Does this crown look ok? I can snag my fingernail on the tool marks. My other barrels dont look like this. Does it really matter or should I have someone clean them up? I have two like this brand new.
Is this crown ok?
- Thread starter chopit
- Start date
I think you are looking at the machine marks in recess and not the crown. I don't see any burrs on the rifling or in the groves that would catch bullet as it exits.
Looks awful in the pic for sure. Maybe a pic further back and straighter to the bore. I always polish the face to a mirror finish as it helps cleaning a ton.
There will be arguments back and forth on whether cleaning the crown area especially when running suppressed will harm accuracy or not. I personally clean the crown. I actually wipe it off when I remove the suppressor and install a thread protector on my direct thread cans
Looking at that it will make cleaning harder and obviously if looks bothers you it may do that
Where the bullet exits though seems great and good to go. I’m sure plenty of people run brakes with or without cans and never clean the crown
Looking at that it will make cleaning harder and obviously if looks bothers you it may do that
Where the bullet exits though seems great and good to go. I’m sure plenty of people run brakes with or without cans and never clean the crown
Sorry read that too fast. I have two barrels and the muzzle ends both look like that. They are good on the other end. Chamber looks good threads and face are good. They are AI prefits.
Stainless alloys are known to gall like that when tooling is dull. I don’t know that you’ll have any issues with the crown, but whoever let those out the door should be shot with them. The crowns look like crap.
Send it back to whoever cut those if it bothers you that much. I’d just shoot them.
Here’s what an accuracy robbing ding looks like. My favorite walk around rifle and I went for a ride down a mountain. It actually used to be worse, that rifle (M-70 375 H&H) would stack my pet load in a solid .6-.7 hole, after the tumble, 1-1.5. I just kept shooting it and it wore down a bit, since it’s my bear fighting gun, 1.5 moa is good enough.
Here’s what an accuracy robbing ding looks like. My favorite walk around rifle and I went for a ride down a mountain. It actually used to be worse, that rifle (M-70 375 H&H) would stack my pet load in a solid .6-.7 hole, after the tumble, 1-1.5. I just kept shooting it and it wore down a bit, since it’s my bear fighting gun, 1.5 moa is good enough.
Am I nuts or is there no rifling visible on those two muzzles?
Thats the breach end in the pictures in post #16. Someone asked me if that end was as bad as the muzzle end picture in the first post.
Yeah I don’t know
They do look like crap compared to the few I have. My 308 LW barrel muzzle threads are a touch rougher compared to the new barrels. But it’s over 4000 rounds, has a can on and off a lot and is literally missing small chunks near the breach in the rifling. But it still hammers
Hopefully the reamer was a bit sharper when it cut the chamber. That be my biggest concern out of them all.
They do look like crap compared to the few I have. My 308 LW barrel muzzle threads are a touch rougher compared to the new barrels. But it’s over 4000 rounds, has a can on and off a lot and is literally missing small chunks near the breach in the rifling. But it still hammers
Hopefully the reamer was a bit sharper when it cut the chamber. That be my biggest concern out of them all.
One of the responses I’m sure will be “but how do they shoot”
Just keep in mind if you’re not happy with the tooling it’s best to have them fixed or sent back before shooting.
However they may be perfectly fine and shoot great.
This is a factory LW 308 5/8-24 muzzle thread with over 4000 rounds and direct thread can on and off a lot of times
And this is a factory Wintac Bartlein 308 barrel with 150 rounds on it. Both muzzle and breach end for reference. Absolutely smooth finish
My 260 Manzella barrel I don’t have pics of because it’s mounted on the rifle with a TBAC brake on it. But when I got it I looked it over and it looks like it was machined by Angels. Absolutely flawless
Judging by your pics above your chamber definitely has more tooling marks than my example in this post
Just keep in mind if you’re not happy with the tooling it’s best to have them fixed or sent back before shooting.
However they may be perfectly fine and shoot great.
This is a factory LW 308 5/8-24 muzzle thread with over 4000 rounds and direct thread can on and off a lot of times
And this is a factory Wintac Bartlein 308 barrel with 150 rounds on it. Both muzzle and breach end for reference. Absolutely smooth finish
My 260 Manzella barrel I don’t have pics of because it’s mounted on the rifle with a TBAC brake on it. But when I got it I looked it over and it looks like it was machined by Angels. Absolutely flawless
Judging by your pics above your chamber definitely has more tooling marks than my example in this post
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I gotta quit the day drinking lol
I would be concerned on the threads also. The tearing on the threads is a good indication that the threads might also be out of tolerance. Thiers always room for improvement, had crowns look like that when I first started. As long as your gunsmith is receptive to feedback, Id have him redo it or show a comparison to one that's done better. It'll either help him/her get thier machining better (if they are receptive) and you walk away with a better product that you paid for.
