck, enjoy the process, I will give you some other advice, when you order the stock, if you use AG Composite, they will ask for the barrel shank length and the taper. I would hold off on ordering the stock until you receive the finished barrel, this will allow you to provide the precise measurements they will need to set the barrel channel in the stock. Have fun and take your time.

Curious, when you say that the headspace is perfect, are you saying it just lands inside the .004" window between the go and no-go gauge, or right at .002" over the go?

 

[Kmccord]

Curious, when you say that the headspace is perfect, are you saying it just lands inside the .004" window between the go and no-go gauge, or right at .002" over the go?

Closes on the go gauge and does not close on the no go gauge. I have not measured the difference in the Clymer go and no go.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Closes on the go gauge and does not close on the no go gauge. I have not measured the difference in the Clymer go and no go.

From what I have been seeing with the barrel nut version…that's what you're looking for as well!

 

[cb186]

Closes on the go gauge and does not close on the no go gauge. I have not measured the difference in the Clymer go and no go.

Should be .004" difference.

That is the difference between a shouldered prefit and a barrel fit to your action. A shouldered prefit is just aiming to hit that .004" window. A well fit barrel will be very consistent from one gun to another. I headspace all barrels @.002-.0025"(unless otherwise requested by the customer). If you have 3 guns of the same caliber, all the brass will interchange from one to another.

 

[Lee7588]

Should be .004" difference.

That is the difference between a shouldered prefit and a barrel fit to your action. A shouldered prefit is just aiming to hit that .004" window. A well fit barrel will be very consistent from one gun to another. I headspace all barrels @.002-.0025"(unless otherwise requested by the customer). If you have 3 guns of the same caliber, all the brass will interchange from one to another.

Which gunsmiths or companies have you measured to see which the allowance is?