which barrel maker

[carpetman]

Starmetal---shot into 3/4" or smaller???? Not one hole? Oh you were shooting at 2,000 yards should have realized that.

[mike in co]

joe..you read too fast...he said 338-06...not 7x57.....( that was the donor gun)

mike in co

[Char-Gar]

Hickory... The 1-10 twist considered right for the 30-06 is a hold over from the Krag and the heavy 200 - 220 grain bullets. With 150 - 180 grain bullets that most folks shoot in the 06, the 1-12 will do as well and probably better, and be more cast bullet friendly to boot.

I remember reading a long time ago, and I don't remember where, about a run of O3s made at Springfield Arsenal before WWII that came out more accurate than usual. They ran down the cause for the increased accuracy and found the barrel rifling machine was out of adjustment and cutting 1-11.75 twist barrels. Relieved they found the reasons for the increased accuracy, they reset the machine to it's intended 1-10 and resumed production.

[c3d4b2]

Along with PAC-NOR, I would also recommend looking at Wilson barrels. They are used on match rifles and are reasonably priced.

If you are looking at shooting a lot of rounds or a overbore cartridge I would look into a cut rifle barrel as they have a reputation of lasting longer.

Also,

I have had factory barrels that have shot good and bad. I have not had one of the higher grade barrels that has shot bad. Part of what you are paying for is the craftsmanship that reduces the risk of getting a lemon.

As stated earlier the barrel is part of a system. You will not recognize the potential of a great barrel if there are problems elsewhere.

[deltaenterprizes]

Kreiger is one of the last barrel makers to cut rifling and a lot of benchrest shooters use his barrels as well as military high power rifle match shooters.

[c3d4b2]

There are few cut rifled barrel makers around, though they are not as well known as Kreiger. I have the impression that some of the newer shops (at least the ones in Wisconsin) use to work at Krieger.

http://www.saternmachining.com/

http://www.rockcreekbarrels.com/

http://obermeyerbarrels.com/

http://www.bartleinbarrels.com/

[StarMetal]

joe..you read too fast...he said 338-06...not 7x57.....( that was the donor gun)

mike in co

Thanks Mike, you're right. I zeroed in on that 7x57. Heay Lead my apologies, like Mike said I thought it was a 7x57.

Joe

[StarMetal]

Starmetal---shot into 3/4" or smaller???? Not one hole? Oh you were shooting at 2,000 yards should have realized that.

2375 yards to be exact Ray

Joe

[StarMetal]

Kreiger is one of the last barrel makers to cut rifling and a lot of benchrest shooters use his barrels as well as military high power rifle match shooters.

Satern cuts rifling and caters to the likings of the Camp Perry shooters and other competition. Usually a 5R and he's suppose to be the current barrel maker for Alexander Arms which make the 6.5 Grendel and the 50 Beowulf. The premium 6.5 Grendel comes with the Satern barrel. Steve Satern is the man who makes the barrels and he's located in Iowa I believe.

Don't overlook Lothar Walther barrels, they are top shelf too.

Joe

[oldhickory]

Hickory... The 1-10 twist considered right for the 30-06 is a hold over from the Krag and the heavy 200 - 220 grain bullets. With 150 - 180 grain bullets that most folks shoot in the 06, the 1-12 will do as well and probably better, and be more cast bullet friendly to boot.

I remember reading a long time ago, and I don't remember where, about a run of O3s made at Springfield Arsenal before WWII that came out more accurate than usual. They ran down the cause for the increased accuracy and found the barrel rifling machine was out of adjustment and cutting 1-11.75 twist barrels. Relieved they found the reasons for the increased accuracy, they reset the machine to it's intended 1-10 and resumed production.

Good enough for me, I generally shoot heavier bullets and benefit from the faster twist. When I had a heavy .308 made I used a 25" Hart barrel with a 1:11 twist, just because that's what the Marine Corps uses in their M40 sniper rifles. I haven't tried the 700 with cast yet but maybe it's about time.

[Char-Gar]

I have two Winchester 88s, One Remington 700 heavy barrel, and one Savage 16 in .308. The Winchesters and the Remington all have 1-12 twist and I think the Savage does as well, but I won' swear to that. All of them do well with cast bullets.

[carpetman]

2375 yards?? Didnt know you were into metric shooting.

[carpetman]

Chargar--How you like those win 88's? Im pretty impressed with them myself.

[Lead Fred]

When I build my 700, I went with a Shilen (s?)1/10 26in varmint contour.

It is freakin sweet

[StarMetal]

2375 yards?? Didnt know you were into metric shooting.

