What are your opinions of these barrels and Pac-Nor's services like fitting and chambering to your action? rws2

I think they do great work. As a matter of fact, I am having another gun built by them as we speak in 338-284 on a Ruger 77 tang safety action.

Jim

BTW, where in WV are you from, I am originally from Ivydale (about 40 mi N of Charleston), my family still has land there.

I have been quite pleased. The long chambered ones are easy to fit, if you own a lathe and saves reamer rental money and fuss. I got a match grade carbon steel .223 that shoots under 0.4" with good loads. The best 5 shot group was just under 0.2". I am happy. Never used their shop.

I have some friends who won't use anything else, and one who has built a dozen or more varmint class rifles using their three-groove cryoed match barrels. My smith is just wrapping up work for me on a .416 Taylor using one of their barrels.
I have heard some less glowing reports about their gunsmithing work, but have also heard of some very, very happy gun owners who had PacNor do their rebarreling and chambering too.
The local guys into accuracy will often have a local smith named Kevin Wyatt assemble their target guns using PacNors. Kevin is at www.wyattsoutdoor.com

In the last year I've probably bought 20 barrel blanks from them. I have tried everybody in the industry and from now on I'm single sourcing Pac-Nor. They are a first class outfit and actually have a proprietary 4140 CM alloy produced for them that machines extraordinarly beautifully. All of their barrels have resulted in rifles that will shoot in the .5's consistently. They also offer first class chambering and muzzel break installation services as well as some action work. Their prices are fair and I can't reccomend them too highly. They don't do sight work or stock work.-Rob

Thanks Everybody for the info!!!
Hey 338Lapua,I'm from the Morgantown area been here all my life,we have a beef cattle farm here.

I think I'm going to give Pac-Nor a call.
Oh this may seem silly to ask but does Pac-Nor cut these barrels they fit and chamber to customers desired length and crown the barrel?I want a stainless barrel as my action is stainless,do they bead blast them to match the reciever?

I have lots of their barrels and I would guess most folks are sick of my extolling their virtues by now. They are fabulous,in every regard.

They are my favorite...............

Well I don't know how good they are. I have talked with several people and they all claim they are great barrels. I just personally ordered one today and can't wait to get it. Hopefully it won't take too long to get it.

Hey'
I had them make a 6mm br Octagon barrel,for a 1885 High Wall.First class work.They made it to factory contour.Fit in stock perectly.Gun shoots very well
1geejay
www.shooting-hunting.com

Pac-Nor will cut the barrel to any length you want, crown it, and they will bead blast the barrel (I don't if it will exactly match your action). They will pretty much do any type of metal work you need, but as Rob said, they don't do stock work. Sending your rifle to them is pretty much straight forward. You remove the stock, scope, and bases, put it in a box (I use one of those cheap doskocil cases and then put it in a box), take the rifle to UPS or FED Ex and send it to them. They will return it via UPS to your house. The hardest part about it is the WAITING. They say 8-10 weeks is the current wait, which is not very long but...you know how impatient us gun owners are.

BTW, there used to be a pretty good gun shop up your way, across the border in PA I think, that sold nice rifles, Copper's etc. I can't think of the name of it right now. But it they used to have pretty good deals.

Jim

My gunsmith just received one from Pac-Nor he ordered about three weeks ago. He had them cut it to the same specs as those for the .308 Winchester barrel on the AI rifle. He has an AI stock and wanted the same "cut" of barrel. He gave them the numbers and they did a perfect job of contouring the barrel. He got one of their three-groove riflings. I don't have a bionic eye or anything, but the bore looked pretty good to me. This rifle he is going to keep (which is rare for him). So, I'm taking him on with my custom-built Savage 110FP Tactical on which he did the work. It will be interesting to see which gunsmithing job he did is better than the other. His rifle is on a Remington that he went "above and beyond" with -- sleeving the bolt, truing the action, et cetera and so forth. The barrel on mine is a Douglas #8-contour, 26-inch, XX-Premium Air-Gaged and the whole thing is in a McMillan A-2 Tactical stock that he pillar/glass bedded. With his AI stock and trued Remington action and Pac-Nor barrel... I'm looking forward to seeing which gun shoots better. Again, this will be interesting because he built both guns. His will be ready in a few weeks (he's working on other projects concurrently).

Russ

Try their web-site www.pac-nor.com

I've used several of their barrels in stainless and found them to be first-rate and my 'smith likes them. Chris and his staff have been very accomodating with respect to specific rates-of-twist and countour.

If you notice on their web-site, under services offered, they seem to have some type of arrangement with a general service gunsmith so they be able to do more than fit and chamber your barrel.

The only negative thing I've ever heard about them was someone complained about the way they stamped the cartridge designation on the barrel rather than engraving it as some 'smiths do.

