Is there a difference in ordering a short chambered barrel from Shilen direct or ordering brownells Shilen short chambered barrel? The Rem 700 contour SS barrel from brownells is 332.99 and Shilens match grade SS chambered barrel is 483.00. Just wondering if anyone has purchased the Brownells SS Shilen barrel?

having been to the factory, the brownells barrels are handled exactly the same way as everything else.. except processed in batch

There are two SS barrels offered from Shilen, the standard SS barrel, which is their match grade barrel, and the Select Match which is their super match barrel. The Select Match commands a higher price than their standard match SS barrel. I purchase Shilen barrel "blanks" from Brownells when they have the contour and twist that I need. Of course I purchase special orders and all Select Match blanks from Shilen direct. Brownells doesn't keep much of a Select Match inventory in the contours I need.

So if Brownells did have the contour i need which is a Standard REM 700 contour, I should have no problem ordering the barrel from brownells? The price of 483.00 from Shilen was for their match grade barrel, not their "select" match grade so if i'm understanding correctly the barrel from brownells should be the Match grade.

Are you sure you are not confusing the pre-threaded and chambered from one and not the other?

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
Are you sure you are not confusing the pre-threaded and chambered from one and not the other?

Stock item #801-783-220 (.223 ss 1-9" twist)varmint contour

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx...EADED_BARREL#skugrid

Pre threaded and chambered ss match grade barrel

http://www.shilen.com/pricesRifleBarrels.html

I just noticed the Brownells was a varmint contour.

I also contacted ER shaw and they are 245.00+20.00 shipping but as Vapodog has said previously, they are a 4 month wait on a barrel.
(EDIT) I just called shilen and the price is correct but if i want a threaded and chambered barrel it is 5 months wait.

quote:

Originally posted by icemanls2:
So if Brownells did have the contour i need which is a Standard REM 700 contour, I should have no problem ordering the barrel from brownells? The price of 483.00 from Shilen was for their match grade barrel, not their "select" match grade so if i'm understanding correctly the barrel from brownells should be the Match grade.

Yes the SS barrel from Brownells is the standard Match grade.

Why the difference in price for the same barrel? I don't know. Perhaps Brownell's has someone else doing the threading and chambering, whereas Shilen does theirs themselves. Maybe Butch can answer this. I don't buy prethreaded, prechambered anything, so I can't address that part.

I've only bought one Brownell's-Shilen barrel but several from Shilen direct. My recollection is that the Brownell's barrel was not as well finished on the outside. Rough-turned, in fact. Just a recollection, been a while.

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
I've only bought one Brownell's-Shilen barrel but several from Shilen direct. My recollection is that the Brownell's barrel was not as well finished on the outside. Rough-turned, in fact. Just a recollection, been a while.

How was the accuracy? If you were going to bead blast it to take the sheen off that wouldn't matter so much.

If memory serves me correctly Shilen used to offer what they called the "Lone Star" barrel. Do they still offer this economy barrel?

Perhaps also check

http://www.thebarrelman.com/

They have great prices for Shilen barrels - or used to, when I looked in the past (I can't access the site from work...)

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
If memory serves me correctly Shilen used to offer what they called the "Lone Star" barrel. Do they still offer this economy barrel?

Shilen didn't mention a Lone Star when i spoke with them. Only the Match Grade and the Select Match Grade.

quote:

Originally posted by mho:
Perhaps also check

http://www.thebarrelman.com/

They have great prices for Shilen barrels - or used to, when I looked in the past (I can't access the site from work...)

- mike

Your right! 255.00 for pre-turned SS Select Match grade Blank. Shilen is 358.00 for the(assumed) same pre-turned ss select match grade blank. However he did say that the Rem 700 standard contour is only available in a pre threaded and short chambered barrel. Hmm, Shilen didn't mention that. I guess i need another phone call.

quote:

Originally posted by icemanls2:
However he did say that the Rem 700 standard contour is only available in a pre threaded and short chambered barrel.

