Rebarel Bergara HMR 6.5 or Buy a new Rifle or action that accepts pre-fits

[eugevita]

Looking for some advice from the Hide. I have a B14HMR 6.5CM that has about 50% of its barrel life left. Overall I love the rifle, it is sub moa all day and the action is super smooth. I have shot it out to a mile! Bottom line it has served me well but it will need a new barrel at the rate at which I am shooting it recently.

So here is the decision I need to make: Do I rebarel this bad boy when the time comes or do I sell the rifle and buy a tikka rifle or a bighorn origin action with the intent of using prefit barrels. I already have a proof 24 inch 6.5 blank but it looks like most shops will charge me around 400-500 to chamber and install the new barrel. Should I go with this option? I like this rifle, have the blank, but the smith work is pricey and it would suck to have to pay so much $$$ for future rebarell situations.

The other option would be to sell the B14hmr and buy a tikka or bighorn origin since pre fit barrels are available for these rifles. Anyone know how much I could reasonably ask for a B14 HMR barreled action should I choose to sell it? If I sell it, the barrel will have over 1500 rounds on it at that point.... A SIG cross in 6.5 when they come out also sounds nice, not sure if they accept pre-fit barrels.

I am sure I am not the first to face this situation and hence would appreciate your thoughts!

 

[HousePlant]

Rebarrel it. Bergara will do it just mail it to them. Easy.

I mean, unless you're doing some kind of competition... then build a custom rifle since you've probably gained enough experience to justify it.

 

[eugevita]

Rebarrel it. Bergara will do it just mail it to them. Easy.

I mean, unless you're doing some kind of competition... then build a custom rifle since you've probably gained enough experience to justify it.

I am considering that option as at $500 bucks it is actually affordable to send it to Bergara in comparison to going the smith route. The only problem with that is that I will not be able to use a non Bergara barrel in that case. Really wanted a proof but maybe I will need to compromise there.

 

[fdkay]

I am considering that option as at $500 bucks it is actually affordable to send it to Bergara in comparison to going the smith route. The only problem with that is that I will not be able to use a non Bergara barrel in that case. Really wanted a proof but maybe I will need to compromise there.

Have you checked with LRI?

 

[eugevita]

Have you checked with LRI?

Indeed I did, their service was the fastest but also the most expensive at $475 + return shipping to chamber, install, thread, and put on my brake.

 

[JC0352]

Indeed I did, their service was the fastest but also the most expensive at $475 + return shipping to chamber, install, thread, and put on my brake.

Maybe save a bit more, then chase quality and not the bottom dollar. You already have a good blank, and seem to already have an action you like.

 

[Kimber.204]

John Scandale at Keystone Accuracy usually has pretty quick turnaround. Tell him to measure your action and keep the measurements. Then next time you need a new barrel call him up and he can ship you a prefit.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Heard a while back Bergara was doing prefits so I called and inquired, they said that they were too busy at the current time possibly in the future.
I also read somewhere that Bergara stopped doing rebarrel jobs due to work load, not sure if that is accurate or not but they did rebarrel my b14
and I have no complaints.

Surprised that no one has put out a "Berage" setup despite the popularity of the rifle. Guess people buy them and don't shoot them.

Call Bergara and see what they offer then decide what path to take. In my opinion I would sell it and get an action that you can make a call and have a barrel at your doorstep.

 

[eugevita]

Heard a while back Bergara was doing prefits so I called and inquired, they said that they were too busy at the current time possibly in the future.
I also read somewhere that Bergara stopped doing rebarrel jobs due to work load, not sure if that is accurate or not but they did rebarrel my b14
and I have no complaints.

Surprised that no one has put out a "Berage" setup despite the popularity of the rifle. Guess people buy them and don't shoot them.

Call Bergara and see what they offer then decide what path to take. In my opinion I would sell it and get an action that you can make a call and have a barrel at your doorstep.

yea I really wish someone would make those pre fits for Bergara.

called Bergara and was told that they can rebarrel with a premier barrel and cerakote barrelled action for $500. I am considering it.

 

[eugevita]

John Scandale at Keystone Accuracy usually has pretty quick turnaround. Tell him to measure your action and keep the measurements. Then next time you need a new barrel call him up and he can ship you a prefit.

Thanks for the lead, i emailed him to inquire. Is his work well known?

 

[Kimber.204]

Thanks for the lead, i emailed him to inquire. Is his work well known?

He's an NRA Highpower shooter and if you go to a big match anywhere in the northeast folks know his name/work. I think plenty of the PRS/Tactical crowd k ow his work in the area too.

He stocks round blanks and will turn them to any contour you want.

I'm on my third Keystone Accuracy barrel and I'll continue to use them. I've been using the cheaper Green Mountain blanks but he usually has Krieger in stock as well.

User/contributor padom here on the hide has done a lot of testing that happened to use Keystone barrels as well. Search Padom to find Dominic's content.

And the bottom line is that I see companies offering the same barrels for almost double the price.... I personally can't justify that.

Regards
Ross

 

[308pirate]

Is his work well known?

It is, and for all the right reasons

 

[eugevita]

He's an NRA Highpower shooter and if you go to a big match anywhere in the northeast folks know his name/work. I think plenty of the PRS/Tactical crowd k ow his work in the area too.

