I am going to build a contender barrel from scratch. Anyone with information about pit falls or suggestions?

Welding the lug on is extremely critical, and it is easy to put stresses into the barrel when doing so.

A very good alternative, if you're happy with .223 sized cases or smaller, is to get an old barrel, and bore it out so you can screw in barrels of your choice. Mike Bellm did a write up on how he did this on Greybeard.com, and I have a copy of it somewhere.

Unless you have a meathod of destructive testing to find out if your first attempts at welding the lug on are successful, I'd highly recomend against making your own. There were many lug failures from the early custom makers of contender barrels.

Paul H.
I have built several barrels the way you have describe including a switch barrel system. I have even cut two lugs off of old barrels to see about making a jig for drilling the pivot pin (or take down pin.) The welding of the lug to the barrel has always slowed me down. I have a tig system and have been using it for the past 14 years but your right the lug weld is key. I have a system for testing barreled actions, that could be converted to test the Lug, barrel weld.

If you could email a copy of the article that you mentioned I'd like to read it.

I hope that I am in the right place to answer you. This is my first time to use a BB or chat room.

Sandy

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Originally posted by Sandy:
I am going to build a contender barrel from scratch. Anyone with information about pit falls or suggestions?

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[This message has been edited by Sandy (edited 08-17-2001).]

You might try posting this over on the TC Forum:

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/forums/40.shtml