The goal is an 11lb 500 Jeffery. Closest contour was their 5a.

Tea leaves and a little math, thought contour was fine, if only about a .025 larger diameter to hnelp meet the weight.

I asked and the answer was "No Problem" I like "No Problem" and delivery is 4-6 weeks vs another American company of seven months

I keep saying that and get yelled at for doing so. Douglas was the first custom barrel maker after WW2. and is still the biggest maker. The reason that they can respond quicker than any of the newer makers is that they keep thousands of blanks on hand, and only contour them to oder, on a CNC lathe as big as your living room. I have been there many times since 1970, and have seen their processes. Another thing is that they know how to properly stress relieve steel; a concept that is not always done correctly by other makers. No they aren't paying me to say this. For me, the other makers offer nothing special except a new name, which young guys seem to want. yes, I have used most of them....

Well..sure wasn't my intent to label other makers as unacceptable...Just thought it was darn friendly to make the accmodation.

I never said other makers were unacceptable; just offer nothing better, and in your case and most cases, for me, worse customer service.

I was quoted almost 14 months by one very popular barrel maker...which I reluctantly understand. But it is good to see that the American "can do" attitude is still alive and well and customer service still matters.

Fourteen months PLT for a barrel is totally unacceptable to me.

I love their barrels and see no reason to change. Everygun I have rebarreled or build has shot 1/2 moa or better. Plus customer service is awesome.

When a client specifies a certaib make, who am I to argue

I just tell them, no. I am one of the proponents of the adage, "The Customer is often wrong."

Hats Off!!
Dealing with Stan was top notch.
He is missed and we are diminished.

Sorry, couldn't resist...

https://www.google.com/search?...c8df,vid:rmZbCwmOC6I

I just ordered a 30 cal 1/10" barrel from Douglas and I had it in a week.

That's OK; Stan can't be replaced. He had been there for a very long time and no one knew more about the entire operation than he did.

Just got today a Douglas barrel in 404 Jeffrey caliber.
Time from phone order to my hands was 4 weeks

J Wisner

quote:

Originally posted by J Wisner:
Just got today a Douglas barrel in 404 Jeffrey caliber.
Time from phone order to my hands was 4 weeks

J Wisner

I usually get them from order to door in 2 to 3 weeks. I always pay for air guaged and every one of them so far has perfectly straight

Although they air gauge all of them, they do not have a special category over 30 caliber. No need for it, especially since most of their barrels gauge at or under .0001 anyway. Yes, I have been there and used their air gauges. They have like 20 of them. I rarely use barrels that small anyway. Pest guns.

Got another barrel from Douglas.

Phone order on 5/31
Invoiced on 6/5
Shipped on 6/6
At my door via UPS on 6/12

Hard to beat that.

James Wisner

Just curious, are there any advantages or disadvantages to using a Shilen over a Douglas? I had a great experience with Shilen; lead time was about one week to my door from the time I ordered it. Just asking, because I don't have a clue.

Yes, Shilen can make good barrels; however, I have actually had two very bad ones.
There is no reason not to use the oldest, and best, barrel maker in the US. All others are copies and new comers to the business. Plus Douglas is easier and friendlier to deal with.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Plus Douglas is easier and friendlier to deal with.

Tom, that part i'd argue with -- i can just drive down to ennis and talk things out .. worst thing i've ever had to deal with is sour coffee

Have used a lot of barrels since 1974

Currently calibers of barrels in my shop in various stages for customers are

BRC, 38-55 and 40-65
Douglas, .375, .416, 404 Jeffery ( four barrels ), .458
Green Mountain, 22 RF
Krieger .308, .358
Shaw 22 RF, .375
Shilen .224 CF, .257, .264, .308, .375 ( two barrels ), .458

Over the years have only had a couple of bad barrels

James Wisner
ACGG Life Member

As I said, others do make usable barrels, but even if they were all equal, there is no reason for me to use any other maker.
And I guarantee that no other maker will do all the crazy custom things I have had Douglas to over the years. Since 1970.
When a customer says they have or want, X brand of barrel and wants me to fit it; I just tell them, no.
This business model works well.

For integral barrels, I can be pretty certain that Kreiger, Douglas and Lothar Walther barrels will not warp

Now....If Douglas would only make barrels larger than 1.25 diameter

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Plus Douglas is easier and friendlier to deal with.

Tom, that part i'd argue with -- i can just drive down to ennis and talk things out .. worst thing i've ever had to deal with is sour coffee

During the swap meet, the barrel is in your hand before you actually pay for it. Hard to get it any faster than that.

And the coffee has always been good for me, but I get there early when the coffee is fresh. The folks there have been uniformly friendly and competent. Just one guy's personal experience, and I bought my first Shilen barrel back in the early 80s.

Swap meet? What is that? Is that where they sell the rejects?
I have all my barrels custom contoured and there is no way a swap meet can do that!
How many barrels do you buy per month? I buy 4 to 6..
Swap meets and coffee doesn't seen like it will work for me.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Swap meet? What is that? Is that where they sell the rejects?
I have all my barrels custom contoured and there is no way a swap meet can do that!
How many barrels do you buy per month? I buy 4 to 6..
Swap meets and coffee doesn't seen like it will work for me.

Now Tom, you know I'm not a gunsmith, don't play one on TV, I didn't even stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I've probably bought a couple or three dozen Shilen barrels over the years. As I stated, just my own personal experience. I know you use Douglas barrels because your professional reputation is on the line and I realize and respect that. But by the same token, when I buy a barrel it's my hard earned money on the line. I also have no room for errors because I don't have money to waste.

