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Thread: RFI: Pre-Fit Barrels

  1. #1

    RFI: Pre-Fit Barrels

    Peeling this out of the Scout Rifle thread.

    Somehow the pre-fit barrels thing slipped up on me. What’s the state of the art? What do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by msstate56 View Post
    My suggestion for anyone that wants a bolt rifle of any type. Go with an action that has prefit barrels available. Tikka has prefits, other mfgs Like Bighorn, Defiance and a few others have Proof Research and other barrels readily available. This means that you can do your own barrel swaps with a few tools. Gone are the days of needing to send in your rifle and wait months for a gunsmith to do a rebarrel job. I’m literally in the middle of swapping my Origin from 300 WSM, back to 6.5 CM. It took me longer to type this than swap the barrels.
    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    The whole prefit ecosystem has developed dramatically in the past two years.
    Quote Originally Posted by msstate56 View Post
    Absolutely. I have Rem 700s fitted with “Remage” barrel nut setups, and I thought that was neat for swapping barrels. But with modern machining, prefits are the only way to go now.
    Thanks,


    Okie John
    “The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
    "Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's

  2. #2
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    A couple of years ago, there were one or two places offering Howage barrels. I like Howas, I build cars and stuff, and I don't like paying someone else for something that I can easily do in my garage with wrenches, so that was my interest for a chambering or barrel spec not offered by the factory.

    When @Lost River posted about his 6.5CM Tikka a few weeks ago, I googled Tikka prefit barrel. Found many more places offering barrel nut options than a few years ago. And it's become a paradigm for basically any affordable, popular rifle. Savage, Remage, Howage, Tikkage (?). Lots of the barrel makers are making fits for multiple brands of rifle.

    Basically, the supply has exploded:

    This is the same outfit as Match Grade Machine, known for making quality custom Contender barrels.
    https://preferredbarrelblanks.com/pr...re-fit-barrel/

    https://proofresearch.com/barrels/tikka-pre-fit/

    https://patriotvalleyarms.com/tikka-...el-shouldered/

    http://www.x-caliber.net/tikka-t3-pre-fit-barrel

    https://criterionbarrels.com/product...re-fit-barrel/

    https://omrifles.com/collections/tikka-t3-t3x-prefits

    https://straightjacketarmory.com/pro...e-fit-barrels/

    https://mcgowenbarrel.com/the-howage/

    https://www.bugholes.com/category-s/1820.htm

    Shilen, interestingly, uses a dual-thread system, where all rifles just use a Savage large shank nut. Bigger threads for larger chamber, and it's a standard, OTS part, instead of needing special nuts for every different brand of receiver.
    http://www.shilen.com/alternutbarrels.html


    To the extent that I have a background in manufacturing, I prefer the nut system to a shouldered prefit. It's a safe assumption that no aftermarket barrel manufacturer has the OE rifle manufacturer's prints, so they don't know what the actual tolerance ranges are. They just have to measure as many rifles as they can get their hands on and make some assumptions. Hopefully, your rifle falls within their assumptions, and you end up with a system that's in spec. With the nut system, headspace is determined at assembly, and you can set it tight or loose within the range allowed by gauges, at your discretion. You can get it to the place you want it within the spec, not just just "in spec."
    Last edited by OlongJohnson; 09-22-2020 at 11:13 PM.
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  3. #3
    I Demand Pie Lex Luthier's Avatar
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    You lot seem determined to drag me into the early 21st Century whether I am willing or not.

    This is pretty fascinating stuff.

    The now I want a Tikka 6.5x55/.270/30-06/6.5CM,

    Lex
    "If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john

    "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne

  4. #4
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lex Luthier View Post
    The now I want a Tikka 6.5x55/.270/30-06/6.5CM,

    Lex
    You seem to be missing the point. Tikka makes all those chamberings as factory offerings, with perfectly serviceable barrel specs. The pre-fit is for when you've shot out your 6.5CM barrel, or you want to go 6CM, or start to have real fun. Go down the rabbit hole on 6mm Remington AI, 6.5-.257 AI, or .284 Winchester. The pre-fit barrel and Tikka's unique action length/magazine situation makes those supremely elegant.

    What I really want to see is someone with your skill set get into custom stock making. Herrett's is shut down, so there's an opening for a good revolver stock specialist in the market...
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  5. #5
    I've got a Remington 700 with a bore that looks like a sewer pipe. For sentimental reasons it needs to stay a 7mm Remington Magnum, but I could see turning it into a switch-barrel rig with a second barrel in 338 Winchester Magnum.


    Okie John
    “The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
    "Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's

  6. #6
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    I thought you were getting away from the heavy calibers...
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  7. #7
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    I just built a Savage 12 "trainer" myself with a Shaw 26inch 223 Wylde 1-7twist MTU profile. Amazed at how easy to swap a barrel yourself with the Savage nut system. I have a Tikka T3 3006 that will eventually be a PRS like rifle in some form of 6mm.

  8. #8
    Member jtcarm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lex Luthier View Post
    You lot seem determined to drag me into the early 21st Century whether I am willing or not.

    This is pretty fascinating stuff.

    The now I want a Tikka 6.5x55/.270/30-06/6.5CM,

    Lex

    I'll stick with my .270s.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
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    The problem with .270s is you just buy them and shoot them. If you like learning about rifles and cartridges, thinking about rifles and cartridges, trying to imagine an ever-more-perfect balance of whatever it is you think should be balanced, and talking about all that with other similarly afflicted people on the internet, there's no point at all to a .270.
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  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by OlongJohnson View Post
    I thought you were getting away from the heavy calibers...
    I am but the force is strong with this one. It’s the whole magnum bolt face thing...


    Okie John
    “The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
    "Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's

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