When do you replace it?

M

Mark204

New member
So, I was sitting around, kind of bored and I was looking at old threads, the recent one about toasting a barrel in 6 seconds got me thinking, (and sometimes that's not good).

I'm not questioning the length of time it takes to do it, could take a second more, maybe a second less, either way its a short life span.

I don't have any barrel issues at this point in time nor have I ever shot one out, so here's my question.

Lets say your gun, with a proven load consistently shoots .5 MOA at 100yds, and at some point in time your groups start to open up, at what point do YOU personally decide that its done?

Is it an inch, 1.5 inches, 2? Since I have no personal experience I'm going to assume that the groups will continue to open up more as time goes on.

I'm basically looking for insight as to your way of thinking when it comes to barrels.



Here Kitty Kitty
 
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I would really question "Toasting a barrel in six seconds" I don't know of many firearms that put out that rate of fire at velocities to generate that kind of heat or wear,,,,

There are a lot of factors that come into play regarding length of barrel life...Type of steel, rate of fire, length pf sustained fire, load velocities, etc...That's not even getting into routine maintenance factors....

I have a friend that shot 400 rounds through a CZ .204 and was usually fastidious in his cleaning...When I couldn't get it to shoot with the accuracy that he claimed, I had the barrel bore scoped and it was found to have about eight inches of caked carbon from the chamber forward...It took a lot of cleaning to remove it and the rifle came back to the .3s-.5s...Apparently he had failed to thoroughly clean it between the two day PD shoot he had been on, figuring he could clean it when he got back home...



While I can't "prove" the value of the $70 cost, my competition AR has had numerous high volume rapid fire strings put through it, but the barrel is chrom-moly and was cryo'd before being shot and it still produces excellent groups,,,However, the maintenance on it has been consistent and it's almost always treated with a non corrosion substance that I keep on hand, as are all my rifles....

 
Well gee, Mark. My best answer is this: Sooner than I do.

When I toasted the barrel on my M700 .220 Swift I simply lived in denial for couple of years. Tried other bullets, other powders, loaded them faster, loaded them slower,..whatever. The barrel was gone but I did not want it to be gone. Was rather like trying to unring a bell once you rang it. I finally had a well known gunsmith look at it and I think that he was more than a little kind when he said that I was wasting my time trying to make that barrel ever shoot again. Something along the lines of bludgeoning a deceased equine. A new 28" Krieger solved the problem (and how!) and I was happy again.

Later when my Savage 12 .204 starting opening up (getting close to an inch at 100 yards) I ordered my a Criterion barrel and..presto! Fine shooting again. Patted my back a few times for not waiting so long this time. But then a couple of years later my .17 Remington starting throwing keyholes at 100 yards. There would be 2-3 shots normal holes in the paper then one that hit the target sideways maybe 6 (six!) inches away. When I finally sent the gun in for a new barrel the well seasoned gunsmith called me and was astonished that I got any kind of accuracy out of the gun at all. When I got the gun back he sent me about 4" of the barrel (chamber end) along with it. There was no rifling visible in it. Gone. I now keep that barrel stub in my shooting box as a reminder. Have shown it to lots of people too.

After 10 years and a few thousand rounds my CZ 527.221 started opening up last year. This time I did not wait. Just sent the barreled action to ER Shaw and had them put a new one on. Heavy barrel this time. Hey- may as well while I'm at it, right?

A good bore scope can tell you a lot- if you have one of course. But if your once great shooting gun is not shooting so great anymore and you are certain that the barrel is clean then you probably need a new tube. Of course if you shoot hot loads all the time (I dont- anymore) shoot overbore cartridges, use powders that are traditionally unkind to barrels and use unsound cleaning methods then you will be needing one sooner than some other folks will most likely. But if you need one-get one. Can't do much if your once great shooting gun is not shooting oh so great anymore after a few thousand rounds of shooting other than re-tube it. So just do it and bring back those big grins. Shooting is supposed to be fun, right?
 
Originally Posted By: OldTurtleI would really question "Toasting a barrel in six seconds" I don't know of many firearms that put out that rate of fire at velocities to generate that kind of heat or wear,,,,

Clearly you've never read the article. Toasting a barrel in 6 seconds refers to the amount of time the barrel itself is only used for 6 seconds total in its life. That is because the bullet, gasses and abrasive material is on there for a split second.

Originally Posted By: pyscodogBet that got some attention! LOL I was on Accurate Shooter site and read an article about toasting a barrel in six seconds. A guy, Varmint Al, who is some kind of engineer guru did the math. In a very condensed nut shell, a bullet is in the barrel about .002 seconds and if a barrel had a life of 3000 rounds, 3000x .002= 6 seconds. Hate to think that $3-4 hundred dollar barrel only last 6 seconds.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/facts-about-barrel-life/
 
Easy answer for me - when it opens up beyond its useful precision for its application, it gets replaced.

As such, I replaced my CMP/HP barrels when they opened past 1moa, with most starting at 1/2-3/4moa (tested with a scope - I just don't shoot irons as well). But I replace my blasting carbine barrel when I start noticing the sound of the bullet rattling down the barrel... For a hunting rifle, if it opens past 1.5moa, it's done for me - it'd still kill deer to 400, but I tend to use a 4" vital, not a 6". In my 6.5-284 bench rig, I ordered the barrel the day i saw my agg' start growing, which was already too late since delivery time is what it is.
 
My experience, the hot rods I tend to run, they start having poofs or keyholes, it's time for them to go.

- DAA
 
As throats erode you chase the lands, once chasing the lands no longer provides the accuracy you want or once had, what are are you left to do but rebarrel it. You can also set the barrel back, rechamber and possibly squeeze a bit more life from it but unless you have the ability to do the work yourself, I'm not sure how cost effective that would be.
 


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