The barrel making business isn't a zero sum game. Other makers don't have to be bad in order for one to be good.
Never owned a Douglas barrel, not because I don't think they're good, the opportunity just never presented itself. I've owned some other brands, they were good barrels as well. The only really bad barrel I've ever owned was tang safety Ruger 77, that rifle now has Shilen barrel and shoots well.

Ruger used Wilson barrels until 1990 when they got their own hammer forge machines. The average hunter didn't know or care that those are two MOA barrels; they still killed stuff. I had a bunch of them and still have a 257 Roberts. It will shoot about 1.25 MOA.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Ruger used Wilson barrels until 1990 when they got their own hammer forge machines. The average hunter didn't know or care that those are two MOA barrels; they still killed stuff. I had a bunch of them and still have a 257 Roberts. It will shoot about 1.25 MOA.

I was so proud of that rifle when I bought it back around 1975, their so called "varmint rifle". I was like a parent who won't admit their child is developing into a brat.

After several years I finally admitted it to myself, this was after a day at the range and my old Marlin 30-30 produced better groups. Sometimes the truth is hard to accept.

I prefer Lothar Walther barrels as Ive never had one that didn,t shoot tiny groups..I like douglas, Kriger and a couple of others...but still go with LW first and best IMO

LW barrels are just ok; newcomers to the market and definitely won't make the custom contours I need. Best? No.

I am sorry but I just have to laugh a little about this. I have my own opinions about barrel quality and ease of ordering and use but I’ll keep that to myself. I’m laughing about Tom telling Ray Atkinson about “newcomer” barrel companies

Oh heck, I can’t resist, McGowan does better contour work in a reasonable turnaround than any other company I have used, including Douglas. And don’t get me wrong, I love Douglas barrels! It’s just that I ask for a lot of crazy contours and McGowan has always come through! Two conversations about crazy profiles with Douglas were not quite so easy.

RC

do the tubes of steel all come from the same place?

No.
Barrel making firms buy steel bar; not tubing.
As for my preference, I only deal in fact and actual experience; no emotion, supposition, innuendo, or wishful thinking. I stand by my assertions, preference, experience and statements.
Others are, of course, free to use whatever products they want, however inferior they might be.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
newcomers to the market

You surely aren't referring to Lothar Walther with this comment?

Absolutely I am!
Please don't tell me that a company that moves to Georgia and starts making button rifled barrels in 1990 is not a new comer to that market.
I don't care if LW was making barrels in 1500; NOT with the process that they use here they didn't.
I was waiting for someone to pick up on that.
Not germane.

All of my rifles have Douglas barrels from my 22's to a 500 Jeff project I have.I have never used any other custom barrels but I know some are very good.I have never had a Douglas that didn't shoot great and I live 10 minutes from them.

I have never used Douglas barrels but judging from some of the comments here they seem to be fine barrels, here is the question.
You are building a top shelf rifle and want the best that can be had in barrels why would you go with a Douglas when a quick search on line clearly shows that they are hardly ever used or mentioned when accuracy is the name of the game?
Statistics for yearly best/winningest barrels brings other brands consistently but not Douglas.
Its fine to say they have good service but it means little when accuracy is of prime importance in the build, who cares if it takes longer to get better? For hunting grade accuracy I guess they mighht be good enough bt online searches don't even support this.
just Saying
BB

Kind of wish I'd not started this thread!

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Absolutely I am!
Please don't tell me that a company that moves to Georgia and starts making button rifled barrels in 1990 is not a new comer to that market.
I don't care if LW was making barrels in 1500; NOT with the process that they use here they didn't.
I was waiting for someone to pick up on that.
Not germane.

So the US Army is a new comer, being... what? 6 month old? Anytime they move adopt new technology it negates any previous experience?

Ford, GM, NASA, GE, any of them?

Because I bought a CNC mill, that eliminates all prior experience and knowledge? My company automatically becomes "new" because I adopted a new process, procedure, or technology? Because the process changed? Duane's company becomes "new" because he tries a new finish?

If it wasn't germane, why did you bring it up and then wait for someone to pick up on it?

I am having a hard time understanding the logic of your statement.

BB; until you actually use one, you won't know how they perform, which is superb. Ask anyone who has one.
FAL: I have no idea what you are saying or asking. I was in the Army for 28 years; pretty much understand how it works. 6 months???
I just deal in the facts; and the fact is that Douglas was the FIRST custom maker in the US (world) to perfect and sell button rifled barrels.
A company setting up in the US decades after that, using the same technology, is a new company.
It's pretty clear. Hence the term, Newcomer.
My point is, there is zero reason for me to use any other barrel maker since Douglas is the oldest, and best, for me. Everyone else just copied the technique (Button rifling), and are harder to deal with. For me.
Easy to understand.
I meant the fact that LW was making barrels in 1500 or so; that is not germane; they are using a technique developed in WW2, but not used until Douglas perfected it in 1948.

Keeping the pot boiling…


I was motivated by this thread and just purchased a #3 .358 stainless from Douglas to make a beater.358Win.

From phone call to Afognak Alaska wasn’t more than two weeks and so far the bore looks smooth and straight.

However, there’s a wobble in the contouring large enough that I could feel it and it’s clearly very visible looking down the outside.