AI replacement barrel?
- Thread starter rrflyer
- Start date
Call Mile High and order one of the AINA barrels that they have chambered by Dave Tooley. That would be your easiest and fastest option most likely.
Any gunsmith should be able to spin up your barrel. They will probably need your rifle so they can get the measurements if they have not done one before. I would explain the system so they do not try to work the action like they would do on a 700.
If Mile High does not carry it then you're off the shelf pre-fit barrel is not going to happen. They are probably going to be the largest distributor of the replacement barrels for the AI's as they are stocking the offerings available through AINA. For that caliber your best bet is going to be either have a local smith or someone like GAP spin you up one off of a blank, but you're obviously going to have to wait for that one.
I have called several of the major gunsmiths including GAP, SAC, and several others. They all requested I send in my AI action in order to have a barrel made. They all said there is a small tolerance difference in the actions that they would prefer to eliminate by havingthe action on hand.
If you want a true plug and play barrel without sending your action away then you should get the AINA barrels from mile high or directly from AI. Mile High also has their own barrels that their own gunsmith does, however be advised that in my experience, even though the machining and work is as good or better than AINA, their chamber throats are excessively short. I have bougt several AINA and their throats are always acceptable. Both of the Mile High barrels I bought had unacceptably short throats. They were very gracious and refunded my money but they thought i was an idiot when I tried to describe the throat. One of their 6.5 Creedmoor barrels had a 140 Amax touching the lands at 2.6" and a .243 barrelhad a 115 DTAC touching the lands at about 2.8". I couldnt even chamber a factory Creedmoor round with 140 Amax, but they said there was no problem. DTAC .243's are supposed to be over 3". If you really want a 6x47L then you have to go custom. Be advised that a lot of people are having problems with these small rifle primer cartridges piercing the primers. You should read the thread under rifles about bushing the AI bolts.
If you want a true plug and play barrel without sending your action away then you should get the AINA barrels from mile high or directly from AI. Mile High also has their own barrels that their own gunsmith does, however be advised that in my experience, even though the machining and work is as good or better than AINA, their chamber throats are excessively short. I have bougt several AINA and their throats are always acceptable. Both of the Mile High barrels I bought had unacceptably short throats. They were very gracious and refunded my money but they thought i was an idiot when I tried to describe the throat. One of their 6.5 Creedmoor barrels had a 140 Amax touching the lands at 2.6" and a .243 barrelhad a 115 DTAC touching the lands at about 2.8". I couldnt even chamber a factory Creedmoor round with 140 Amax, but they said there was no problem. DTAC .243's are supposed to be over 3". If you really want a 6x47L then you have to go custom. Be advised that a lot of people are having problems with these small rifle primer cartridges piercing the primers. You should read the thread under rifles about bushing the AI bolts.
Robert Gradous is making AI barrels for OTM Tactical in Florida. I just spoke to him and he said he can have this particular chambered barrel done in 10 days or less for you. He has 1:8 twist Bartlein barrels in hand ready to spin up.
Here is the contact for OTM Tactical:
https://otmtactical.3dcartstores.com/crm.asp?action=contactus
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Thats weird. I called and talked to the guy that takes the orders and he refused to do the job without the action in hand. Same for SAC. They didsay that once they had my action they could make notes about sizing and they would not need it for future jobs, but not on the first one.