That was shooting across folks yards....lawns....see what I mean? 2375 lawns.

Joe

[Char-Gar]

Carpetman... I like the 88s a bunch. They are probably the high point of levergun design, at least by Winchester. They will shoot just as well as any over the counter bolt gun of the period. I have no trouble getting 1.5 MOA accuracy out of them with either cast of condom bullets. Sometimes they will do better, that that number is a reliable day in day out number.

The only downside is the excessive drop at the heel of the stock. This makes the rifle kick off the bench way out of porportion to the caliber. But these rifles were not intended for bench shooting but field shooting and that drop of the heel is great for off hand.

The triggers are a little mushy, but nothing that can't be mastered.

One of my rifles wears an old El Paso made Weaver K3 and the other an old Lyman 57 receiver sight. In all truth, I could get by with these two rifles for all my needs, all my life.

[carpetman]

Chargar---I gave my grandson a win 88 in .308 about 4 years ago. It's a 1957 I think (I know pre 64). Has a pachmayr decellerator recoil and a compact Leupold 2x-7x. Has a leather pouch on the sling with an extra magazine. He has taken hogs,bobcats,axis deer and whitetails with it and it's pretty much one shot and get out your knife.

[bruce drake]

Ok, lets get back to the original question which was:

"What barrels are available for a LEE-ENFIELD action?"

Short of taking a barrel blank and having a gunsmith who is willing to cut the required threads...$$$$ for blank and gunsmith time and effort.

He is limited to Pac-Nor for a ready-threaded barrel from a custom basis. Satern won't do it, Wilson won't cut them, Krieger won't either. I've explored and asked them if they were willing to cut a barrel with Enfield threads. Only Pac-Nor quoted me a price and a delivery timeline for a barrel.

Adams & Bennett barrels are OEM manufactored for Midway. They don't offer these barrels with Enfield threading. They offer them pre-threaded in the most popular actions - Mauser, Savage, Remington, etc... He could buy a A&B barrel blank (1.2" dia) but that still ties him to a gunsmith willing to cut the LEE-ENFIELD threading.

See my third sentence regarding the $$$ of a gunsmith. I bought the $230 Pac-Nor in 303 Brit. I spun it on myself and then headspaced with a #0 bolt head just like a British armorer would have done.

Given the cost of Gunsmith's lathe time on a $90 A&B Barrel Blank to thread and chamber it, headspace the rifle, and then install a front sight (if desired) or mount a scope base. I think the money I spent with Pac-Nor was cheaper.

Bruce

[tom805]

hi Im looking for a used barrel for model 95 it must be 28" long can any 1 tell me where i can find 1

[kir_kenix]

Hey don't over look Benchmark Barrels either. My last 2 6.5 barrels from them have been fantastic. I've started getting into long range benchrest and F-class and I was really impressed with their barrels...especially the price.

Put 2700 rounds thru my .260 rem improved, and almost 2100 thru my 6.5-284 before I thought they started giving up the ghost. Still use both barrels for prarie dog and for fireforming brass for my new barrel (in the .260 anyway). I was shooting a Lija and a Shilen before, but I must say I rarely clean my Benchmarks between relays (something I considered a must with the Shilen, and a practice I kept up with the Lija). Somedays I'll put 75-80 rounds thru them before cleaning if I have to work the pits.

I'm totally agree that a top notch barrel is hardly necessary for a hunting rifle. However, it is alot of fun to have a top of the line barrel that you know will shoot, because it makes me want to shoot that rifle to its "full ability." I might stop load devlopment with an A&B if I get 1.25", but I can guarantee I'll keep playing around with the load if I'm shooting a top shelf tube.

Another part everybody leaves out is how much easier it is to clean a top shelf barrel. Hell, 2 patches nitro, 2 patches copper solven, 1 patch lube is all I ever have to push down a competition barrel. I might spend 3 days removing the copper out of a factory barrel after a prarie dog hunt however. Them perfectly smooth lands and grooves don't collect junk the way that barrels with more tooling marks pick up. I have a Rem 7600 '06 that I love to death, but the poor thing must shred half the copper off the jacket on the way down the tube. Guarantee you that a Lija, Shilen, Benchmark, Wilson, LW, etc won't act like that.

Really it comes down to what your going to do with the rifle. Punch paper at 1000 yds is quite a different task then blasting a deer at 60. Competition grade barrels are almost never needed for hunting...but then again every one of us here owns many guns that we don't really need either. I'm content to shoot cheaper barrels on most of my stuff, but for something I really want to play around with or has real sentimental value, I'll post the extra $120 to get a better tube.