Shilen vs Mcgowen Barrels

[Chief]

Title says it...I have used successfully Shilen Match barrels in the past but at the moment what I want is not available for a couple of months so I have searched and found what I wnt from McGowen...Price is a little better and it is available now but all important how does the quality stack up between the two. Anybody have experience with the later barrel maker? Thanks for whatever help I get...

[JMtoolman]

Chief
I just finished up a copy of a Westley Richards 1891 single shot in 303 cal. McGowen made me a barrel blank that I then fitted to the rifle. It is a tack driver, one of my first groups was a .820 at a hundred yards. And this is a 68 year old blind old guy shooting! I am very pleased with my barrel to say the least. The toolman.

[country gent]

I have a Shilen barrel onmy Martini Cadet in .218 bee and its a shooter. Never had a McGowen but heard good things of them. For my match rifles I used Hart, Krieger. Lilja, Pac Nor, and Douglas. Of my match rifle barrels Krieger was the go to maker. I would give the McGowen a try. What caliber, twist are you looking for? Intended use?

[Chief]

I need a long range varminter...coyote so I want 22-250 1/8 twist. I think I will go with the Shilen...If I had AI dies I might get the Mcgowen as that barrel is available now.

[John Taylor]

I'm a dealer for Green Mountain but they don't always have what I need so I use quite a few McGowen barrels. They both shoot better than most people and will stand up to any of the more expensive barrels. At this time I have an order in for 28 barrels from McGowen and getting ready to order more.

[Hyphenated]

Never have owned a Shilen, but I did have McGowen build a 358 Norma Mag for me. I sent them a brand new 7mag and they did all the work. A new custom contour barrel, polished, blued and installed. Very nice workmanship.

[tomme boy]

I hope they are better. They seem to run in spurts on the quality. They will go for a little while with perfect barrels, then the quality goes to hell for a few months. Everyone starts to b*tch and the word gets out that they are junk and they take a hit. It seems to take them about 6 months to get good barrels back again. I have had 2 of them. Both had to have work done on them to make them right. One had a short chamber and the other had to have 1" taken off the end of the barrel because it looked like the spud they used to contour the barrel spun in the muzzle.

I will not be buying any more as they acted like both of the problems were my fault. I was in the same situation as you when I bought these. They were available but at what cost. Jim at Northlanders stopped carrying them. A few other gunsmiths over at Savage web site stopped using them as well as they all had problems.

Go with Shilen. Or call Rock Creek Barrels and talk to them. They are now making them in cut rifled, or button.

[phaessler]

I shall pose the question as an owner of several Harry Mcgowen rifles, all which are tack drivers. Are we talking the original Mcgowen manufactured by him and his sons? or the new Mcgowen Barrel company which bought out all his equipment?
Pete

[lovedogs]

In my experience, which is admittedly limited, I've had very good luck with any of the reputable barrel manufacturers. Back in 1970 I had a .35 Whelen Improved with a McGowan barrel on it and it was fantastic. It looked like a mirror from one end to the other. I cleaned easier than anything I've ever had and shot extremely well. It was also one of those rare barrels that shot different bullets and weights to the same POI at 100 yds. Don't think I ever had a five-shot group you couldn't cover with a quarter.

The only custom rifle I currently own is a .25-06 with a Shilen barrel. It's also real good. Cleans easy, shoots great. It also shoots "fast"...that is, it gets better velocity than expected, without pressures. It shoots just under a half MOA all the way to "way out there". It's the only rifle I've been able to shoot prairie dogs out past 500 yds. with any consistency.

I'd be glad to have either a McGowan or a Shilen...or any of the other well-known brands. Most will shoot well or stand behind their product if it doesn't meet expectations. Just talk nice to them and they'll all treat you good.

[rhbrink]

I have one that I bought for a replacement for a Savage action. It was already chambered with the .223 Wylde chamber with a 8 inch twist and it is a absolute tack driver, shoots very well. I was very impressed with the quality of the finish on both the bore and rifling and the chamber and I have owned a lot of custom barrels. And I would not hesitate to buy another. I've also had great luck with Shilen but will say that you really need to get the top of their line barrels as I have had seen some of the lesser quality barrels that they make that didn't shoot well. Not mine but friends that bought them and set them up for long range varmint hunting and were very dissapointed with the out come and didn't get much response from Shilen.