Not sure who "he" is (sombody at Shilen's?). I once bought a Shilen SS Select Match blank from the Barrel Man in a Remington Varmint contour. No additional charge for the Rem contour.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mho:

quote:

Originally posted by icemanls2:
However he did say that the Rem 700 standard contour is only available in a pre threaded and short chambered barrel.

Not sure who "he" is (sombody at Shilen's?). I once bought a Shilen SS Select Match blank from the Barrel Man in a Remington Varmint contour. No additional charge for the Rem contour.

- mike

He meaning The barrel man

http://www.thebarrelman.com/Ba...ng-Rifle-barrels.htm

I went on the plant tour, at the Shilen swap meet, last year, and the tour guide told us that barrels bought directly from the factory are long chambered, so you don't need a reamer.

I asked why the barrels from other places were different and she said they ordered them that way so they could sell you a reamer.

quote:

Originally posted by icemanls2:

quote:

Originally posted by tiggertate:
I've only bought one Brownell's-Shilen barrel but several from Shilen direct. My recollection is that the Brownell's barrel was not as well finished on the outside. Rough-turned, in fact. Just a recollection, been a while.

How was the accuracy? If you were going to bead blast it to take the sheen off that wouldn't matter so much.

To be honest, I was unhappy with the countour and never finished the project with it. I borescoped it recently and it looked as good as any other standard Shilen in the safe.

quote:

Originally posted by D Humbarger:
If memory serves me correctly Shilen used to offer what they called the "Lone Star" barrel. Do they still offer this economy barrel?

I don't think that was a very successful program for some reason.

I got a pair of Lone Star blanks in 22 RF years ago. We built up a matched set of 10-22's. They shot great. This was a decade before the after market barrels became as common as rabbits in a lettuce patch.

I have not heard of them in years.

Greg

I rebarreled a Rem 700 five years ago. The gunsmith recommended a Shilin Match, not the select match. As he put it, I was probably not good enough to appreciate the difference. He was right. The first loads through the tube were some reloads done for my "old" 270 they grouped 5/8 of an inch. With a proper load worked up, I can't remember ever shooting a group over an inch with lots and lots of 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch groups It's a killer also. Just put the crosshairs on what it is you want done away with and touch the 2 1/2 pound trigger. I have never had this degree of confidence in any rifle until this one. DW

The Lone Star grade was only in CM. They did a lot of checking and found the Lone Star grade barrels were actually match quality.
I started The Barrelman several years ago. I sold it to Jerry Stiller [Viper and Predator receivers] about 4 yrs. ago. Jerry sold it to the present owner.
At the time that I had it Brownells were the only ones that were able to receive the short chambered barrels. Brownells had them for their gunsmith customers.
Since Wade Hull bought out Doug Shilen a couple years ago the quality has taken a big leap forward and the outside finish on the barrels is much much better.
Brownell's barrels come out of the same lots as what the rest of the guys receive. They are like most barrel makers, they run them in lots of bore diameter. After they are drilled, reamed and stress relieved they are contoured and rifled to fill the orders. All stainless barrels are lapped. The CM barrels are not lapped unless ordered that way. They go to a different caliber after that and repeat the same methods.
I personally used the Lone Star grade in CM for my personal hunting rifles. I miss them.
Butch

That's interesting but it piques my curiosity a little. If the quality was the same, what was the production difference with Lonestar that allowed them to sell for so much less and why would they drop the line if they had a true competitive advantage?

Or are we just buying Lonestar barrels re-badged to "Match" at Match prices? Frankly, they deserve whatever the market will bear so that wasn't a shot. Just curious.

Early on and for years the CM barrels that didn't meet match tolerance were Lone Star. As time went on and manufacturing methods got better, they had few that made the lesser grade. They were having to supplement them with match grade to fill orders. It didn't take many months to figure if it didn't make match grade it would be cheaper to trash what few that didn't meet match specs.
Butch

Got it. Thanks.