I was on Liljas website and noticed the make a 3 groove barrel with a 1-7 twist for the 6mm
Thinking this would allow the use of 100 grain bullets in a pistol lenght barrel. After an emailing they tell me that I can get a SST barrel of 15" for 160.00 Wonder if Dave or Mike would chamber it for a 6 TCU or 6 Whisper.

They would also finish a 30" barrel for $280
you could get two barrel out of that.

wonder about the bullet performance with the 3 groove rifling.

Fireball

I have a Lija 3 groove, 1:7 twist barrel on my Bryant built XP-100 in 6BR Norma. I use it for IHMSA silhouette. I use the Sierra 107 Matchking, and the Berger 115 VLD, and they both shoot great. Velocity is 2400 fps from a 14 1/2" barrel, mild pressures. It is one of the easiest barrels to clean that I have ever had.
Good shooting,
Melvin Calliham

I know that Virgin Valley will do the job...lug, chambering, etc. It would cost a penny or two though as their website states that they will subtract $69 from the blue barrel price for the job. Not sure what others would do, but I'd be interested in finding out. Also, if you need somebody to take the rest of the barrel off your hands...

Well, let's not get the cart ahead of the horse. I'm curious as to how much a project like this would cost.

Ahhh...nevermind. After visiting the website, I noticed you were talking about xp-100 barrels. I got all excited thinking about a new Contender barrel. Oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted!

I noticed you were talking about xp-100 barrels. I got all excited thinking about a new Contender barrel. Oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted!

they do make contender barrels!! Here is the email...Hi,

Yes, we can make a barrel like that for you. The price for a 15" long stainless steel barrel is $160 and a longer barrel is $260 for a finish up to 27" or a 30" barrel (would make 2 15" barrels) is $280.

Delivery is about 8 weeks.

Thanks for the inquiry and let us know if we can help.

regards,

This was a reply to me asking them to make me a CONTENDER BARREL

Fireball

Are ya'll sure that $160. for a 15" barrel includes the lug welded on, dovetail locks, drilled and tapped, chamber and crown.
I don't think it does.

[/QUOTE]Do you think the easy cleaning is due to the 3 grove barrel? or is it the good bore finish?
Seems I read some where the 3 groove barrel gave better velocity. The price is really not that bad for a custom barrel. Lilja Barrels are very big in the bench rest crowd.

I am leaving tonight for kernville hopiing to try some new loads for the 7Tcu
Fireball

Fireball[/QB][/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE]Do you think the easy cleaning is due to the 3 grove barrel? or is it the good bore finish?
Seems I read some where the 3 groove barrel gave better velocity. The price is really not that bad for a custom barrel. Lilja Barrels are very big in the bench rest crowd.

I am leaving tonight for kernville hopiing to try some new loads for the 7Tcu
Fireball

Fireball[/QB][/QUOTE]

I think the easy cleaning is the result of the smooth interior finish. To me, the 3 groove barrel allows higher velocities at lower pressures, especially in the fast twist barrels.
To answer one of the posters above about the TC barrels, the $160 is for a barrel blank. To my knowlege, they do not weld on lugs, etc. for the TC's. If I wanted a Lilja barrel on a TC, I would build it like my Juenke built TC. He used an old TC barrel, cut if off in front of the lug, then drilled it out and threaded it.Then threaded the barrel into this. This TC is one of the most accurate guns I own, rivaling a custom XP.It is in 260VJ cal., which is a 222Mag. case opened up to .264 cal. Kinda like a longer 6.5 TCU.
Good shooting,
Melvin

Fireball,
If you do this, let me know the total cost. I may get one done, even though I don't think I could shoot it any better then the ones I have now

The 1:7 twist, 3 groove barrel will definitely stabilize heavy 6 mm bullets. I have even shot some Hammett's 128.5 gr. 6mm bullets into great groups at 200 meters, using the XP-100 with 14 1/2" barrel, and also my M.O.A. with 10 1/2" barrel.
Go for it!
Melvin

Fireball,

I do not have a 6mm 1-7 barrel on a handgun but I do have a 15" Lilja in 7mm with a 1-9 that I have Virgin Valley build into a 7.21 Tomahawk and a 15" 1-12" .338" that I made into a 338-300 WSM on the XP-100.

Both are 1/2" guns with best loads. The 7.21 Tomahawk was a basic failure because the huge case diameter allows to much frame stretching and cases fail after only a couple rounds.

The 338-300 WSM is amazing. It averages under 1/2" groups with the 180 gr Ballistic Tip at 2950 fps from the 15" barrel. I have a Holland break on that little beast.

While not on a handgun, I do have a Lilja 30" fluted stainless steel barrel in 6mm with the 3 groove rifling in 1-8" twist. I had a long range rockchuck rifle made in the awsome 6mm-284.

As said earlier, when these Lilja barrels are properly broken in, they simply do not foul. In fact Lilja himself says that there is no need for coating bullets because if you clean regularly, they barrels just won't take up any copper and from my three Lilja barrels, this is 100% true.

My opinion is that the 3 groove rifling does a few things that are very good for the accuracy minded shooter and hunter.

First off, it distorts the bullet less and therefor increases ballistic coefficient to a measuable degree.

Second, with the lesser amount of bullet engraving, there is less bullet/bore friction, i.e. less fouling and higher velocities

My 6mm-284 drives the 107 gr Sierra Matchking to right at 3600 fps. With a B.C. in the .520 range, this baby shoots pretty flat for a 6mm.

Accuracy wise, My last range test at 500 yards consisted of five 3 shot groups. The largest was 1.77" CTC, the smallest was .48" CTC. I don;t know what .48" eqauls in MOA's at 500 yards off hand but I'll take it. The average for the five groups was 1.19" CTC.

As far as the Lilja barrels are concerned, they are bored to very tight specs. This is very good with match type bullets but not so good for use with hard bullets such as the X bullet and the like.

If you use a soft bullet, meaning a bullet with a relatively thin jacket and lead core, the Lilja barrel is hard to beat. Sometimes theie tightness will limit velocity a bit until the barrel breaks in fully but accuracy will never be a problem with a quality barrel fitting and chambering job.

The Lilaj barrel on my 338-300 WSM is the BRHunter contour with a muzzle diameter of a solid inch. I also had the barrel fluted. With the addition of the Holland "quick discharge" muzzle break, this handgun is quite impressive looking.

I used it to harvest a 350 pound 4x5 mule deer buck at a measured 317 yards just a couple weeks ago. One shot lights out.

I strong recommend Lilja barrels and they are the only custom barrel I will ever use in the future.

Good Shooting!!!

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