Douglas Quality, how was it back then?

[Brambles]

I picked up a .25 cal Douglas premium XX #3 contour CM barrel blank on a whim. It is unchambered and unthreaded, has been sitting on the owners shelf for 15-20 years. It was ordered when he ran a sporting goods store and never picked up.

I did a little research via a couple websites and almighty google and from what I've read Douglas barrels can be hit or miss accuracy wise, no pun intended. Maybe its the installer and maybe its the barrel, I guess no one will ever know.

The question I have is What was their Quality like between the late 1980's and Early 1990's?

I'm deciding what to do with it, make a tomato stake or use it on a project and I figured there has to be some guys who know their barrels on here.

Thanks guys

Brambles

 

[Lightvarmint]

I have shot a lot with Mr Tim Gardner who was the CEO at the time we were shooting in the same benchrest region...... I have had a few of his barrels and they all shot well. However, the reason I quit using them and any other barrel company that has two standards is because it is hard to convince me that their QC sort was putting them in the correct group.

Try a company that has only one standard.....

LV

 

[Gene]

Shilen sells select and standard barrels; I cannot tell the difference. I bought a new Douglas 26" fluted air guaged barrel chambered for 6.5-284 from SSS about 10 years ago, and it shot very well for 1,200 rounds. Have another Douglas featherweight barrel in 7mm-08 threaded to a 98 action about 20 years ago, and it shoots well for its weight. Do not know whether it was their standard or better quality barrel.

 

[Lightvarmint]

Shilen sells select and standard barrels; I cannot tell the difference. I bought a new Douglas 26" fluted air guaged barrel chambered for 6.5-284 from SSS about 10 years ago, and it shot very well for 1,200 rounds. Have another Douglas featherweight barrel in 7mm-08 threaded to a 98 action about 20 years ago, and it shoots well for its weight. Do not know whether it was their standard or better quality barrel.

Shilen has had their sets of problems as well and I will leave it there........................

A lot of us used Douglas barrels and I have used about a half dozen of them...... They did not last as long with peak accuracy as some of the others. If you are not going to be machine-gunning rounds down the barrel as we do in the benchrest game, they will probably work fine for you. They just did not seem to be able to take the rapid fire and being shot when hot during competition as compared to some other barrels.

LV

 

[Quarter Round]

I visited the Douglas shop recently and had a complete tour of their facility. Nice folks and they did not waste their time or mine down grading another barrel makers product. The premium XX barrel meets a defined standard as stated on their web site and would be worth more as a #3 contour barrel installed on your sporting rifle, since thats what you purchased it for. Go for it and come back and tell us how good or bad it groups.

 

[johnnyk]

Brambles,
My Dad left me his Browning BLR in .243Win. It started life like a normal factory, lever-action with sporter weight 22" barrel. He was never really happy with it and sent it to McGowen Barrels and had them install a Douglas 26" Varmint sporter barrel on it. This was around the 1985-1990 timeframe. He was tickled over that thing. I remember it shot alot better after the new barrel.
I get it out every now and then and shoot it. It doesn't seem to shoot as good for me as it did the ole man. JohnnyK.

 

[Brambles]

Barrel showed up yesterday so now its off to the gunsmith and the new custom rifle can get started.

 

[ol mike]

Micky Coleman built my 22-250 w/a douglas xx stainless barrel -it shoots better than i can.
Shoots everything i feed it very well.

 

[mike33]

I was around them in the 80's and they was good for the money you spent. On a hunting rifle you would not know the difference. I don't know if the guy is still in business but in the 90's his name was Melvin Forbes ( i think ) he was around Morgantown W.Va and built a ultra lite gun. Very nice gun and shot well he only used Douglass Barrels. Have it smithed and shoot it, let us know.
mike