I’ve been publishing a sequence of articles known as What The Execs Use that shares knowledge in regards to the rifles and equipment the highest 200 shooters within the Precision Rifle Sequence (PRS) are utilizing to compete and hit long-range targets. I’ve carried out this for a number of years, all the best way again to the 2012 PRS season! I’ve seen some attention-grabbing tendencies over that point, and one of many current ones is the rising recognition of pre-fit barrels, even amongst these high riflemen.
A lot of my readers seemingly aren’t aware of pre-fit barrels or what the craze is all about, so I needed to put just a little groundwork that I may reference again to over the subsequent few articles about actions, barrels, and gunsmiths that these high shooters are selecting. In these upcoming articles, I’ll share much more particulars about what number of of these high marksmen are working pre-fits for various actions and precisely what model pre-fit barrel – however for now, let me attempt to clarify what pre-fits are and why it is best to care.
Be aware: I did get 3 of essentially the most revered precision rifle gunsmiths within the nation to proofread this text to make sure it was correct. Any time I’m writing on a really technical subject, I attempt to discover consultants in that subject to double-check my work so I don’t unfold unhealthy info. There’s already an excessive amount of of that on the web! 😉
What’s a Pre-Match Barrel?
Pre-fit barrels are chambered barrels you should purchase off the shelf and easily screw onto your rifle. Numerous types of pre-fit barrels have been round for many years, however we’ve not too long ago seen rising recognition even among the many top-ranked precision rifle shooters.
“Developments in CNC machining have supplied rifle producers with the flexibility to carry persistently tight tolerances on the bolt and receiver elements, permitting barrel producers to provide ‘pre-fit’ barrels that headspace with each motion that leaves the meeting line.” (Supply: Vortakt Barrel Works)
Pre-fit barrels are sometimes chambered in massive bulks with standardized choices, which might actually assist a gunsmith with throughput and effectivity in comparison with {custom} chambering a selected barrel to a selected motion. That usually leads to time and price financial savings for the gunsmith, which is why pre-fit barrels are usually just a little decrease priced. That half looks like a win-win for gunsmiths and for shooters.
There are a number of kinds of pre-fit barrels, and so they received’t essentially work on each motion. Actually, this entire subject can get fairly technical and complicated, and I couldn’t discover many locations that helped folks perceive the nuances – so I spent a couple of days writing this text! 😉
Are Pre-Match Barrels as Correct as One That Was Customized Chambered for Your Motion?
I do know many individuals are questioning if pre-fit barrels are as correct as a barrel that was custom-chambered to your particular motion. That may be a sizzling subject, with loads of sturdy opinions on each side. Whereas I don’t have any empirical analysis I can share to reply that, I do suppose I’ve some knowledge that gives some perception into that query.
Here’s a have a look at how most of the 200 top-ranked Precision Rifle Sequence shooters are working pre-fit barrels in comparison with a barrel that was custom-chambered for his or her particular motion:
35% of the top-ranked shooters are utilizing a pre-fit barrel, and 65% mentioned their barrel was custom-chambered for his or her particular motion. There have been 3 guys who positioned within the high 10 within the total PRS season rankings who mentioned they have been working a pre-fit on their competitors rifle: Austin Orgain, Austin Buschman, and Kyle Mccormack. These 3 guys symbolize 3 PRS Championships and a World Championship, in order that they aren’t simply high shooters – they’re the perfect of the perfect. And people guys are selecting to run pre-fit barrels! I don’t personally know all the high shooters, however I do know these 3 guys and might say they’re extraordinarily aggressive. They need to win greater than most individuals can perceive. Don’t get me flawed, they’re very good guys who assist different shooters – but when they thought a pre-fit barrel was hurting their precision one bit, they completely wouldn’t be working them.
So, it’s clear that pre-fit barrels are correct sufficient to win matches within the PRS. In a current interview, I requested Austin Orgain, “What sort of precision are you seeking to get out of a rifle earlier than you will have the arrogance to take it to a match?” He mentioned, “A minimum of 0.5 MOA at 900 yards. If I’m checking it on a very windy day, I largely simply have a look at the waterline and largely ignore left-to-right dispersion. I don’t need something that has greater than 2-3 inches of vertical at 900 yards.“ 3 inches at 900 yards equates to 0.32 MOA. I additionally requested Austin Buschman what sort of teams his competitors rifle shot, and he mentioned his common 5-shot group was in all probability round 0.1 mils, which is 0.34 MOA. Whereas their solutions have been completely different, it’s humorous they have been each round 0.32-0.34 MOA. Now, are pre-fit barrels correct sufficient to win a Benchrest match? Many would possibly argue no, however that’s not my space of experience, so I’ll keep out of that argument!
