used barrels

[ddubas]

Are used barrels worth buying? From time to time I see used barrels on eBay or other places like. I am planning a 6.5 project and I found a used pac-nor barrel. It is chambered in 6.5-284 and I would re-chamber to something bigger. The ad says it has 1100 to 1200 rounds down the tube, but since I am thinking of something bigger the new chamber should take care of the old chamber and throat. If I can get it cheap enough, would it be worth the gamble?

[Black Diamond 408]

In my opinon, for what thats worth, I woulnt put the money it takes to rechamber and thread the bbl, it may not shoot or if it does just how long will it last. Start with new, that way you know what your getting.

[Bart B]

Yes, they are. Providing you're willing to accept it a couple inches shorter than the original and there's enough reinforce left to safely contain the pressure.

Just be sure at least an inch and a half of the rifling at the back end is removed by the chambering reamer. And the 'smith uses a reamer with a free-turning pilot no more than .0002-inch smaller than the eroded bore diameter.

[winmagman]

I'd say some used barrels are worth buying, but I'd stay away from that one. 1100-1200 rounds through a 6.5-284 is quite a few and while you could re-cut the chamber and throat larger you may only get an additional 5-600 rounds and if you're going larger than a 6.5-284 you'll most likely not get that many.

[James Jones]

I've bought several used BR barrels for varmint rigs mostly 22 and 6mm cals , geberaly they have the threads cut off and rethreaded and that uses up about 2" then the calibers are generaly a little longer than the BR ones that helps take up another say 1/2"-1" I have never had one that woulden't shoot great yet.
I started doing this when I first started playing with the rilfe building thing , (I had a great boss that let me use their lathe) and it seemd like a cost effective way to learn. My theory was that if I got a 6mmBR that was used for 200yd BR matches and it had gone south that meens that it may have started grouping as big as 1/4-1/2" and that is still way under what I was expecting to get so I figured what the hell.
But like I said , I was simply using them to learn and wasen't expecting the world to start with.
If I were goin to pay for the machine work I'd buy a new barrel

[Idaho_Elk_Huntr]

I would not replace my barrel if it is a shooter. If it wont shoot I will replace it and may put it on eBay. I think I would stay away from them.

[dogz]

Personally I would buy a used tube from a known source (IE close bud), but not from the rest of the world.

Mark D