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Who are your favorite vendors for pre-fit barrels?

DIBBS

Old Mountain Man-Tired occasionally Grumpy SOB
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Minuteman
  • Aug 21, 2008
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    3,378
    WARSHington State
    For those of you that are running an action that accepts shouldered pre-fit barrels, who are your favorite vendors to purchase from? Availability seems to be an issue currently depending on chambering.
     
    I have one coming tomorrow from Blue Mountain Precision for an Impact. Looking forward to seeing what I can do with it.
     
    Plenty of great options - Blue Mountain spun up a 22 Creed prefit for my TL3. Took UPS 6 days to get the barrel to them and I had it back on my doorstep 6 days later. Unbelievably fast work!

    I'm having Deep South Tactical chamber a prefit for my Terminus Zeus at the moment. Great pricing too!
     
    +1 for DST, they’re gonna be spinning up a barrel for me as soon as I get them a reamer. They’ve already made me two others, one of which I’m working on burning through.

    ETA: Not sure where they’re at on it now, but turnaround time from DST was like two weeks middle of last year. If they don’t already have a prefit on the shelf for you, they can spin one fairly quick. Cost does become the other factor, true prefits tend to run cheaper from what I’ve seen.
     
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    PVA may have one of, if not THE largest selection if pre-fits. Every action I've had that got a PVA barrel was a pre-fit minus my .300wm for a R700. Sent it to him for that one and rightfully so.
    I bought a PVA 6cm rock creek prefit for a nucleus and it was one of the most accurate barrels I’ve ever owned. Top notch
     
    What action and what barrel (chamber, length, contour, threads if any) are you looking for?
     
    I have a few from Eric at Blue Mountain Precision and his are always just outstanding. I have one for my Zeus from Southern Precision too but can't shoot it yet as I'm still waiting for the bolt for the action.
     
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    What action and what barrel (chamber, length, contour, threads if any) are you looking for?

    Impact 737R Action
    Remington Varmint/ Sendero Contour or heavier (MTU ?) threaded muzzle 5/8x24( for can, with fluting to take a little weight off if heavier contour
    ~25" Barrel
    8 twist .219 Bore
    22 Creedmoor
     
    I’ve got one at straight jacket right now for a 7 WSM prefit for a long range hunting build. Had to send them the carbon barrel I wanted chambered. Talked to both Tristan and Nick.

    Will follow up on how it shoots, but customer service so far has been great.
     
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    both of mine were from mile high my third will be from them when I need a new one they are great to work with .
     
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    Direct from Proof, ES Tactical, Mile High, Keystone have all made me happy
     
    Altus. Shoots lights out.

    Deep South Tactical has a blank I just sent them. Turn-around time estimated at a week-ish. So far, customer service has been stellar.
     
    Happy with PVA, but you can't go wrong with the ones listed here. I'd look at what you want for caliber, contour, twist and then see who has what in stock.
     
    Lilja Precision. Outstanding barrels. Famous for their Olympics Gold Medal barrels. Family owned shop in Montana since 1985. They only make prefits for Defiance Machine actions, drop ins for rimfire rifles and AR's. Everything else is custom - get a gunsmith - stuff.

    "Since Dan started this business Lilja barrels shot by him and others have won events in every major benchrest tournament, including the NBRSA and IBS Nationals, the Super Shoot, the Cactus, the Crawfish and Williamsport, as well as FCSA, BR-50 and CBA matches. They have also set NBRSA, BR-50, IR 50/50, RBA, ARA and CBA records. Olympic Gold medals have been won using our .22 rimfire barrels."

    Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels, Inc.
     
    Deep South Tactical did a lilja blank I sent in. The work is impeccable, and they had a great deal going for hide members. The longest part of the process was shipping - They finished the work and had it back in the mail to me within a week of getting it.

    Shoots great, and great dudes to work with.
     
    Lilja Precision. Outstanding barrels. Famous for their Olympics Gold Medal barrels. Family owned shop in Montana since 1985. They only make prefits for Defiance Machine actions, drop ins for rimfire rifles and AR's. Everything else is custom - get a gunsmith - stuff.

    "Since Dan started this business Lilja barrels shot by him and others have won events in every major benchrest tournament, including the NBRSA and IBS Nationals, the Super Shoot, the Cactus, the Crawfish and Williamsport, as well as FCSA, BR-50 and CBA matches. They have also set NBRSA, BR-50, IR 50/50, RBA, ARA and CBA records. Olympic Gold medals have been won using our .22 rimfire barrels."

    Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels, Inc.

    You're copying and pasting info from Lilja website into a prefit gunsmith thread?? Are you just spamming or have you been buying prefits from Lilja and recommended them for prefit barrels based off experience? I'm confused
     
    I have to add @FisherT&C to the list. I ordered a 25 Creedmoor barrel for a TL3 from him in October. I received it in 19 days. I haven't had the chance to install it, since my current Dasher barrel is still running strong, so I'll post a review when I have.

    I also ordered a barrel from another Smith mentioned in this thread back in August. I'm still waiting on that one.
     
    and more in this thread

     
    I usually buy a barrel from Bugholes and have it dropped shipped to Travis at TS Customs for the chambering and barrel threading.
     
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    For those of you that are running an action that accepts shouldered pre-fit barrels, who are your favorite vendors to purchase from? Availability seems to be an issue currently depending on chambering.
    I've had my Proof stainless prefit for Origin long enough to put just over 2400 down range. It's only a test bed of 1, but liked it so much ordered up another from @Front Range Precision several months ago. Darn thing went out the day I ordered and was here in 72 hours. Buddy has Proof pre fit in carbon that shoots lights out as well.
     
    Are prices at most of the above vendors more or less the same? $350-370 for a cut rifled blank, then $350 or so to chamber and thread?
     
    Given the supply circumstances, I locate the blank I want and ship to Exodus Rifles.
     
    Are prices at most of the above vendors more or less the same? $350-370 for a cut rifled blank, then $350 or so to chamber and thread?
    Pretty much, +/- $50. Some vendors will have a sale from time to time, where you can pick one up for less, and some will throw in muzzle threading. I bought a prefit for $685 last year, contoured, chambered, and threaded.
     
    Anyone mention PVA? LOL Well jumping on that bandwagon as Josh @bohem does some excellent work. Got a 6mm Creedmoor barrel being spun up now for my TL3 to add to the 6.5 Creed and .223 barrels he did.
     
    I recently had Spartan Precision Rifles spin up a "prefit" barrel (Bartlein for an Origin action). I provided the blank, but they told me exactly where to purchase the specific blank I wanted and it was shipped directly to Spartan. I was very pleased with the work, customer service and turn around (10 days if memory serves me). Marc at Spartan also helped me to determine the right contour for my intended use/desired weight. Spartan used to be located near me, now located in brand new facility in Idaho.

    Last year I had Straight Jacket Armory cut a prefit barrel for a match rifle. Benchmark VCC for an Impact 737R action. Straight Jacket provided the blank. I am very happy with the barrel.

    I bought a Proof factory prefit from Front Range Precision (Montana) last year and was happy with the service and competitive pricing. It was shipped the next day.

    My experience has been similar to @Bacarrat. Purchasing you own blank and sending it to a gunsmith is quicker than waiting for a gunsmith to source a blank they don't already have on the shelf.
     
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    i have an action and 5 barrels arriving tomorrow from Spartan Precision Rifles., I have a 6.5SS that Deep South Tatical spun up , 6mm Dasher chambered for Norma brass that LRI did for me, 6.5 & 6CM prefits from Altus. All shoot great and I'd recommend any of them
     
    Purchasing you own blank and sending it to a gunsmith is quicker than waiting for a gunsmith to source a blank they don't already have on the shelf.
    This!

    PVA keeps several hundred blanks here and we contour in house to order. It's rare that we don't have a blank for the common calibers but when we do this is EXACTLY what we advise people.

    (PS I'm not joking, we have almost 500 blanks here from 22 thorugh 33 caliber, if we don't have what you want you're best bet is to find it and send it)
     
    This!

    PVA keeps several hundred blanks here and we contour in house to order. It's rare that we don't have a blank for the common calibers but when we do this is EXACTLY what we advise people.

    (PS I'm not joking, we have almost 500 blanks here from 22 thorugh 33 caliber, if we don't have what you want you're best bet is to find it and send it)

    Been waiting for a reply from Joe about your 7.7 twist 338 Rock Creek cut rifle blanks... waited a week and then replied to my own email to bump it up in his box. All I wanted to know is whether people have had any luck with cup and core in that twist or if it would be a solids-only barrel? Do you have any feedback from shooters? I know the answer theoretically - was hoping for real world...