Apex/ Barsto barrel M&P 9mm

[MilkMyDuds]

orion, you don't know that CSRs are supposed to know updated details on thousands of products by the minute?

Every time I call into CSR they took at least a few minutes to look up their "system". Most times I got nothing because I am being told the "system is down" or they "system is extremely slow". It appears most of these companies are experiencing "unusual high call volume" 24x7.

I suppose their "system" is supposed to provide updated information of millions of products by the second. I am an IT guy and I know how these ERP/CSR systems work. No, I did not expect any human to do that, but they should at least relay true information to the customers at the bare minimum.

[agksimon]

Got my Apex 5" gunsmith fit barrel late this afternoon. Spent an hour, fitting the barrel to the slide. Didn't need to take anything off the front of the barrel, to fit it in the slide. Took about a half thousandth off each side of the hood for that part of the fit. Fitting the chamber/hood, into the slide was done very slowly. I found that dry erase marker worked better for me, than Dyekem, as it doesn't dry in place and shows a mark better.

After dinner, I worked on fitting the barrel lug to the frame. Being the gunsmith version, there was a lot of metal to remove. The fitting lug required me to disassemble and reassemble the gun literally a hundred times to mark and file the lug squarely. Fitting it took 2.5 hours alone, plus the hour for fitting it to the slide, I have 3.5 hours total into it.

I would not recommend everyone getting the gunsmith fit version. It is a lot of work to hand fit it and if you are not adept at it or impatient, it might not end well. Most people would find it a lot easier to install the semi-drop-in version.

It now locks up just like Randy said it would, in the video and there is no doubt it will shoot very tight groups. I'll be out at the range this coming Sunday, December 13, to benchrest it with several types and weights of ammunition. Results to follow.

[richiecotite]

^ Good stuff. I'm guessing most people that are DIY will rock with the semi fit version.

Looking forward to your results.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[agksimon]

^ Good stuff. I'm guessing most people that are DIY will rock with the semi fit version.

Looking forward to your results.

Results:

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-w...el-myself.html

[vicious_cb]

Any chance of seeing barsto compact and shield 9mm barrels? Id like to give my whole M&P family the barsto treatment .

[hrt4me]

Got my Apex 5" gunsmith fit barrel late this afternoon. Spent an hour fitting the barrel to the slide. Didn't need to take anything off the front of the barrel to fit it in the slide. Took about a half thousandth off each side of the hood for that part of the fit. Fitting the chamber/hood into the slide was done very slowly. I found that dry erase marker worked better for me, than Dyekem, as it doesn't dry in place and shows a mark better.

After dinner, I worked on fitting the barrel lug to the frame. Being the gunsmith version, there was a lot of metal to remove. The fitting lug required me to disassemble and reassemble the gun literally a hundred times to mark and file the lug squarely. Fitting it took 2.5 hours alone, plus the hour for fitting it to the slide, I have 3.5 hours total into it.

is there a video specific to the Gunsmith version, rather than the Semi-Drop-In offering?

did you use an end mill to remove the metal from the barrel, which is how I believe Apex recommends fitting their Gunsmith barrel?
or did you simply follow the Semi-Drop-In video for the Gunsmith version of the barrel?

is the Gunsmith version essentially the same as the Semi-Drop-In barrel with just more metal to be removed from each area (front of barrel, sides and rear of hood, frame fitting pad)?
or does the Gunsmith barrel have additional areas from which to remove metal for an even better/tighter/more consistent fit?

[Randy Lee]

is there a video specific to the Gunsmith version, rather than the Semi-Drop-In offering?

did you use an end mill to remove the metal from the barrel, which is how I believe Apex recommends fitting their Gunsmith barrel?
or did you simply follow the Semi-Drop-In video for the Gunsmith version of the barrel?

is the Gunsmith version essentially the same as the Semi-Drop-In barrel with just more metal to be removed from each area (front of barrel, sides and rear of hood, frame fitting pad)?
or does the Gunsmith barrel have additional areas from which to remove metal for an even better/tighter/more consistent fit?

We will have a video up shortly for the Gunsmith fit version. It is the same fitting process as the Semi Drop-in, except that the use of a mill will make fitting the bottom lug much faster. The material at the muzzle is the same. It is the material plus on the bottom lug that is different. The bottom lug has about .010" more material than the SDI in that location, so that it can be precisely fit to the individual slide and frame regardless of how much vertical play exists.

I use a .500" 4 flute carbide endmill to cut the bottom lug to the proper height.

[agksimon]

We will have a video up shortly for the Gunsmith fit version. It is the same fitting process as the Semi Drop-in, except that the use of a mill will make fitting the bottom lug much faster. The material at the muzzle is the same. It is the material plus on the bottom lug that is different. The bottom lug has about .010" more material than the SDI in that location, so that it can be precisely fit to the individual slide and frame regardless of how much vertical play exists.

I use a .500" 4 flute carbide endmill to cut the bottom lug to the proper height.

It was a weekend when I got my barrel and did not have access to a machinist at work, plus our company has a "No firearms on site" policy. I fit the barrel lug by hand, marking and filing off the high spots as needed. I kept doing this, until I got a proper fit, but it took 2.5 hours just for the lug and I had to disassemble and reassemble the gun close to a hundred times. It was very tedious and not for the impatient. It worked out well and I absolutely love the tight groups. I would highly recommend this barrel to anyone who wants better accuracy, especially IDPA/USPSA competitors, who routinely make 15-30 yard shots.
Randy, I can't thank you enough for all the hard work you put into bringing this to market. It's not just a home run, but out of the park.

[hrt4me]

We will have a video up shortly for the Gunsmith fit version. It is the same fitting process as the Semi Drop-in, except that the use of a mill will make fitting the bottom lug much faster. The material at the muzzle is the same. It is the material plus on the bottom lug that is different. The bottom lug has about .010" more material than the SDI in that location, so that it can be precisely fit to the individual slide and frame regardless of how much vertical play exists.

I use a .500" 4 flute carbide endmill to cut the bottom lug to the proper height.

thank you for the prompt reply and explanation

I'm looking forward to the video tutorial, as I'm curious what reference measurements you use to know exactly how much material to remove with your .500" 4 flute carbide endmill...?
I presume that is a one-time operation and not test fit and Dykem-mark repeatedly, as with the SDI fitting...?

[Randy Lee]

thank you for the prompt reply and explanation

I'm looking forward to the video tutorial, as I'm curious what reference measurements you use to know exactly how much material to remove with your .500" 4 flute carbide endmill...?
I presume that is a one-time operation and not test fit and Dykem-mark repeatedly, as with the SDI fitting...?

The easiest way is to measure from the horizontal top of the hood, to the flat of the bottom lug. It should measure .860" as it comes from us. The factory barrel will be around .842-.844 ish. I would make a single pass and cut the bottom to .855" and check if the gun will go into battery with that. If not, reduce the height to .852 or so. If you use parallels in the milling vise, you should be able to re-install the barrel and trim it in small increments until you get a proper fit.