He stocks round blanks and will turn them to any contour you want.

I'm on my third Keystone Accuracy barrel and I'll continue to use them. I've been using the cheaper Green Mountain blanks but he usually has Krieger in stock as well.

User/contributor padom here on the hide has done a lot of testing that happened to use Keystone barrels as well. Search Padom to find Dominic's content.

And the bottom line is that I see companies offering the same barrels for almost double the price.... I personally can't justify that.

Regards
Ross

Ross, thank you! I emailed with him a lot yesterday and he was awesome, great advice! He suggested I sell the bergara and buy a big horn origin barrel.

He said he can chamber and thread my proof blank for the origin so I may have him do that. Going to first see if I can trade the Proof blank for either a origin action or a proof origin prefit.

Thanks again!

 

[spife7980]

Ross, thank you! I emailed with him a lot yesterday and he was awesome, great advice! He suggested I sell the bergara and buy a big horn origin barrel.

He said he can chamber and thread my proof blank for the origin so I may have him do that. Going to first see if I can trade the Proof blank for either a origin action or a proof origin prefit.

Thanks again!

Here’s what he told me about an origin

Anyways, I went and bought two origins after this.

 

[eugevita]

Here’s what he told me about an origin
View attachment 7428170

Anyways, I went and bought two origins after this.

are you happy with the origins? Any advice? People generally like them it seems from what i can tell. I like that i can keep my700 pattern krg xray and use prefits if i get the origin.

 

[Jackomason]

I have an origin with a keystone barrel on it. no complaints.

I may even send my long action B14 in to get a new barrel from keystone.

 

[Zane1844]

I'm in a similar spot. Though not as close to shooting my barrel out, I'm just in the planning/saving process for it.

Since I like HMR stock, I might just put a new barreled action into it.

 

[eugevita]

I'm in a similar spot. Though not as close to shooting my barrel out, I'm just in the planning/saving process for it.

Since I like HMR stock, I might just put a new barreled action into it.

Makes sense!

 

[spife7980]

are you happy with the origins? Any advice? People generally like them it seems from what i can tell. I like that i can keep my700 pattern krg xray and use prefits if i get the origin.

I’m really happy with them. Can’t be beat for the money.
I’ve got one with a barrel nut prefit, I’ve got the second with a shouldered prefit.
One has a bix tac sport pro, the other a tt diamond.

I use the nss action wrench so having the nonintegral base and lug of the origin vs the tl3 are actually a convenience for me in that I only need the one external action wrench for anything I have so I just pocket the price difference and smile.

 

[eugevita]

I’m really happy with them. Can’t be beat for the money.
I’ve got one with a barrel nut prefit, I’ve got the second with a shouldered prefit.
One has a bix tac sport pro, the other a tt diamond.

I use the nss action wrench so having the nonintegral base and lug of the origin vs the tl3 are actually a convenience for me in that I only need the one external action wrench for anything I have so I just pocket the price difference and smile.

Whats the difference between shouldered prefit and barrel nut prefit? Sounds like the origin takes both. I know this is a newb question but hopefully someone can school me. Is this why origin can take both origin and savage pre fits? Just trying to understand the nuance of this part of it. Thanks!

 

[hereinaz]

Origin can also take TL3 prefits with the Hunts Long Range recoil lug.

 

[spife7980]

Whats the difference between shouldered prefit and barrel nut prefit? Sounds like the origin takes both. I know this is a newb question but hopefully someone can school me. Is this why origin can take both origin and savage pre fits? Just trying to understand the nuance of this part of it. Thanks!

Yes, since some of the custom actions like the origin are cut so identical to one another you can cut the shoulder on the barrel itself so that it threads into the action to exactly the correct depth without the smith having to first measure the action himself.

With a barrel nut system you don’t need perfect actions that are identical to one another (so take savage for example) because you can still thread the barrel into the action until it stops at the correct depth on a gauge you had inserted in the chamber and then you spin the barrel nut down to the action to hold it in place. It’s just a jamb nut to keep the barrel from spinning out of its proper depth/location.

The threads and chamber between the two types will be the same, it will just be how the threads stop.

 

[eugevita]

Yes, since the custom actions are cut so identical to one another you can cut the shoulder on the barrel itself so that it threads into the action to exactly the correct depth without the smith having to first measure the action himself.

With a barrel nut system you don’t need perfect actions that are identical to one another (so take savage for example) because you can still thread the barrel into the action until it stops at the correct depth on a gauge you had inserted in the chamber and then you spin the barrel nut down to the action to hold it in place. It’s just a jamb nut to keep the barrel from spinning out of its proper depth/location.

The threads and chamber between the two types will be the same, it will just be how the threads stop.

Great explanation, I really appreciate that!

 

[Steel head]

You’d think someone would do a coned breech Barrel nut prefit for Bergara by now.

 

[eugevita]

You’d think someone would do a coned breech Barrel nut prefit for Bergara by now.

Indeed, if that were the case I would happily keep the Bergara!

 

[Jackomason]

one of the original bergaras came with a barrel nut but they did away with that because they could rebarrel for so cheap. I guess they couldn't fathom anyone wanting a different barrel. honestly if that had more contours available I think a lot of people would be happy/content with a $500 barrel out the door.