New barrel

[baldie]

I was asked a while ago, to chamber and test a prototype barrel.
It’s a 6.5 x47 I chambered up, and fitted to my AI AX rifle.
The barrel is a 5 groove, cut rifled blank. I finished it at 28” and it’s a R.E.M. varmint profile.
First job was a good borescope inspection.
Without a doubt, it was the cleanest, finely finished bore, I have ever looked at.
Into the lathe it went, and the throat dialled in.
Both lands and grooves were exactly all the same, which, even on the very best blanks, can show high spots on the lands etc, usually to no detriment, but nice to see perfect ones all the same.
Chambered perfectly, and showed no runout whatsoever, anywhere in the chamber or throat.
I then did a rare thing..... took a day off!?
I know I had to make some time for testing some of my own guns at some point....there were seven to play with?
This is the reason I hardly compete any more. I can’t even make range time for the basics... but hey-ho.
I had a few rounds of old ammo to get it on with, and then loaded up some cases with Varget and 123 scenars, at SAAMI length. Powder range from 38, 38.3, and 38.5.
Got it zeroed with 5 rounds, and then simply shot these six groups.
A swine of a way to treat a barrel, but it had to be tested.
I pulled one round, which I marked as such, but included it in the measurement.
These are all 5 round groups.... not three.
I’ve never believed 3 tell you anything.they just make the figures look good.
Average group size across 6 consecutive groups is .490”.
That’s with a brand new bore, and a completely un-worked up load.
With proper load development, this will be an absolute hammer.
Cleaning the rifle in the shop this morning, came the second surprise.
Following my usual regime of bore guide and a few strokes with a nylon brush and KG1. I followed this with a wet patch of KG1 then a dry. Then a wet patch of Sweets left for 10 minutes.
This will show ANY copper.
Look at those patches.
I’ve never seen a bore clean as easily as that.
The barrel ?

It’s one of the new Sassen cut rifled blanks

[meles meles]

We're impressed ! We generally favour hammer forged or, better still,  cold swaged rifle barrels but we know Sassen make pretty good cut rifle barrels and that one seems to be up there with the best of them. 

[baldie]

This is the one of the very first....

They haven't made cut rifled blanks since leaving Scotland.

[meles meles]

We were thinking of them in their former incarnation as "Border Barrels". We always found them to be very helpful people.

[Ronin]

Always had good service from Sassen and their button barrels, looking forwards to trying their cut barrels, certainly a promising start.

Have you an idea of price Dave and what bore sizes they are doing- guess twist rates will be similar to the buttoned barrels?

[baldie]

Adam did tell me Andy, but I can't remember.

I have a couple of 30 cals and also had a .338.

I know they were on with getting tooled up for all cals. Twists similar to the buttoned I believe.

[VarmLR]

Superb.  Great to see.

[terryh]

Dave,

any idea if they are going to offer ‘canted’ rifling (5R, 5C or whatever you want to call it?)

T

[baldie]

These weren't marked up as such as they were prototypes, but I think it was 5R Terry. I,ll check the others I have.

Border always produced 5R blanks in Scotland, can't see these being any different.

[furrybean]

How is it still shooting Dave?

Ive just ordered one to be chambered for the next season FTR which will be a great test and I can’t wait to try a British product. 

[baldie]

Very well indeed.

I've just run a prototype .224 on my valkyrie in 6.5 twist, and that is also going well.