Well,
If you guys can guarantee headspace to half a thou you're far better machinists than I.
Thread crush alone is a variable that, personally, I've found impossible to control to that extent.
I would agree with you 100%. One thing I've found to help significantly is to trim down the variety of barrel manufacturer's used. At the end of the day, whether X, Y, or Z makes it, the end user just wants a barrel that'll shoot well/predictably, be easy to maintenance, and deliver good mileage.
I (and clearly you) however have a little more demanding work statement. I wanted material conditions to be more consistent so that fitment became less labor intensive. For those reading this, a Bartlein does not chamber like a Lilja. A Lilja is not a Kreiger. On and on. This is not a case of one being better than the other. It's that everyone has a little different process and once you run a bunch of these, you notice things. Attempting to keep up with the changes is not an easy thing to do. Also, the steel used on your barrel today, is not the steel used 6 months or a couple years from now. Steel is no different than a loaf of bread. The recipe can vary and a machinist who pays attention will notice it.
Next was tooling. Not all threading inserts are created equal. Just because an insert is made for SS it does not mean its appropriate for threading a SS barrel tennon that must be fitted to a receiver. Its not the same thing as cranking out a thousand "whatevers" for a product being produced.
The other thing that helps (and this is for the shooters out there) is to batch your stuff. If your a guy who is burning through 10k+ rounds a year at the matches, help yourself and your chosen smith out, by getting all your barrel work done at
one time. It is far, far less challenging to hang 5 sticks for one action at one time than it is for the thing to come back periodically over the year. I/whoever can set them all up "truck and trailer" this way. You take that and your brass quantity. If you get 1500 rounds on a 6mm Creed, then figure your going to load that brass probably 5 times before the primer pocket is wore out. 5x1500 is 5 barrels. So, price of admission for this is just south of $4,000.00 If you get 5 months of shooting and your at this burn rate, your costs are going to equate to $200 a weekend.
You can't fish from a boat for less than that and you sure as hell cant drag race a car. The equipment costs are actually pretty cheap by comparison. Travel, meals, and lodging is the real ass kicker.
This is what we've done for years on our "gamer" setups for the guys laying hate every weekend during the seasons. It might cost a more up front on materials, but your going to spend that money at some point anyways. Besides, most of us would be happy to offer a discounted rate for carbon copy jobs like this. I know I do at least.
