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Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

ReaperDriver

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  • Sep 5, 2009
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    Vegas Baby!
    I've been contemplating getting my Factory SPS-T 20" barrel threaded, recrowned and fitted with a Badger FTE brake (with a can in the future). But after adding up the cost to do all that - I wonder if I should just spend the extra $$ and get a customm barrel. I've always been planning on a custom barrel eventually once I shot out this factory barrel, but I'm not sure how much I'm really looking at for the final price of a custom barrel by the time I get to the line. And my factory barrel probably only has 1500 rounds down the tube, so its got a ways to go.

    I figure the cost of shop services for what I want done to my existing barrel are probably in the neighborhood of $300 (Barrel thread, recrown, thread protector). What would I be looking at for a custom threaded barrel Like a Bartlein, Rock, etc installed? I've been to a number of the usual custom barrel maker websites and see barrels for about $300, but I assume those are just blanks and all the additional cost of chambering, rifling, threading, installing, etc are added on to that blank cost.

    So... What's a typical out the door cost for a custom tactical barrel in the 20-22" range?
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    I was just quoted roughly $600 out the door by two different gunsmiths. One for a Broughton, one for a Lilja. So your guesses are in the ballpark.

    John
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jrob300</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I was just quoted roughly $600 out the door by two different gunsmiths. One for a Broughton, one for a Lilja. So your guesses are in the ballpark.

    John </div></div>

    Thanks. Just to clarify.... when I buy a barrel "blank" from say Rock or Lilja or somone like that: Is it already rifled, chambered and crowned and ready to install on the gun? Or will the blank take significant extra work by a smith to install it to my action? I'm sorry for the dumb questions, just trying to get educated on the whole "custom" process.
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    No need to guess:

    From Krieger Barrels, for example:

    SS Barrel Blank $285
    Install and chamber barrel $270.
    Level II Truing - True bolt face and lugs, True receiver face, True receiver threads with piloted Tap - $175.

    Grand total: $730. w/action truing

    These prices are all Directly from Krieger and their price list.

    Hart Barrels is similar, charging $650. Includes price of barrel, squaring action and lapping lugs. Basically the same work including the barrel.


    That should give you a ballpark estimate.

    Bob
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BobinNC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">No need to guess:

    From Krieger Barrels, for example:

    SS Barrel Blank $285
    Install and chamber barrel $270.
    Level II Truing - True bolt face and lugs, True receiver face, True receiver threads with piloted Tap - $175.

    Grand total: $730. w/action truing

    These prices are all Directly from Krieger and their price list.

    Hart Barrels is similar, charging $650. Includes price of barrel, squaring action and lapping lugs. Basically the same work including the barrel.


    That should give you a ballpark estimate.

    Bob

    </div></div>

    Perfect. I started with Bartlein's website and it wasn't very clear ebyond the barrel blank price. OK, that's right in the ballpark I was thinking.

    I think I'm going to go with my original plan of just getting my existing barrel threaded for a brake and wait to get a custom barrel down the road and instead put the extra $$ towards some good glass. The gun is honestly shooting pretty well and I think I would benefit more from getting the recoil under control and learning how to shoot it better in Tac comps than the couple of extra tenths of accuracy I'd get out of a custom barrel right now.

    Thanks all for all the help.
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    just as an FYI when you buy a barrel blank from anyone, its just a piece of steel with a contour and hole running through the middle in your desired diameter and desired rifling twist. Once you have the blank it needs to be finished, meaning threading, chambering, installing, and cut to length and crowned. I got a barrel blank from Krieger and had it threaded, chambered, cut to length, and installed for about 500ish bucks.
     
    Re: Rough "out the door" price for a custom barrel?

    IIRC Pac-nor has $600 listed on their site for one of their barrels chambered and installed.

    bead blasting is a great way to finish SS barrels cheap.