If new tires cost 2/3rds the price of a new car, I’d have sold the car
Competitive shooters live in an alternate universe. I don’t personally know a single average shooter that has ever swapped out a barrel on an average factory rifle. Obviously there are guys that do it, but to think it’s common is not realistic from what I’ve seen
I worked at the LGS and used to spend a lot of time there. Over the years I remember one “custom” rifle with a new barrel. I bought it because it was relatively quite cheap. It was poorly done and nothing close to accurate
Here is one , bro. ;
Of course I am somewhat of a gun enthusiast , but along the way 35 years back an old retiring gunsmith sold me his barrel changing equiptment, old Brownell pieces somewhat rusted that took Mauser small and large ring , Remington 700 and Winchester 70 and Spring field and Enfield 1917 adapters + more I have not yet identified, receiver fixtures and massive steel lever handle for barrel vise.
Even with those fixtures I think it increased my profane language vocabulary and when I set up the rig next to an enourmous vise held by iron set into concrete there were some interesting times over the years. Savage 110 style barrel attachments by and large took away all the "fun" .
I watched the Sanfrancisco Bay area PDs "decommission" their SWAT Sniper abilities from liberal policies that did not want cops to be 'judge and jury', letting those duties if needed fall to Sheriff's dept . and sell off their Rem 700P guns to those lucky few who had contacts and I was next in the food chain to be able to pick up half a dozen well worn ones for a few hundred each with various nice "lifetime guarantee" Leupolds
. Of those six rifles two needed new bolts, and the others needed the bolts rebuilt . I got log books for most of the rifles as they were taped to the stocks. The round count varied from 700-3000 rounds of .308 ammo. The high round counts over 1700 were the least accurate , but still under 2 MOA with Federal Gold Match 168 grain I use as standard for all my .308s . I rebarrelled four of them and the two that got new bolts I kept
ne in 6.5 CM and one in .308 using Krieger barrels of original contours and AICS bottom metal and Timney Triggers . I used the two best Leupold 2.5-10x Long Range scopes in new Deadnutz Reaper one piece mount systems. On another one with the worst accuracy I put a .22-250 Ackley barrel 26" long and used the odd 16x Leupold M1MK4
scope it came with with the great Badger Ordinance mounts it came mounted with. That one had a very light trigger that tested safe and I kept it after cleaning . The other three rifles after cleaning I sold and payed at least all my purchase and up grade expenses in short order !
That was just a fun story that took me about 18 months to complete 10 years ago. I changed other barrel prior to that on old Winchester lever guns (where the swearing came in), and a few military type actions for friends with those tools. Also a few hunting rifle barrels for friends that always ended up me wishing I had not volunteered.