Best way to see if the crown has burs is to fray a Q-Tip and see if the strands snag when wiping the bore and grooves
Best way to see if the crown has burs is to fray a Q-Tip and see if the strands snag when wiping the bore and grooves
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I have never met a gunsmith that handled feedback very well. This isnt a one off I have 2 that are the same.
In all honesty, if he/she cares about putting bread on the table, it's better to make it right and keep your buisness. And if you want to succeed in this industry, any feedback on your work better be fuel to provide better or your name goes to crap and the next gunsmith gets your clients, his friends and families buisness.
Hopefully they will make it right. If not, then you know not to go back there
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The crown and recess doesnt have burrs I just tried that q tip trick but the muzzle threads pull the q tip strands bad. I put some never seize on the threads and ran a thread protector on it a couple times. It threaded on and off fine. The threads look gauled though but it threaded on easy.
If your gunsmith sends you the above barrel and cant handle feedback then find a better smith. There’s plenty out there making AI prefits. Manzella, Fritz and Bugholes to name a few of the top smiths.
You have two choices
1) tell them your not happy and have it fixed or refunded
2) Take it as a lesson learned. Shoot them. Hope all is good which it very well may be. Then return to this smith in the future or don’t
My concern at this point would be the chamber. Everything else can be considered cosmetic if it goes together and shoots well
If I received barrels like this I would first consider what I paid for them. A cheaper prefit would warrant some flaws in my opinion. Next I’d borescope it. If it was good inside I’d shoot it. If it shot great I could live with everything else personally
I would probably mount a brake for my 36M or Ultra 338 can on there and wouldn’t be bothered by that crown anyways
I feel like it wont be a problem but it looks like shit.
I wont say who specially since.I havent talk to them yet and given them the opportunity to discuss it. You would be suprised though it is someone well known in PRS world. I didnt buy them new I got them used unfired from someone. There will probably be heartburn about that. You can easily tell they are unfired.
This definately will be a lesson learned. Its not worth it over 2 barrels. It is what it is. They might shoot lights out.
They were my first thought when I saw the title bad crown. Then I saw the crummy machine work and thought check another box for them. Then I saw the sharp threads...
I sent three barrels back to them and each replacement had out of speck threads on both ends shit machine work and bad crowns. Granted the OPs crown looks better than any crown they sent me.
Yeah, rough edges. Pretty sure I would use a different smith next time. That said, the crown looks like it is capable of decent shots, despite being ugly. The threads will most likely smooth out after a bit of use and are “Ok”. Looks like the smith has the knowledge to do good work just not the pride to actually do it right.
I put some never seize on the threads and spun my thread protector on. I ran it back and forth it was smooth no play or bad spots. I will shoot one of them on friday.
If it's something you feel you need to try for the crown, Manson makes tools that can be done by hand and drill I think.
Looked into it briefly for an AR10 barrel that has a defect at the crown. Shoots 1.5 MOA for me so it's not something I am to concerned with. For the price of the tools it's not worth the attempt. Think it's like $350-$500 depending on options and how many pilots.
Looked into it briefly for an AR10 barrel that has a defect at the crown. Shoots 1.5 MOA for me so it's not something I am to concerned with. For the price of the tools it's not worth the attempt. Think it's like $350-$500 depending on options and how many pilots.
A crown can be damaged to the point you cannot see it with the naked eye and it can cause accuracy issues.
That one though in your pic... that's bad!
To the OP...
What does the crown look like at the bore edge? If it's clean and uniform... I wouldn't sweat it.
Take your Qtip like in the one pic and rub move it around the inside edge of the crown... as long as your not pulling chunks of fiber like that off from your threads... don't sweat it. Go shoot it and let it tell you how it's shooting.
Yes the overall finish of the crown work could be nicer looking.
Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
What does the crown look like at the bore edge? If it's clean and uniform... I wouldn't sweat it.
Take your Qtip like in the one pic and rub move it around the inside edge of the crown... as long as your not pulling chunks of fiber like that off from your threads... don't sweat it. Go shoot it and let it tell you how it's shooting.
Yes the overall finish of the crown work could be nicer looking.
Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
After looking at the tenon threads, they look rough to me also. I’m curious what your thoughts are Frank?
Not nice looking that's for sure!
Does it thread/screw on o.k.? Fit not too loose / sloppy at all?
If the fit's decent and no issues threading it on and off... it's cosmetic.
I won't name the gunsmith.... but I know a guy who turns the major breech diameter of the threads undersize and uses a frickin threading die to thread the breech end of the barrels for bolt guns. Just not the way to do it! The fit is horrible! Your just asking for problems.
Ok I got to the range today. The barrel shot good. The pictures are a 3" circle at 100 yds shooting hornady black 2975 fps. So in the end the barrel will work for what I want which is a night time coyotes.
Definitely minute of Coyote. Actually really good group. Nice shooting