If I had requested the highest shooters 10 years in the past, nearly none have been working pre-fits! It will likely be attention-grabbing to see the place this development goes sooner or later. I’d be stunned if it didn’t proceed to develop.
I’ll present additional breakdowns of this knowledge when it comes to what number of shooters are working pre-fit barrels for various actions, barrel producers, and which gunsmith chambered it in subsequent posts. I merely needed to level out that even these top-ranked shooters who’re completely obsessive about precision are getting in on it.
The Loopy Developments Over The Previous 10 Years
Again when the PRS began round 2012, the confirmed path to a world-class precision rifle was to true a manufacturing facility Remington 700 motion. Typically, you’d purchase a used Remington 700 manufacturing facility rifle from a gun retailer or pawn store as “a donor rifle.” Then, throw away the inventory and barrel and mail the motion off to a gunsmith who would “blueprint” or “accurize” it. That meant they’d attempt to make that Rem 700 motion as sq. and true as doable and infrequently would possibly improve the extractor, cut back the dimensions of the firing pinhole, or do different operations to attempt to enhance reliability or precision. Then they’d chamber a {custom} barrel particularly for that particular person motion, mattress a Manners or McMillan inventory particularly for that particular person motion, and after what at all times appeared like a minimal of 6 months or longer, the shooter would lastly get the completed rifle. If you burned out the barrel, you’d mail the motion again to the gunsmith and wait one other few months to your motion with a brand new barrel on it.
That will sound like again when dinosaurs roamed the earth, however there have been nonetheless high 100 PRS shooters utilizing a trued Rem 700 motion simply 8 years in the past (see the info)! In truth, simply 10 years in the past, 10% of the highest 50 shooters within the PRS have been utilizing a trued Rem 700 motion (see the info)!
I do know! It’s wild to consider! However that clearly reveals how far we’ve come over the previous 10 years when it comes to high-quality gear. That’s the reason that is essentially the most thrilling time in historical past to be into precision rifle capturing! This sport has actually superior extra previously 10 years than the earlier 50!
It’s All About Headspace
So why did gunsmiths {custom} chamber barrels for particular actions for thus lengthy, and the way did we get to pre-fit barrels? An enormous half comes all the way down to “headspace.” Forster is an trade knowledgeable in that space, and the excerpt under is from a few of their materials that explains what headspace is for any trendy rifle cartridge design:
Each time we hearth a rifle, there may be an explosion with 50,000+ psi of strain simply inches from our face. We hardly ever take into consideration that, however a number of vital issues guarantee it’s protected. One of many vital features is headspace. In a bolt-action rifle, if there may be not sufficient headspace, the bolt merely received’t shut. However, if the chamber headspace is simply too lengthy, that may be a probably harmful situation that you simply wouldn’t essentially discover. Ask me how I do know! 😉
It’s vital for security that the headspace size of a chamber falls inside an express vary that’s outlined by SAAMI for each customary cartridge. Right here is an instance of these SAAMI specs for a 6.5 Creedmoor:
Right here is the issue: Chamber headspace is not only decided by the chambered barrel or the motion alone however a mixture of the 2. Keep in mind, headspace is principally the gap from the bolt face to the place that stops the case from shifting ahead down the barrel. It’s just like the motion producer is answerable for the left facet of the tape measure, and the gunsmith chambering the barrel is answerable for the correct facet of the tape measure. If bolt face A was barely deeper than bolt face B, then even in the identical receiver with the very same barrel, the headspace could be completely different. And it’s not simply the bolt face; there are a couple of elements in an motion that may play into headspace, and any variance or error can have a stacking impact.
That’s the reason, for the longest time, gunsmiths chambered every {custom} barrel for a selected motion. They couldn’t rely on an motion producer holding their facet of the tape measure persistently over hundreds of actions. In order that they’d need the motion in hand earlier than they chambered a barrel so they may rigorously measure a selected motion and chamber a barrel to match.
Nevertheless, developments in manufacturing and CNC machining have supplied motion producers with the flexibility to persistently maintain tight tolerances on the bolt and receiver elements and the general assembled motion. The overall variation within the assembled elements is smaller than the vary of protected headspace lengths, which means gunsmiths and barrel producers can produce ‘pre-fit’ barrels based mostly on the producer’s revealed specs. These pre-fit barrels ought to headspace appropriately on any and each motion of that very same mannequin that the producer produces.
What’s the Distinction Between a “Shouldered Pre-Match” and a “Barrel Nut Pre-Match”?