RB

[B R Shooter]

I have never seen a McGowan barrel listed in a benchrest match as the barrel maker. Whether it be short range or long range. It depends on what you're intending to do with it.

[DLCTEX]

The only McGowan barrel I have had experience with was one in 22-250 on a custom rifle made in 1970's I owned that would shoot 1/2 in. groups. It was stolen in 1992 after thousands of rounds fired in it and was still shooting well. It was on a Sako action and Fajen stock with a K-8 Weaver on it.I'm still mad at that thief.

[rockrat]

I have a 300 blackout barrel of theirs. Happy so far with it

[mikej]

I had been researching barrels earlier this year and end of last year and decided on mcgowan because of the relatively short time frame they offered and because I had read about good quality and match winning capability from various forums, though it looked like occasionally their workmanship could be hit and miss. I ordered january 3rd a custom barrel, being told it would take 6-8 weeks. I recieved my invoice a day or so later with a work time that stated 8-10 weeks. Figured it was just a miscommunication between office and manufacturing. At 7-8 weeks, i called to find out how long and was told another 6 weeks. At the end of this, i called and was told another 4 weeks. at the end of this, i was told they lost my barrel and had to restart, but they would push it through in 3 weeks at the most. It has been 3 weeks and was just told it still has to be threaded and brake attached and don't know how long it will be. In order to find out progress, i usually have to call and am promised an email response, which usually doesn't happen, so i call a couple days later to remind them and then i will get an update. (i have only contacted them at the end of their own timelines or replying to a response from them asking for clarity to their response which is usually just a few words and explains little) If i will use them again, this barrel will need to be able to drop a unicorn at 1000 yards while blindfolded while peddling a bike backwards. It wouldn't be a problem if i was told a proper timeline when i called initially, or any of the times I called or emailed. They seem to have lost a machinist during the process, but still doesn't explain the inability to communicate properly or the constant failed timelines. When i receive the barrel, if ever, i will try to remember to follow up. At this time, i'm being more patient toward them than i feel necessary. If i had contacted them a day later, i would have been able to have a barrel making legend build me a custom barrel, but i had just made the order and didn't want to break a commitment i had already made.

[B R Shooter]

Please, what matches have they won?

[waksupi]

There are no bad barrels on the market today. An occasional stinker may sneak through, but the companies stand behind them. They have to in the competitive market, and instant social media feed back.

The current McGowen company has had some shaky delivery times and workmanship. Ask your self, why are their barrels in stock, when every other company is back ordered? The company is located about 4 miles from me, and they do have problems keeping machinists, as the other gun companies here are always looking for skilled labor, and generally pay better.

[fireball168]

The current McGowen company has had some shaky delivery times and workmanship. Ask your self, why are their barrels in stock, when every other company is back ordered? The company is located about 4 miles from me, and they do have problems keeping machinists, as the other gun companies here are always looking for skilled labor, and generally pay better.

Hasn't this been addressed this before? And had a response directly from the company?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...s-barrel-blank


You must have quite a bone to pick.


I bought 125 barrels from them in 2012. Working on beating that number this year.

[waksupi]

I stand by what I say. I am pretty aware of what goes on with local gun companies and individual gunsmiths in this area.

[mikej]

I know my statement about the unicorn is premature, i'm merely stating that so far, customer service, communication and ability to judge their own manufacturing department has been sub par by my experience. I ordered from them, not expecting them to be perfect, but by most accounts, they seemed above average to excellent, and i havent seen that yet. I am hoping the (hopefully soon) arrival of my barrel will change my mind. As for the matches they have won, i couldn't tell you exactly, i had just seen a few forum members mention that they had won a local match using thier barrel. It had seemed they were a good company. I hope my experience is isolated and that their workmanship exceeds expectations.

[B R Shooter]

In my view, when you either want the best most accurate barrel, or you are replacing a barrel for the first time, why skimp on the quality? You won,t get bench rest accuracy with a McGowen, you might get minute of deer with one. So if you're spending the money, get the best and don't be disappointed. Ànd have or do the work done right.

By the way, right now, all barrel makers are WAY behind, as is anyone in the gun business. That is no excuse for not being told a reasonable delivery date up front.