Gents, very soon I plan to have Bullberry make me an Encore rifle barrel in .32/40 Win. They advertise that their barrels use a "special forend hanger". Will the standard factory forend work with these barrels? If not, anybody know if they'll make a "standard" barrel on request? I've gotten no response from 2 emails. Thanx.

From the ones I have received, no, the commercial forends will not attach to his hanger bar.

Only way I see to get commercial forends to work is to drill new holes and fill the old ones.

But, his forends are better quality than the standard ones purchased from TC.

Bullberry will, if you ask for it, make the barrel with standard factory forend mounting. If you doubt, try calling them yourself. You will get a better response than with email.

I'll call them when I get a little closer to ordering. I understand the benefits of their special forend attachment and would consider it if I only had one barrel, not to mention the fact that I spent $150 for a laminated stock/forend set. Not going to toss those aside to use a Bullberry forend. Besides, the improved accuracy potential doesn't mean all that much on a 100 yard deer cartridge.

I would highly recommend noot buying any Bullberry Barrels.
I took a little tour of their shop, and from what I could tell they chamber their barrels on a nice heavy lathem but in a 3-jaw chuck and they hold the reamer in a fixed drill-chuck type tailstock.
Unless everything is set up dead nuts, which it is impossible to do, you will get an oval-shaped chamber.

I do compliment their wood work however.

-Spencer

I have several Bullberry barrels and from what I can see they are made exactly the same as factory barrels......the hanger bar is an add on to use their fore ends. If you take the hanger bar off a Bullberry (or for that matter a VVCG) barrel it will be the same as factory. You will have to look at the engraving to see which is which.
About the only downside to ordering a Bullberry barrel is the wait......few people who actually own one ever complain about their accuracy.

The hanger bar on VVC barrel are attached to the barrel via a dovetail. Into this dovetail a little dovetailed adapter piece is inserted that you then use screws to attach the hanger bar to the dovetailed piece. So the barrel isn't actually threaded to accept screws.

Now if you want to us the factory forend they will dril and tap the barrel for screws.

Why don't you own one and then post so that we can learn something informative from you guys. All I'm reading is BS from a bunch of guys who don't know what the truth is.

The "hangar bar" system works very well for your information. Fred Smith has a good reputation and the newbies that are trying to discredit him are just blowing smoke out of their asses. Get real fellas' and then post something informative.

I have yet to hear anything about poor quality from BB. My two issues with purchasing a barrel from them is:

1. The insane price he wants for a SS barrel over 15" AND

2. The accuracy guarantee is MOA goups....T/C does the same....

With that being said, I am sure the BB barrel most likely beat MOA very consistanly, but if they don't, it's on my nickle.

Also, I am not so nieve as to believe they can guarantee anything much smaller in MOA.

I guess if I had $100 bills falling out of my pockets due to being to full, I'd sure be in the market to try one.

Other wise I can buy TWO Handi rifles new or on a good day, two Encore barrels.

Just my $0.02

I went on a tour at T/C a few years back and they start with round stock and do everything. I have no idea what they are into the barrels when finished. On the other hand Bulberry starts with a manufactured barrel these range from $80.-$300. If you add labbor,lug and small parts you will be looking at more cost.

quote:

The accuracy guarantee is MOA goups....T/C does the same...

I guess if I had $100 bills falling out of my pockets due to being to full, I'd sure be in the market to try one.

I'm not exactly married to the idea of Bullberry but they are the only one I'm aware of that will chamber for .32/40. Well, I'm sure SSK will as well but I can only imagine what Jones would charge. I called Fox Ridge to see if they would do a .32/40 by request and they declined because they aren't set up for .321" bores. They used to chamber .32/40 in the TCR {had one but it was stolen which is why I'm getting an Encore in it} but I guess they lost that stuff in the fire. If anybody knows another maker that will do Encore barrels in .32/40 at reasonable cost, I'm all ears.

Don't want to turn this into a bash Fred thread, but I will not buy another Bullberry barrel.

(unless it was used one at a good price and I was able to inspect it first )

ShopCartRacing wrote: "I would highly recommend noot buying any Bullberry Barrels"

I've owned a number of Fred's barrels over the years and have not a single complaint to voice.In fact, my 7mm Bullberry carbine setup is one of the most accurate firearms I have ever owned. The quality and workmanship that go into these barrels put them well ahead of anything TC has ever produced. Sure, TC puts out a few accurate barrels, but if you know anything about quality, even a cursory inspection of a current production barrel with a good borescope with make you shy away from them in a hurry.

I've owned barrels from Bullberry, Ingram, Virgin Valley, Trapper Gun Works, Van Horn, SSK and Bellm, and Fred's barrels rank right at the top.

And yes, he'll set up the dovetails ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE. That's why it is called a CUSTOM barrel...

Regarding Bullberry, zoomzoom wrote: "2. The accuracy guarantee is MOA goups....T/C does the same...."

Wrong, wrong, wrong...

TC makes no such guarantee.

And of the Bullberry barrels I have owned, 0.5 MOA is so easily attainable that's it's almost laughable someone would compare them to TC factory tubes.