There are a number of barely completely different variations of pre-fits, however they primarily fall into two classes. Many are aware of “Barrel Nut Pre-Match,” however now there may be a further class of “Shouldered Pre-Match” barrels.
Barrel Nut Pre-Match Barrels
Savage first made pre-fit barrels standard in 1958 with a design that’s simply recognized by the barrel nut immediately subsequent to the motion. Some refer to those as variable shoulder pre-fit barrels, and others would possibly say these shouldn’t be known as a “pre-fit.” Like most issues round capturing, there is no such thing as a scarcity of sturdy opinions!
“Set up of barrel nuts requires extra effort/ability. Variable shoulder prefits require correct headspacing gauges, in addition to a professional gunsmith to put in them appropriately. Improper set up may cause hurt to the shooter, others round, the firearm itself, and surrounding objects.” (Supply: Most well-liked Barrel Blanks, Pre-Match Gun Barrel FAQ)
Barrel Nut Pre-Match barrels permit the installer to customise the headspace to be applicable based mostly on the motion on which it’s being put in. They’re explicitly setting the headspace, which is why putting in this sort of pre-fit needs to be carried out by a professional gunsmith. They are going to want two headspace gauges particularly made for the cartridge the barrel is chambered for to ensure they get it proper. One is named a “GO” gauge, and the opposite is a “NO GO” gauge. If the headspace is right, you’ll be able to put the “GO” gauge within the chamber, and it is best to have the ability to shut the bolt on it – however the bolt ought to NOT shut with the “NO GO” gauge within the chamber. Pacific Software & Gauge (PTG) and Forster are standard selections for go/no-go headspace gauges, and so they value round $30-50 every.
You’ll be able to apply this Savage barrel nut thought to a Remington 700 motion or different Rem 700-based actions, and most of the people confer with that combo as a “Remage” rifle. It doesn’t must be a high-end {custom} motion to make a barrel nut pre-fit work. The advantage of the barrel nut method is you’ll be able to nonetheless use a pre-fit barrel however use the nut to customise it to headspace correctly in your motion – even when the motion isn’t equivalent to the subsequent one which got here off the manufacturing line. There are a couple of downsides to barrel nut pre-fits, together with there are a number of choices and every requires proprietary instruments/elements.
Shouldered Pre-Match Barrels
These pre-fit barrels look and performance equivalent to the barrels which are custom-chambered by a gunsmith to your particular motion. There is no such thing as a barrel nut – merely screw them on till they cease.
“Shouldered pre-fit barrels are designed to be threaded immediately into the receiver towards a machined face or recoil lug. The shoulder, breech face, and chamber of the pre-fit barrel are all machined to a selected depth to facilitate constant headspacing. Not all producers can accomplish this, because the stacking of tolerances requires sure options to be held to +/- 0.0005 in. Assuming the motion producer can set their receiver’s tenon size and bolt dimensions to a constant customary, these barrels could be screwed immediately into the receiver with none end chambering operations. One of many advantages of a shouldered pre-fit design is that the shank diameter could be sized to match the surface diameter of the receiver. Barrel nut pre-fit barrels are usually restricted to an outdoor diameter that matches the surface thread diameter. The removing of a further threaded element reduces the variety of variables at play when accurizing a rifle, additionally serving to enhance rigidity. The elevated wall thickness across the chamber not solely provides power in a vital location however helps cut back temperature achieve throughout prolonged programs of fireside.” (Supply: Vortakt Barrel Works)
Shouldered pre-fit barrels are solely accessible on high-end actions. Manufacturing unit or finances actions merely can’t meet the tight tolerances crucial to ensure {that a} chambered barrel would headspace appropriately for any motion they ever made.
This video helps you visualize the distinction between varied kinds of pre-fit barrels:
Shouldered Pre-Match Barrels are a safer means for the end-user to put in or exchange their very own barrel as a result of they’re much less complicated to put in and don’t require a lot specialised information or ability. You’ll be able to swap a barrel in underneath quarter-hour! You continue to want a couple of instruments to do this: barrel vise, motion wrench, and torque wrench. You should still need to double-check the completed work with GO and NO-GO gauges to be on the protected facet.
If you’re enthusiastic about investing within the instruments to get a barrel on/off a rifle, I’ve owned a couple of barrel vises and motion wrenches through the years, and I can wholeheartedly suggest these instruments from Quick Motion Customs (SAC). SAC’s modular barrel vise and modular motion wrench are nice instruments! SAC is a world-class gunsmith that designed these instruments to make use of of their store however is providing them to others, too. When you don’t want fancy or costly instruments to do it, the SAC instruments are so effectively thought out, very modular, fast, simple, and might take exhausting use. However, for years, I used the extra budget-friendly $70 Viper Barrel Vise (I didn’t like it, nevertheless it labored), a $70 Surgeon Motion Wrench, and a ½” drive torque wrench that I feel got here from AutoZone. I often torque my barrels to round 90 foot kilos, so your torque wrench must be rated at the very least as much as that. (Simply so you understand, I don’t take something totally free from producers and pay out-of-pocket for all these instruments, so that you guys can belief my suggestions.)
