A few pics of Matrix Gunsmithing's full feature integral barrels. They are now doing the CZ upgrades
that Wayne pioneered and has kindly helped them fget started. I think they plan to offer these barrels as an upgrade as well as standalone.
Happy for questions and feedback. Thanks

I would love to know the estimated cost and turnaround time to machine, fit,& chamber to a customer supplied action? Also some better pictures of the finished product if it is possible. Nice to know there is another option if a person wants to go this route. Finding a gunsmith or machinist to do such a project is few and far between.

They hope to price the barrel comparable to a machined solder on rib with NECG band front base and ring swivel.
The shop turn time is fast but the barrel order leadtime is 4 months or so.
The rear of the barrel is custom designed to mste with any number of actions for high end rifle. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:
They hope to price the barrel comparable to a machined solder on rib with NECG band front base and ring swivel.
The shop turn time is fast but the barrel order lead time is 4 months or so.
The rear of the barrel is custom designed to mate with any number of actions for high end rifle. Thanks

Steve,
That sounds very promising. I do understand about the barrel lead time. I should contact them and see what they say as I already have a 1.450 .375 blank ready and waiting.

Blank diameter is to small. We designed the height of the qrib to be the same as either a square bridge mauser action, aka GMA or Mayfair, or a round receiver with a scope base.
If iron sights only, your barrel might fit.
Until I get better photos, I will post cad drawings and a bit more info regarding the design. Thanks

The design considerations was to make a customizable, high volume, cost competitive integral barrel.
Reading a few discussions from various forums, mostly AR, and discussions with machine action manuf.,
we decided to make a parameterize scalable CAD and machining design. Most warned against having
options as it drove those guys nuts trying to keep up with the requests, but we went ahead anyway
At least the setup it in place
Based on a AR thread, a gentleman mentions his opinion that Mauser square bridge could be a "sighting plane"
for iron sights. Sounded good to us. So the height of the qrib sight base is the same as either an action square
bridge or a scope base. We use John's square bridge and Talley model 70 scope bases as the reference. We also
make the breech end of the barrel to mate seamlessly with a chosen action so the 1st section of the qrib has
same radius as the action.
I should note that in another AR thread, someone commented on the many steps in the qrib, something about
the Himalayas Wells the 1st step mates to the receiver, the 2nd step is designed to accommodate a
42mm or less scope objective and the 3rd step (the sight base) is the same height as the square bridge.
So be it.


So we have the scalability and customization, now need to see the interest.

Until we get better photos, below is the CAD's view of the machined barrels, 25" and 22", by changing
only the barrel length parameter.

I'd like to see a good picture of the barrel as it is supplied to the purchaser. Regards, Bill

cost? my bet is "if you have to ask"!

I got a kick out of the patato on the end of and English rifle barrel!! Never in a 100 years! but Im sure its optional..I love to have one in a 9.3x62 for instance...

Thanks Ray, like the potato
Those are the “remains” of the barrel blank
Stock. Was trying to show how we achieved variable barrel length
by keeping the machining “length” constant (has to do with the
modal frequencies of the barrel blank).
On their website, I think Matrix has $1450 for a finished barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:
Thanks Ray, like the potato
Those are the “remains” of the barrel blank
Stock. Was trying to show how we achieved variable barrel length
by keeping the machining “length” constant (has to do with the
modal frequencies of the barrel blank).
On their website, I think Matrix has $1450 for a finished barrel.

Steve,
I did notice on their website when you go into the AHR upgrade section, it does state they are using 2" blanks. If they can actually do this for $1400.00 + or - they should sell some barrels. I did call and leave a message, but have not heard back yet, but it has only been a day.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
I'd like to see a good picture of the barrel as it is supplied to the purchaser. Regards, Bill

will look for a better camera, in the meantime...

quote:

Originally posted by Gundog 64:

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:
Thanks Ray, like the potato
Those are the “remains” of the barrel blank
Stock. Was trying to show how we achieved variable barrel length
by keeping the machining “length” constant (has to do with the
modal frequencies of the barrel blank).
On their website, I think Matrix has $1450 for a finished barrel.

Steve,
I did notice on their website when you go into the AHR upgrade section, it does state they are using 2" blanks. If they can actually do this for $1400.00 + or - they should sell some barrels. I did call and leave a message, but have not heard back yet, but it has only been a day.

Gundog,
what action are you using and will the rifle be scoped?

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:

Gundog,
what action are you using and will the rifle be scoped?

Satterlee action, and yes it will be wearing a scope.

Perfect!

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
I'd like to see a good picture of the barrel as it is supplied to the purchaser. Regards, Bill

will look for a better camera, in the meantime...

Those pictures look better. The first pics showed a product which would take an awful lot of work to fix. Regards, Bill.

This looks amazing. I do get the esthetic part about it but I can’t help but chuckle about leaving the band part in on the sling attachment as an evolutionary hold over. Thank you Steve505 for taking this on. You mentioned estimated interest, that will depend on price point. I am not your CPA, but please let us know the estimated price point and what you think about taking orders but without or low deposits to at least get a better idea of actual interest to be billed on shipping with the first batch of say the first 200 at an introductory rate to people to hop on board as beta testers if you will?

quote:

Originally posted by Gundog 64:

quote:

Originally posted by steve505:

Gundog,
what action are you using and will the rifle be scoped?

