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Blackthorne AR barrels

Mark G
Does anyone know who made the barrels for Blackthorne back in 2008? I have a Blackthorne upper that I would like to remove the barrel from and install it on a better upper. If the barrel is as out of spec as the upper, I will scrap it. I have the tools and have assembled an AR before.
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • llama
    I'd run. Google Blackthorne, Hesse, and Vulcan. All the same business, keeps changing names to get away from bad problems.
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  • Mark G
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    I'd run. Google Blackthorne, Hesse, and Vulcan. All the same business, keeps changing names to get away from bad problems.


    I understand that. But if they sourced their barrels from Wilson or another decent manufacturer, I might be willing to try the swap.

    EDIT: I hear you BTS. Only problem with offloading it is the rear mounting hole on the upper had to be filed in order to get the pin to push thru. Not a whole lot but enough where you can see it is enlarged to the rear. I wouldn't want to push this off on someone else. It might be a great shooter. I have not fired it.
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  • tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by Mark G
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    I'd run. Google Blackthorne, Hesse, and Vulcan. All the same business, keeps changing names to get away from bad problems.


    I understand that. But if they sourced their barrels from Wilson or another decent manufacturer, I might be willing to try the swap.


    I wouldn't chance it, lest, you ruin a good upper reciever. I wouldn't be surprised to see their stuff, as being able to shoot around corner's, when you can get it to shoot. Take it as a lesson learned...nothing that says Blackthorne, Vulcan, Hesse, or CAI.

    Best
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by Mark G
    quote:Originally posted by llama
    I'd run. Google Blackthorne, Hesse, and Vulcan. All the same business, keeps changing names to get away from bad problems.


    I understand that. But if they sourced their barrels from Wilson or another decent manufacturer, I might be willing to try the swap.


    Put it this way, Blackthorne didn't earn its reputation by reselling parts from the best manufacturers. Its also certainly possible that they bought whatever they could from whereever they could, so even they may not be able to tell you which barrel they put into a given gun from 4-5 years ago.

    Also, regardless of where the barrel actually came from, just knowing the name of the manufacturer wouldn't ensure that the barrel was in-spec. The barrel might have been sold off as a low-cost factory reject that didn't make spec, and/or it may have been knocked out of spec during subsequent handling/installation.

    The only way you can know for sure is to have it tested.

    If it were me, I'd take this momentary opportunity to get rid of the entire Blackthorne upper in this "seller friendly" environment, then buy another one a few months hence when prices will probably be more reasonable.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by Mark G
    EDIT: I hear you BTS. Only problem with offloading it is the rear mounting hole on the upper had to be filed in order to get the pin to push thru. Not a whole lot but enough where you can see it is enlarged to the rear. I wouldn't want to push this off on someone else. It might be a great shooter. I have not fired it.


    If you haven't even shot it, why are you so eager to swap the barrel into a different upper?

    I wouldn't assume its necessarily a bad upper, even though the name brand is lower-rung; for all you know the thing may shoot great.

    Also, I don't see any problem with selling this as-is so long as you disclose what you did, and provide a good picture for buyers to see.
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  • Mobuck
    Hey, send that upper on over, I'll pay the shipping. No kidding, if you haven't seen other "slightly modified" uppers, you just haven't seen enough AR parts.
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  • Mark G
    quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
    Hey, send that upper on over, I'll pay the shipping. No kidding, if you haven't seen other "slightly modified" uppers, you just haven't seen enough AR parts.


    Mobuck,

    Your statement is correct. All of the ARs I have seen have been Mil Spec without modification. Sounds like I might be making a mountian out of a molehill.

    Thank you all for your advise. I will see how it shoots before I make any changes.
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  • tsr1965
    quote:Originally posted by Mark G
    quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
    Hey, send that upper on over, I'll pay the shipping. No kidding, if you haven't seen other "slightly modified" uppers, you just haven't seen enough AR parts.


    Mobuck,

    Your statement is correct. All of the ARs I have seen have been Mil Spec without modification. Sounds like I might be making a mountian out of a molehill. Thank you all for your advise. I will see how it shoots before I make any changes.


    You are not making mountains ot of anything, if it says Hesse, Blackthorne, or Vulcan Arms. Very few of their representations of weapons, will meet any spec of anything. Sorry to say, but from my experience with them, that is my opinion.

    Best
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  • Mobuck
    I'm neither a salesman or poster boy for Blackthorne BUT I do have one of their uppers that shoots quite well and is 100% functional. Whether this is a quirk or luck, I can't say. I'll ask outright just how many of you "experts" have actually seen, handled, or shot a Blackthorne?
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  • armilite
    quote:Originally posted by Mobuck
    I'm neither a salesman or poster boy for Blackthorne BUT I do have one of their uppers that shoots quite well and is 100% functional. Whether this is a quirk or luck, I can't say. I'll ask outright just how many of you "experts" have actually seen, handled, or shot a Blackthorne?



    Well I possibly thought about buying one of their uppers and then Shotgun News did a build using one and it didn't go very well.
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  • tsavo303
    Cut your losses!
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  • nononsense
    Mobuck,

    quote:I'm neither a salesman or poster boy for Blackthorne BUT I do have one of their uppers that shoots quite well and is 100% functional. Whether this is a quirk or luck, I can't say. I'll ask outright just how many of you "experts" have actually seen, handled, or shot a Blackthorne?

    While this sounds terribly clever as a come back for all the disparaging remarks regarding the Blackthorne barrels and uppers, I can speak to the charges of poor quality through experience.

    I have 50, no 49 uppers from Blackthorne in a box under my bench. I checked the first one on my fixtures and it was out of spec. Assuming nothing, I checked all the others and they were all wrong in one way or another. I crushed the first one in a hydraulic press and cut it up before shipping it and the others back. The box was returned to me with a note stating that the uppers were all within their specs and we should pay the bill. Needless to say, that didn't happen.

    So long story short, yes there is an expert who has hands-on experience with their garbage. Yes, you have an exception. You should treasure it as it is a rare commodity.

    Best.
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