Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

[t140]

Whats the consensus on the CA-10 and CF barrels in general?

I picked up a CA-10 and my friend was able to squeeze out a .317" group at 100 yards off a front sandbag. So the barrels are precise, but how do they hold up to heat, etc?

 

[a1-equipment]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

Damn that's a good group. Most guy get them for the light weight. I had a browning with a carbon wrap. When it gets hot its hard to tell by touch when it's cool cause you don't know when the metal is cooled down.

Sounds likes it's a hell of a shooter

 

[t140]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

So the CF acts as a thermal barrier? The barrel will be hot but not the CF? That's interesting.

How about heat stringing? Did you notice any?

 

[holy cow]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

I do not know much about these barrels but they seem to be the go to people. Their is a web site, Varmint custom rifles extreme that offers 2 pricey AR,s built buy them and they seem pretty bad ass. Would love to get 1 in the future to hunt with.

 

[Flying Goose]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

This is an interesting concept and if I understand everything correctly that would mean that there would be no increased mirage from the barrel... right?

 

[holy cow]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

That would be nice. Wondering if you had 2 rifles side by side with 1 having the CF and the other a regular barrel shooting some distance with scopes that have a high magnification top end like 20 power + if their is a difference? Maybe we will get lucky with someone having used these barrels and give an opinion.

 

[notyers]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

Christianson Arms barrels are weak compared to an ABS/Proof Research Barrel. Do your homework. I have had 3 of the Proof Research Barrels all with Mike Rock Barrel inserts in them and all shoot in the .2-.3. groupings. Really dont think carbon fiber is any cooler on barrel life just to the touch on outside. That would mean that the resin has heatsink properties to it? I dont think so! It is lighter so that is why you buy it, not because it shoots better that a Bartlien or Rock barrel!

 

[Eznutz]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

Ditto on the Christensen arms. I had a friend get robbed by them on a project he built and they wouldn't stand by their product. I don't think they have invested the time and money into the cf wrapping like proof research has and have essentially come up with a very expensive light weight heavily insulated cf wrap. I hope it works out for you and glad to hear your ca-10 is a shooter. I would steer clear of them in the future.

 

[t140]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

Do you guys have any cites for claiming they're "weak" or "bad" barrels?

Eznutz, what happened to your friend's barrel that would makes you think that?

 

[mattwaage1]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

This is a much smaller caliber but one of the gun mags did an article a while ago about the magnum research CF wrapped barrel in 22mag or 17hmr on of them, and he found heat stringing easily but it also cooled fast. He claimed between shots if you counted to 10 or so it would keep the heat stringing down, and i figure shooting for groups you would take at least that long lol.

 

[Eznutz]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

He sent in a new complete rifle (remington off the shelf, nothing fancy) and asked them to rebarrel with one of theirs. when it got back he did his load developement and couldn't get it to group less than an 1.5" at 100 yards. He is a respectable shooter and has built guns for a number of years. He didn't guess on the load and pick a round out of the sky. he put some time behind the rifle and load developement and it wouldn't shoot. He contacted them and sent it back. I don't know the details of what they did but it came back the second time and again he tried an OCW workup without any luck. About the same results. He contacted them and asked if he could get his factory barrel back. (He hadn't shot it at all before sending them the gun). They said they no longer had it and wouldn't refund his money. So he was stuck with it. It was a very nice looking rig when they were done but it wasn't a shooter. he tried to sell it to reclaim some of his lost funds but not luck so he ordered a new shilen barrel and installed it and its a shooter now.

So the results were not mine. And when i was in the market for a CF barrel i knew he had bought one so i asked what his impression was on his. He didn't have anything good to say on the matter. I kept on looking into it and was still very intrigued on the weight aspect of it. Take it for what its worth at face value.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Re: Christensen CA-10 / CF barrels

Christensen Arms has two different types of barrels for the bolt action.

Stock barrels turned down and wrapped (which the above mentioned 1.5" group could have come from?) without an MOA guarantee. That might also explain Christensen arms not having his barrel, or they could have just thrown his stock barrel away too.

Match graade barrels turned down and wrapped (which have a .5 MOA guarantee).

The price difference is notable between these barrels.

I researched these for a lightweight build, and opted to go another route. I have never owned a Christensen Arms barrel or rifle, but used to drool over them back when I was poor(er).