Anyone have experience with Halfmoon Rifle barrels? How do they compair to a Kreiger or L. Walther?

Thanks,
Dave

David, one of my friends has a matched pair of custom rifles in .270 Win. & .338 Win. with Halfmoon barrels. These rifles have produced perfect, round, 1" (average) five-shot groups from the very beginning.

I have a .270 Win. with a fairly light 22" (10" twist) Halfmoon barrel that is fundamentally a "one-hole" rifle. It's probably the most accurate .270 I've ever owned, and I've owned quite a few.

Halfmoon barrels are very hard, and they'll take a bit of time to break in properly - say 100 rounds or so. Because of that hardness, they also have a reputation for providing long barrel life. They seem to foul quite noticably in the beginning, but if you carefully break the barrel in, then carefully clean after no more than fifteen shots until the 100 round mark is passed, you'll notice that fouling is drastically reduced.

Most of my custom rifles wear Krieger barrels, and that make is surely superb in all respects, but Halfmoon's barrel seems to be just about as good.

AD

Allen,
Thanks for the response. I am in the initial stages of commisioning a 375 H&H rifle for African use. The metalsmith I have been talking to highly recommended the Halfmoon barrel to me. I have no experience with them, although I have heard good things about the Halfmoon shop. It is good to hear some positive reports from the field.

The smith also mentioned the barrels toughness and said that they are a little harder to machine than some. Correct me if I am wrong but, I believe they are made of a 4340 alloy? In any event he has alot of experience with them and I don't think I will go wrong taking his advice.

Thanks,
Dave

[This message has been edited by DavidC (edited 03-15-2002).]

I have owned and fired several Half-Moon barrels. They are simply outstanding---the best kept secret in the barrel business in my opinion. Half-Moon barrels are cut-rifled from a special steel provided to Half-Moon to their specs by Timken. I don't know the ATSM [sic?] designation of the steel---I do know it is not 4130 and it is not run of the mill chrom moly. I don't know the specifics. It is considerably harder and tougher than the steel anyone else uses in their barrels. The machinist who flutes my barrels says Half-Moon barrel steel is the toughest barrel steel he has ever machined and he has machined them all. I believe their stainless steel is softer and not exceptional as the chrom moly.

As I recall a finished Half-Moon barrel (rough profiled) is about $150.00. That is just an unbelievable price for a cut-rifled barrel these days. The owner of Half-Moon (whose name escapes me at the moment) is a complete gentleman and very pleasant to deal with.

Sincerely,

Jordan

Jordan,

Do you know if Halfmoon makes 17 caliber barrels?

Thanks

Friend Of The 17
Kevin Gullette

Jordan,
Glad to hear another good report! Jim Bair is the owner of Halfmoon. I just spoke with him this evening and he was very pleasant and helpful. He quoted me a price of $150.00 for a P-17 Enfield barrel in 375. We didn't get a chance to talk about the details such as barrel steel but, I am very interested in his recipe. I will have to ask him about it when we speak again in about a month.

Thanks,
Dave

Does Halfmoon have a website?
If not, how do you contact them and get a discription of their products and services?

Thanks
Blute

JW

No website that I am aware of. You can reach them at the following.

Halfmoon Rifle Shop
490 Half Moon Rd.
Columbia Falls, MT 59912

(406)892-4409

Dave

DavidC,
Thanks for sharing this info with us. Who is the 'smith that you're working with that has used these barrels? Just curious.
Jeff P

Jeff,

I have been speaking to Tom Burgess about building a rifle. He recommended the Halfmoon barrel to me.

If remember our conversation correctly
he said he uses them on a large percentage of his rifles.

Dave

[This message has been edited by DavidC (edited 03-16-2002).]

[This message has been edited by DavidC (edited 03-16-2002).]

[This message has been edited by DavidC (edited 03-16-2002).]

David, one of my friends has a .375 H&H that was beautifully stocked by Earl Milliron, and with Burgess metalwork.

For that rifle, Tom started with an Enfield action and performed just about every sort of modification and magic trick he had in his considerable arsenal of magic tricks to it. You'd have to look extremely hard to even catch on to the fact that is started life as a big, clubby military Enfield. The finished product was in league with a fine Rolex. Best-quality riflemaking at its finest!

What a project you're cooking up! Did Tom give you an estimated delivery time?

AD

Allen Day, can you tell me how to get in touch with Tom Burgess. I have a project
for him using a Halfmoon barrel. Thanks for any info you can give me. GEG

He has a very neat shop, very clean, nice equiptment and is a very pleasant, interesting fellow. It is a one man operation, nice location. I visited a few years ago to buy some steel from him. I have no experience with his barrels but would believe they are quality as others have stated.

Allen,
All I can say is I am excited about it. I had a conversation with Tom a couple days back and it was one hell of an education I can tell you! The man is an encyclopedia of gun knowledge. I got more Enfield conversion info than I could take in to say the least. We talked about his modifications to the enfield, his bottom metal, triggers, iron sites, barrels and how he came up with his detachable scope mounts.

As to delivery time he felt it would be about a year. He told me he likes to get a few orders together and work on them at the same time. Kind of a mini production line.

Dave

A steel supplied by Timken? I wonder if it's that wonderful alloy called Astralloy? Super tough stuff.Curious.