take-off barrel question
I'm looking at a used take-off ruger barrel in 264 win mag. Asking price is $75.00. My question is, is worth a risk of buying, or would I be better off leaving it alone. The description says the rifling is strong, bluing is excellent. Also has muzzle brake installed. Just kind of wondering if anybody thinks this would be worth the risk? Thanks
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hadjii,
Do you own a Ruger to use this barrel?
The barrel is no place to skimp when trying to assemble a good rifle.
Most sellers of rifle barrels wouldn't know a good barrel from a bad barrel, they simply aren't qualified to give an opinion. What they perceive as being 'strong rifling' could have 5-600 shots on it and not have much accurate life left. Then you have to add in the cost of having it timed if necessary and headspaced.
Most of these types of barrels are better left alone so you can use the money for a decent, new barrel.
Do it right from the beginning.
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I've got to second nononcence. If that barrel had been hotrodded any at all the throat and rifling is at the end of barrel life.
Short of putting my Hawkeye borescope down it I wouldn't look twice at that tube.0 -
First, the comment about 5-600 rounds being at the end of the accurate life of a barrel is incorrect except the most outrageous overbore cartridges. Even the 264 Win mag will last 3 times that even w/o proper care. The description indicates the barrel was shot enough for the owner to realize it had a pretty stiff recoil based on the addition of the brake. I guess the question is how bad do you want a 264 WM Ruger and what level of accuracy would satisfy you? At one time the 264 was not known for great accuracy-some were good and some weren't. I've got several rifles that were assembled with takeoff barrels and all have shown excellent accuracy-even a 220 Swift Mauser. To properly headspace a takeoff barrel may require setting it back a thread or two which will change the profile and fit in the foreend. 0 -
Mobuck,
Reading comprehension is an important factor in some of these discussions and I believe you have missed something in my comments. But no matter really since the concept of whether or not a used barrel is a worth the risk is still answered in my opinion and is contrary to your own. Your assertion that it is worth it, is just another potential exception to an already establish guideline for most shooters. Sure you can find something that will work and get the bullet downrange but will it do so with any degree of acceptable accuracy. Here again, we open that can of worms by trying define what exists as a generalized ideal of accuracy and I'm sure that you will have your own ideas that will differ from mine. It's all a matter of what's acceptable and used barrels to me are not an acceptable alternative to getting a new barrel.
The short answer here, based on several thousand barrels, is that my experience strongly indicates that it is NOT worth the risk. Take this for what it's worth and roll the dice since that's what we're really taking about, a crap shoot. Without a close inspection with a borescope, I personally wouldn't recommend wasting money on a used barrel. It's that simple.
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Also, just before Bill Ruger died he bragged he never had more than $5.00 invested in a barrel.
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hadjii,
Listen to the advice of the wise one(Nononsense).
The 264 Winchester Magnum, is known overbore, and known to be a barrel burner, especially when abused by shooting it hot, dirty, or a combination of both. It could have been a second hand rifle to the current owner, and he like yourself, knew not what he was getting. Even the bench rest shooters are now saying that the 7MM Rem Mag, and 284 Winchester have less throat errosion than the 6.5x284, witch is known to be much milder than the 264.
Better to be safe than sorry.
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My question is why did it get taken off if it is in good shape? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by EhlerDave
My question is why did it get taken off if it is in good shape?
If it is in good shape, then the shooter just wanted something different...perhaps more horsepower, like a 7MM Rem Mag, oe 300 Winchester Magnum...all that would be required is changing the barrel...no feeding mods or bolt face or anything.
A couple years ago, I baught a SS A-Bolt in 25 WSSM, just for the purpose of rebarreling it to 6.5 Heaton.
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EhlerDave,
"My question is why did it get taken off if it is in good shape?"
Viable question but there are several other reasons that we have all used from time-to-time in a given situation.
Different cartridge
New barrel contour
New Twist Rate
Longer length
Parting out the entire rifle to make more money
Wants a new name brand barrel maker
and more I'm sure others will contribute.
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Thanks everybody for the wealth of good knowledge being passed on. I think I'll just leave it alone. 0 -
hadjii: Good idea! Glad to see that You got some Good Info from Gunbrokers Best.... 0
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