Granted, I have owned a number of factory and Custom Shop (aka Fox Ridge) barrels that did MOA and a good bit better. But these were older barrels from a time when quality really did matter to Thompson-Center. But I have also seen more 4-6 MOA barrels than I care to try and remember. And some of the worst are current production Encore barrels in 25-06 and the throatless Contender barrels in 30-30. Get yourself a good borescope (or borrow one), find someone with a Bullberry, SSK, VVCG, etc. barrel and a newer TC factory barrel. Then give them an unbiased evaluation -- and tell me if you can see a difference...

Thank you Bobby
For all those who have never owned a Bullberry barrel......if you haven't owned and shot one you won't ever know. TC makes no accuracy guarantee with their barrels and about all they will tell you is "it is in spec" or not.

SCGunNut

You may want to try Mike at OTT (OnTarget Technologies) for that chamber. You can supply the blank yourself and have about any chambering you want made. People who have his barrels swear by them. I am getting ready to have them make a few barrels up for me. He could probably do that caliber since he doesn't use reamers, but EDM instead.

I haven't had any problems with Bullberry barrels either, and have always been satisfied. VVCG also made good barrels before they went out. I don't own any Van Horn or SSK barrels, so I cannot comment on them.

RC

Some of you gentlemen are correct! I have owned three bullberry barrels. They are boring! Every one of my barrels will shoot 1/2" or less at 100 yards with monotonous precision. I have a 15" contender bareel in 6.5 mm Bullberry Improved that shot 12 groups using different powder/same bullet into less than 3/4" @ 100 yards while fireforming the brass. No excitement here! I guess if I want excitement I'll buy a T/C factory shotgun - oops I mean rifle barrel. Good shooting guys!

I have to jump in as well. I have a 6mm BullBerry improved 15" and I love it. I also have a factory 7mm TCU barrel and there is a world of dirrerence between them. That BB will group .75-.500 all day long even with fireforming loads. I dont care what his shop looks like, Hell when I was at Colt last week, that place is a mess. Or how he makes them, its HOW IT SHOOTS and it shoots Great.

quote:

" Or how he makes them, its HOW IT SHOOTS and it shoots Great."

Well... I dunno about that. My last Bullberry barrel shoots pretty darn good too. BUT... the external finish is awful. It came with nicks and dings in many places. You wouldn't have guessed it was a new barrel. There's a long flat spot along the side of the barrel near the breach. The lug weld is the worst I've ever seen from any company. He drilled the sight holes where he wanted, not where I asked for them. I've delt with enough gunsmiths to know that their estimation on delivery is almost never right, but this barrel took three times as long as quoted.
So it's not that it won't shoot. But I can get barrels that will also shoot, without the BS.
Ya know the old saying, "Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me."
Well shame on me. This was my "Ok.. I'll give him another try" barrel.

I'll have to admit that the exterior finish on my Bullberry bbl was less than expected. Fred has consistantly said that he would fix it if it wasn't up to "snuff". I don't have the time or energy to send it back for the fact that it doesn't mirror light down the exterior finish like some of my fine double bbl shotguns or Benelli semi autos. I probably will send it back one day,hopefully before Fred passes,but for now it shoots well and does NOT foul. It is a hunting piece afterall and it probably will never matter. I think Fred is mortal and some things eventually WILL slip by unnoticed.

Cas, I am truly disappointed to hear of your experience with Bulberry. I was hoping that they might finally make me one with the Carbine thing but I got enough headaches from T/C, don't need to buy any more. It is truly a shame for the concept is rather glorious in my view. For want of a nail the battle was lost...

BTW, I hope T/C is ground zero for the next major meteorite impact. Hope that makes my feelings about their operation clear enough.

DD,

I have an Encore in 6.5-06AI and a contender in 7mm TCU from BB. Fit, finish and accuracy is certainly better than usual. Both shoot under an inch and I'm still fireforming brass in both. I guess I've been lucky....the TC barrels I have in .223, .22-250, .204, .243, .25-06, .280, 7mm-08, 450 Marlin and .45x209 ML all shoot pretty damn good, all are under an inch except the last 2 barrels which are around 2" or so which is alright for them. The .204 and .22-250 are under an 1/2" most of the time.

I also had BB make me a XXX walnut stock for my encore and I'm real happy with that too.....the wait was long but the product was fine!

Sorry to hear others have not had such good luck with BB, but I will use them again for my barrrel after Mike at OTT makes me a little hybrid out of a takeoff 30-06 barrel.

BTW, TC has done pretty well by me too, except for the 8 lb trigger on my G2 frame.....which I'm hoping to fix with the help of Mr Bellm.

I've done pretty well with BB....but your mileage may suck.

I have 5 barrels from Bellm, and 3 from Bullberry. Each one is capable of 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards and I have attained that accuracy with each one, with the exception of my 375JDJ which will hold under an inch.

I don't see any reason not to buy a barrel from Fred.

I have from Bullberry:

Encores:
6.5x284 (24")shoots groups where all shots touch
260 (22") same

Contender:
12" & 18" 17 HMRs shoots dime-sized holes every time
22 WMR 22" same as above

Any day now, I should receive my 14" 7x57 barrel and grip set.

Everything I've received from Bullberry has been great.

Troy

Another vote to try "OTT" ! Mike is one great person to deal with .