Barrel Nut Pre-Suits have been round for greater than 65 years, and Accuracy Worldwide has been providing shouldered pre-fit barrels for his or her full rifle builds for 42 years! I used to be considering AI was the primary to do that, so I reached out to Scott Seigmund, VP of Accuracy Worldwide of North America, and here’s what he shared:
“AI has carried out interchangeable barrels because the starting of the corporate. Curiously, a model new barrel for an AT-X will match appropriately on an L-96 [made in 1982] and vice versa, so this spans a interval of 42 years. We’ve by no means referred to our barrels as pre-fits, that being a time period that has entered the vernacular with newer 700 sample actions that maintain ok tolerances to permit completed barrels to be put in with out having the motion in hand for adjusting and checking headspace. On the barrel facet you want machines that may maintain very demanding tolerances and a system for monitoring instrument put on. We thread and chamber barrels on CNC slant mattress lathes and we will maintain headspace on massive runs of barrels to +/- .0002 inches.” – Scott Seigmund, VP of Accuracy Worldwide North America
The first catalyst for the current explosion of pre-fits throughout the precision rifle group appears to have been the discharge of Affect Precision’s 737R motion round 2015. The house owners of Affect Precision Taking pictures had an early dedication to carry very tight tolerances on their particular person elements and the totally assembled motion in order that gunsmiths may chamber pre-fit barrels for Affect actions. It began with Stuteville Precision providing shouldered pre-fit barrels for Affect actions, however after simply a few years, you began seeing a number of corporations providing shouldered pre-fit barrels for Affect Precision actions.
Since then, a number of different motion producers have adopted that very same technique and dedication to tight tolerances, which has resulted in numerous choices for shouldered pre-fit barrels that you may purchase off-the-shelf, ready-to-ship, and set up your self only a few days later in your {custom} bolt motion rifle. Isn’t it loopy how far we’ve are available in only a few years?!
The Different Perspective from Gunsmiths
I really feel like I’ve laid out the case for pre-fit barrels and the way they work, however I’m at all times attempting to current a balanced and goal view. I’ve talked to a few of the hottest gunsmiths utilized by the highest PRS shooters on this subject. A lot of them are sturdy believers that pre-fit barrels are the trail ahead. In truth, considered one of them mentioned they have been stunned that almost all of the highest shooters weren’t utilizing pre-fit barrels by this level. Nevertheless, there are different gunsmiths and shooters who nonetheless consider that sending in an motion to have a barrel custom-chambered for it’s one of the best ways. One of many gunsmiths who holds that view is Mark Gordon of Quick Motion Customs (SAC).
Mark mentioned they nonetheless suggest that they’ve all actions on the time of barreling for a number of causes, however listed below are the largest ones: 1) There is no such thing as a assure that your motion is ‘customary’ and a prefit will work, so having the motion saves all events the potential ‘run round’ if it isn’t. 2) Whereas now we have the actions, we additionally do a full breakdown, cleansing, and inspection of the motion. We’ve discovered a number of points like galled lugs or threads that they repaired, weak firing pin springs that wanted to get replaced, timing points associated to triggers, and many others. SAC believes if they’ve your motion in hand, the shopper features the advantage of them figuring out and addressing any points which may stop them from getting essentially the most out of their new barrel. Mark mentioned often a buyer would ship a rifle in to rebarrel, considering the barrel is shot out, however we discover out that there are different points {that a} rebarrel wouldn’t repair.
Mark completed by saying, “Sure, I’d like to get within the pre-fit enterprise. It might be simple and nice to simply chamber barrels and put them on the web site on our phrases, however I really feel like in the end it’s not an amazing match for our enterprise mannequin.” So each gunsmith might need just a little differing opinion on this, however at the very least now you’re extra knowledgeable to make your individual determination on if pre-fits are best for you.
Coming Up!
For those who loved this content material, there may be extra to come back! Within the very subsequent article, I’ll share extra specifics about Affect Precision and another motion manufacturers that supply shouldered pre-fit barrels in an upcoming article on what actions the highest 200 shooters within the PRS are utilizing. Over the subsequent few months, I’ll share further context for what gunsmiths and producers these guys are getting their pre-fit barrels and custom-chambered barrels from. So keep tuned!
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