Barrel Maker?

[RG1911]

I have a line on a barrel for one of my oddball projects, however I have been unable to find any information. The markings on the barrel, according to the seller, are:

1.25x.775x 26.5”. Weight 6#.
Marked 15T
30x47 HBR
M.P (brand)
SS (stainless )

Searching for variations on MP only results in hits on M&P, which does no good. Since this is my last attempt at a pricey project (the barrel needs to be turned down to .46") I would like to start with a blank that offered a good chance of being reasonably accurate.

Has anyone heard of this manufacturer, or know of a source of information better than google?

Thank you,
Richard

[MrWolf]

That might be a Ballistic Advantage. I have a 308 project I've been doing for years and my barrel has the MP marking also. Sorry I am not that knowledgeable on barrels.

[Preacher Jim]

McGowan precision if my mind still works check their website

[vernm]

MP may mean magnetic particle tested. First the barrel is dusted with metal powder. Then magnetized.
Any cracks or imperfections under the surface will show up in a pattern of the magnetized powder.

Many AR15 barrels are marked MP which means they have been tested.

[RG1911]

McGowan precision if my mind still works check their website

Thank you. Will do.

I'm told the barrel comes from the estate of a an experienced and well-supplied benchrest shooter.

Cheers,
Richard

[RG1911]

That might be a Ballistic Advantage. I have a 308 project I've been doing for years and my barrel has the MP marking also. Sorry I am not that knowledgeable on barrels.

Thank you. I've also received this reply:

"Estimated windage: Morrison Precision . . . that's a guess based upon the last Bernie Morrison BBL in my rack: it's stamped M.P. Co. If it is a Morrison, it should be very good."

[unclemikeinct]

I'd find one closer to needed spec. Your gunsmith might have better ideas on that, I really don't like making the smitty do much turning profiling.. uncle mike

[RG1911]

I'd find one closer to needed spec. Your gunsmith might have better ideas on that, I really don't like making the smitty do much turning profiling.. uncle mike

No argument from me (or my 'smith). I would love to be able to give the specifications to Krieger or McGowan, or ... but they're out of my price range (retired fixed income). And I've been looking for almost 5 years for a take-off or used barrel; this is the first slow-twist that's come along at a price I can afford. One estimate for the cost of turning it down is in the doable range for me.

Richard

[samari46]

Totally agree with you. The days of 200 dollar barrels installed and chambered are long gone. I had anew old stock 1903A3 barrel installed and finish chambered with two bolts. Standard bolt and a sniper bolt from a 1903A4 sniper rifle headspaced to the same rifle. Plus drilling and tapping for iron sights on the right side of the receiver and a complete blue job. And not by a hack gunsmith. George Beitzinger who used to build custom rifles that were on the pages of Gun Digest and listed as a professional gun maker. He did the bolt on my model 54 action in 30-30. Beautiful workmanship. He didn't just limit himself to bolt guns. He definitely had the flair for single shot rifles from antique Winchester single shot rifles to Ruger #1's and so on. By the way that 1903A3 he did for me cost $350 when done. But I filed away all the machining markings on that barrel,then using varrious grades of silicone carbide paper up to 600 grit and then finally buffing away on that barrel. Then the action had to be done as well, lotta spots couldn't be done with a block and sandpaper. Made up dummies from wood to get into all the nooks and crannies.If he had to do all that the bill would have been $500 or more. Today it's a different story, you buy the blank of your choice from any of the high dollar barrel maker that's close to $400 or more. Then if the smith doesn't have the style you want out of his selection of reamersthen he orders it and you either pay the full price or split the difference. He trims the blank to your desiried length and dimensions. then he thread the barrel and does the chambering of your choice. Then he installs your new barrel in your action and makes any adjustments once the barrel is on your action. And he has bills to pay, insurance and lights,pay the help and expect to show a profit. So your $400 barrel blank may ending up costing you double that installed on your rifle. Expensive ain't it?. Frank

[Texas by God]

Does 15T denote 1-15" twist? What bullet weight works for that slow rifling rate?

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[RG1911]

Does 15T denote 1-15" twist? What bullet weight works for that slow rifling rate?

The 15T is supposed to mean 1-15 twist. I think benchrest shooters use the slow twist for the 30 caliber cartridges to cause minimal disturbance to the bullet. The range normally is only 100 or 200 yards, if I recall correctly. Not sure what weight bullets they use.

I want it for an M1 Carbine project. The standard twist for the M1 is 1-20 for the stubby 110-gr RN bullet. I've been experimenting with premium bullets that are longer and that do not seem to be stabilizing well with that twist. The last experiment had a 1-10 twist barrel grafted on to the gas block. (Gunsmith did a heck of a slick job.) That experiment did not produce the results for which I hoped, so now I'm going to try a barrel with a twist half-way between standard twist and the 1-10 that I think was too fast. I have a de-milled barrel that will supply the gas block.

Obviously, rounds have to be single-loaded since the OAL is too long for the magazine.

The primary expense is turning the barrel down to the thickness of the original M1 Carbine barrel.

Yes, I fully realize that I may be tilting at windmills. None-the-less, it's been an interesting 6-year project trying to get the best accuracy from the carbine. And I should have a 5" or 6" piece of the barrel left over that will work fine for another oddball project.

Cheers,
Richard

[Texas by God]

I'm a .30 Carbine fan, too. Sounds like a worthy project. Funny I'd always thought(assumed)the M1 twist was 1-10"- maybe I was thinking of the wrong M1.....

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[john.k]

F class shooter at one time used 1 in 14 twist for 308/7.62 Nato with the 147gn service type bullet......good for 1000 metres,trans sonic just beyond,so no good at 1100m....1 in 12 is good for up to 180 gn bullets in 30 cal.,the 1 in 10 military service twist is good for 220gn

[Stephen Cohen]

F class shooter at one time used 1 in 14 twist for 308/7.62 Nato with the 147gn service type bullet......good for 1000 metres,trans sonic just beyond,so no good at 1100m....1 in 12 is good for up to 180 gn bullets in 30 cal.,the 1 in 10 military service twist is good for 220gn

I also used such twists in an Omark 44 target rifle, I still have 3 barrels in 1/12'' 1/13.5'' and a 1/14'', these barrels were also cut to a tighter tolerance to compensate for the slightly undersize Military projectiles of the time. I have heard that these slow twists were only good up to 150 or so grains yet bullet shape and length play a bigger part in my view. Regards Stephen