One other thing...these guys all seem to be hunters so you may want to watch when you order or you may be waiting until hunting season is over.

Then again, nobody is perfect. Al Straitiff of comp. Corp had a Pac-Nor SS blank supplied by a customer for a 7 mag. When test fireing it, the barrel split from just foreward of the chamber right down through, putting a very nasty cut in his left hand. Pac-nor didnt want to talk about it when called, then wanted him to send the barrel pieces back to them. He said no-way, it's going out to be Rockwelled.

Well I don't know why your barrel split. Sounds to me like you had something in the barrel and shot. It could have been too hard but I doubt it. One of the people I know at Sierra Bullets had a freedom arms 454 casull and they managed to split the barrel. I know the man who did the reloads and he has been known to blow up many barrels because he over charges. I would say you overcharged or there was a obstruction in the barrel, that is what it sounds like to me. If you have enough pressure, you can split anything.

I talked with Pac-Nor today and I have to say they were quite impressive. I found it interesting how they read forums to see what people are saying about them. Looks to me like they pride themselves on customers service. I am sure I will be just as impressed with my barrel as I am there customer service. Thanks Penny for all your help.

Well lets see, the barrel went on the gun, to the table to be cleaned, then across the shop to the bullet trap where it fired a factory Federal round and splt. Yes Deaddog you must have pegged it, a fly flew up the barrel and plugged it and federal loads to hot.
I'm not telling anybody what to, or not to buy. i just said they arent anymore perfect then anybody else.

Ok, I worked for a gunsmith for 8 years. Lets see, that barrel must have been so hard that you wouldn't have been able to machine it. If it blew up into little pieces like you said. Either obstruction in the barrel, barrel bore way too small, too hot of loads, or barrel so hard you wouldn't be able to push or pull a carbide button through the barrel without breaking the button. Take your pick. If the bore was too small then you wouldn't be able to put reamer pilot into the bore to cut it. Your right no body is perfect and people make mistakes. I know I do but I have never see this happen or even heard of something like this without some other fact envolved. If I am mistaken then when I get my barrel and machine it and shoot it. If it blows up, I will let you know.

Deaddog
talked to Al last night. The barrel rockwelled out under 10. READ WHAT I SAID it split not a blow up into little peices. Pac-nor claims in house heat treating ... sounds like they missed one. You didnt think of everything Dd.

Bill,
C scale, what should be used on a hardened steel like a barrel. The diamond sunk in like butter to a 6-7 he said, but as it was so soft you would have to use a B scale to get it exactly, thats why he just calls it "under 10".
Rather then me calling him for every question, feel free to call him yourselves.
Al straitiff Comp Corp
603-532-9483
Dd can tell him himself that pac-nor is always perfect and he must have done something wrong.

Please correct me if I'm wrong,but I don't believe that any rifle barrel manufacturer heat treats a barrel to obtain a "certain" hardness.I think that it's done to stress relieve the steel.Not exactly "heat treated".They're two entirely different animals altogether.

Didn't say I was wrong, didn't say pac-nor was perfect, didn't say you were wrong. We all make mistakes. I talked to Ron Power of Power Custom, Inc. and he indicated he has seen barrels do what you have claimed. He said there are sometimes flaws in the metal which cause week point in the metal. The barrel manufacture has no idea when they create the barrel. Few and far between, but it does happen. Most of the time it is caused by operator error (poor load, left something in the barrel or bore diameter, whatever), but sometime can be caused by poor material. So this may clarify for others including me, but I can guarantee that all barrel maufactures have had this type of situation, not just Pac-Nor.

Yes material flaws happen, to everyone. And yes I'm sure you arent wrong, you dont read whats written, make your own conclusions, and decide you are right about everything. I dont care if you buy evry Pac-nor barrel made and build a shrine to them. You can kiss both cheeks and down the middle f evryone that works there, I dont care!If you think that a barrel that is dead soft is a flaw in metalurgy and not the makers fault, however rare it is ... Then you had better go spend another 8 years with another gunsmith, as you didnt listen worth a shit as well as not reading whats said.

JJWEN,

Actually, barrel blanks are heat treated to obtain a certain hardness, and more importantly, tensile and yield strength. Annealed 4140 is right in the "sub 10 RC" range mentioned by TSJ. IIRC, blanks are brought up to around 28-32 RC prior to machining.

Regards,
Scott

Just an observation, but....

We are told here that an experienced smith threaded, reamed, contoured a blank that checked out at an R.C. of something like 7.........

and then installed it and fired it like nothing was wrong......

?????????????

Dutch.

" When test fireing it, the barrel split from just foreward of the chamber right down through, putting a very nasty cut in his left hand."

Hmm, I would never fire a first shot from a re-barrel in my hands. Maybe I am overly cautious?