Satterlee action, and yes it will be wearing a scope.

Gundog,
If you have the action in hand, I have a 2", 375 blank I can take over to Matrix. Will go to 25" finished barrel, if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
This looks amazing. I do get the esthetic part about it but I can’t help but chuckle about leaving the band part in on the sling attachment as an evolutionary hold over. Thank you Steve505 for taking this on. You mentioned estimated interest, that will depend on price point. I am not your CPA, but please let us know the estimated price point and what you think about taking orders but without or low deposits to at least get a better idea of actual interest to be billed on shipping with the first batch of say the first 200 at an introductory rate to people to hop on board as beta testers if you will?

Thanks Boomy,
Not as optimistic, targeting around 30 barrels/year. Intro. price (file and polished) was $1350 but I think Matrix has it at $1450.

The planning is for high volume, low price rather than 1 off and high price. Who knows...
But to that end, if we have 30 barrels in the shop, "who's who in the zoo", so each barrel is seriallized by customer, barrel order, etc.),so we do not accidentally ship a 505 Gibbs to a 7mm Mauser customer





" bands, I do not need no stinking bands"




Below is the order form they use, should check with Matrix on the pricing

Pardon the excess, but I think we got carried away during COVID shutdown

The edges of the quarter rib look softer/rounder than those of the band and front sight. Is that the case or just looks that way in the pics?

Good eye,
the front and rear of the qrib are a bit more rounded than the rib sight base due to those sections have a slight arc, i.e. radius, that matches the radius of the action front ring whereas the rib sight base is flat and hence square to the sides as is the swivel and front sight base.

Very good, thanks for the clarification.

A bold adventure to be sure! Youre' not gonna please everyone...i.e. to my eye, the transition rom the chamber to barrel body looks bit "abrupt"

But...that's only me and I recognize and applaud the effort and talent

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
A bold adventure to be sure! Youre' not gonna please everyone...i.e. to my eye, the transition rom the chamber to barrel body looks bit "abrupt"

But...that's only me and I recognize and applaud the effort and talent

Good eye. The transition is abrupt, about 3" radius, in our attempt to keep the weight of the barrel about the same as a Douglas barrel without the quarter rib. Who knows...

No swivel or front sight “Bands” makes it look sleek and more modern but I know that is not for everyone. Not having the bands shows off the integral barrel to the educated eye. Great job!

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
No swivel or front sight “Bands” makes it look sleek and more modern but I know that is not for everyone. Not having the bands shows off the integral barrel to the educated eye. Great job!

boom stick,
Your are exactly right. When I took the challenge to build a high volume, low cost integral barrel platform (CAD design, parametrization and ordering methodology and some toolpath development), i could not deicde myself so made just about every damn thing customizable.

For example, I just went in and change the height parameter for the front and read sight base tips above the top of the barrel. So even a cleaner look

Thanks all for the comments.
My name is Steve Ulbrich, I am a retired engineer that decided to take on the front end challenge of CAD and designing integral barrels for production. I have no financial connection to Matrix Gunsmithing other than they were willing to take on the machining and production. At the very least, I now have a place to get my own custom integral barrels.
For those that appreciate iron sights and integral barrels, Matrix Gunsmithing is serious about volume production and fullfilling those desires.
I should note they file and polish to mirror finish for bluing and make sure all marks are removed and will bead blast at no extra cost, for those that want a matte finsih such as for a DGR.

Kudos to you. Excellent design.

Congrats Steve on getting this project off the ground! They look great. I don't know how they're able to file and polish while keeping the cost so low, but it's great that they can!

The cost...Well Steve is either the best business man in the industry or a...magician!

quote:

Originally posted by MNR:
Congrats Steve on getting this project off the ground! They look great. I don't know how they're able to file and polish while keeping the cost so low, but it's great that they can!

Matthew, Matrix has a grandson living at home with them Last week I pressed him hard if he was thinking about joining the French Foreign Legion and he assured me he was here for sometime filing and polishing
But just in case, if anyone is interested in these barrels, get them while the getting is good.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
The cost...Well Steve is either the best business man in the industry or a...magician!

Duane, I would like to think both, but most likely, neither.
Conversations with John at GMA and Andy at Sunnyhill gives us some hope that with the number of square bridge actions out there each year, coupled with the price of a good blank and then gunsmithing to boot, unless these are mostly scope rifle only (shame with nice square bridges), tacking on another Kbuck seems to me...)
If the volume is not there, then will have to revert to 1 off for each customer with a commensurate higher price

I love this. People pursuing their passions while creating a better or cheaper mouse trap. I want to support people like this because of their ideology and value.
Yay capitalism.

Thanks for the update and the PM. I had thought I saw a solder line. After seeing more photos including closeups that idea is gone. I appreciate good work. Thanks and Be Well, Packy.