Barrel Lapping....opinions?

[atblis]

Uh

YES!! Barrels are lapped BEFORE!! any chambering or crowning. The barrels are button rifled under sized and then lapped to correct bore dia. It takes approx. 8-10 hours to do this for each barrel(good way to build up the fore arms and bicepts. lol).

There's no way it takes that long to do one barrel. I would think the prices on barrels would be a touch higher if that were the case.

See how your gun shoots first!!!!

The thing about breaking in a barrel is that it doesn't really hurt the barrel to not break it in. Just start shooting, and follow good cleaning practices. Nothing special is required.

 

[heron]

I bought a new Savage Mark I FVT, and found a barrel break-in procedure recommended on Savage's website, so I did it. I can't tell you if it helps accuracy or not, but I did notice that it became much easier to clean as the process went on.
Think of it this way: since break-in consists of nothing more than shooting and cleaning, it certainly can't do any damage, and if it really does help (which I believe), then why not?
I also treated my rifle (post break-in) with Microlon Gun Juice. It now cleans almost completely with ONE wet patch after 100 rounds.
I think lapping should be left to professionals. As to fire-lapping, I read elsewhere that if you do this with a gas-operated rifle, the abrasive gets in the gas tube and destroys it in nothing flat.
Best bet: follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

 

[glimmerman]

atblis, I personally lapped several barrels at G. McMillan gun works and YES!! it does take about 8-10 hours to lap a barrel properly!!. When Gale McMillan gun works was in business his was the ONLY!! company in the world to guarantee sub 1/2 moa with properly prepared loads. And yes they where expensive rifles, the base model started at around $2300 and that was 10+ years ago. The M82 sniper in 300 win mag i built for myself when i was there will shoot 1 .30cal hole 5 shot groups all day if i do my part with my reloads.

 

[atblis]

Kreiger

Krieger et al. supposedly hand lap their barrels. You're telling me that someone spends 8-10 hours of labor hand lapping one of those, and I can buy one for what? $300-$400 with 8 to 10 hours of labor in it just for the hand lapping.

What kind of precision are you trying to achieve by doing this?

 

[glimmerman]

atblis, if u get a chance to see a Real!! G McMillan barrel (not the McMillan bros out there now but a real g mcmillan barrel) compare it side by side with a krieger barrel and you will se the difference instantly. A real G McMillan Barrel will cost you somewhere in the neiborhood of $800 to 1000 when they can be found. Like I said in my last post "The ONLY COMPANY IN THE WORLD THAT GUARANTEE'S 1/2 MOA with proper loads"

 

[win71]

G. Mcmillan

These were some of the best barrels made at the time. I could not afford one back in the 80's and settled on a Douglas supreme which turned out to shoot almost as well. Some factory-semi custom rifles out now come close with respect to the accuracy guarantee. I have two Coopers, a .17HMR and .204 and both exceed the factory guarantee.

"22 LR’s are guaranteed to shoot 1/4" 5-shot groups at 50 yards using premium grade match ammunition. 22 Hornet family cartridges are guaranteed to shoot 1/4" 3-shot groups at 50 yards using hand loads. All other centerfires are guaranteed to shoot 1/2" 3- shot groups at 100 yards using hand loaded ammunition."

 

[atblis]

Well

Is that 800-1000 just for a barrel blank?

Do they shoot any better? Or rather measurably better (if there's a difference)? I am under the impression that the bench rest shooters would probably be the ones to note any "quality" differences in barrels, and they seem quite content with Krieger. I don't know, but I'd venture to guess that Krieger does not spend 10 hours per barrel hand lapping them.

Okay, you spend 8-10 hours lapping a barrel, do you actually get anything for your effort?

Also, before anybody flips out
I have not said McMillan barrels are crap. I am sure they're great
I have not said hand lapping doesn't do anything.
What I am questioning is a lack of optimization with regards to the law of diminishing returns. I don't find a 1/2MOA guarantee that astounding. There are plenty of smiths who offer that guarantee while using other barrels.

 

[glimmerman]

atblis, The reason everyone is shooting krieger barrels is because Gale McMillan retired back in the early 90's and sold the company to Wes Harris, who inturn brought his son into the business and needless to say his son screwed up the business so bad they went under in 99 or 2000.(he's the reason i quit!!) So G. McMillan barrels are not made anymore but do show up occaisionally. Yes a real G McMillan barrel blank will cost u $800 - 1500 depending of if they are croyo treated or heat treated and caliber. I have seen some of the 50cals go for $3500 each.