X-Caliber barrels any opinions?

[5.56×250]

yes.

That opens a big ol bucket o worms. He should at the very least refund the difference between the lilja and xcaliber barrels. I'd be real picky about the way the xcaliber is machined too.
I'm sorry . You didnt ask for feedback on the gunsmith. It just smells like he cheaped out on a mistake he made.

 

[Zymurgist]

nope. he refused. aka it was not chambered square to the bore/bolt face.

I wouldn't have much confidence in this guys competence and honesty. Time to find another smith.

 

[patross79]

I've got 4 of them. 300wsm, 6.5gap and 2 Creed's. All shoot well, .5 and the wsm will shoot consistently better if I do my part

 

[5.56×250]

Cleaned my xcaliber barrel today after 23 shots of load developement . Zero copper found. I have 66 shots on this barrel now and havent had any copper since I cleaned it at 20 rounds.

 

[jasonco]

I guess I'm just deranged, but the 2 I have in 6mm & 25 Creedmoor, are just fine and precise and won't hesitate to keep getting pre-fits from X-Caliber. If I don't feel it meets expectations, they gettin' a call back.

 

[jasonco]

Cleaned my xcaliber barrel today after 23 shots of load developement . Zero copper found. I have 66 shots on this barrel now and havent had any copper since I cleaned it at 20 rounds.

Once the powder is removed, the copper cleans up in mine, in about 6-8 patches!

 

[Tidus56]

Must just be my one barrel. Glad y'all have barrels that clean up well.

 

[5.56×250]

Once the powder is removed, the copper cleans up in mine, in about 6-8 patches!

Yea, I just havent seen any blue tinted patches since the abbreviated breaking I did. I shot 1 , cleaned, shot 1 cleaned for 10 rounds, then a 5 shot group, cleaned , then 5 shots , cleaned with no blue on the patch. Shot 23 rounds, cleaned no blue, shot 23 more,cleaned no blue. Maybe I got lucky and the guy that lapped my barrel was having a good day, but I will use them again in the future. I didnt buy mine from xcaliber direct, and they didnt chamber mine. I bought it from a guy that does his own chamber work, and sells a few here and there. Not that that will make any difference on how fast it smooths out.

 

[bigngreen]

I seriously looked at X-Caliber since they are a MT barrel company and I want to try to use the most of MT product I can, I toured the facility and was able to look at process and bore scope a rack of finish lapped barrels ready to ship. First red flag is the button machine is a hydraulic cylinder from the local ag store, if you research quality button rifle machines you will not see that ghetto set up almost impossible to keep the twist rate correct since there is no provision.
Second issue was when I bore scoped ready to ship barrels you could see the coating from buttoning still in the barrel which ruins the barrel if it goes into heat treat, so those barrels made it through cleaning, heat treat and lapping and no one noticed it.
Lapping is done with a vice that holds down the center of the barrel with it supported on both ends, right there your lapping with the barrel with a bow in it, I've bore scoped many skips in the lapping and even no lapping at all in these barrels.
Every one I've slugged the bore opened up with the contour, I've rejected a whole lot because there was as much as .002 variance in the bore down the length, everyone I have actually relented and chambered I've had to cut it back to get the muzzle on a tight spot for the crown to give it the best chance possible.
Every one of these barrels need critical evaluation, many times they won't measure out at the correct twist rate, I'd say them being on the twist rate is less common than them being at least a 1/4 of.
If you chamber many of these you'll need a WHOLE set of bushings and some on the larger ends, many other brands I can chamber barrel after barrel and not change the bushing.
I've seen them shoot well but won't shoot at the top level barrels that are 50 bucks more that have specs to the tenths and finish lapping that is perfect with no variation in the bores. Maybe I'm too critical but the barrel is the heart and soul of accuracy in a barrel, lot of other places to cut corners and save money!!

 

[5.56×250]

When did you tour the factory? I understood that they bought a bunch of new equipment a year or two back .

 

[5.56×250]

When I get a chance I will check the rate of twist in my barrel and report back.

 

[L.Sherm]

When did you tour the factory? I understood that they bought a bunch of new equipment a year or two back .

I can tell you for a fact they did not buy a " bunch" of new equipment 2 years ago.
They bought another HAAS TL2 for conturing. There is the potential to make very good barrels there "but" some of there process they are bound and determined to do negates the potential.

 

[5.56×250]

I was only repeating what I had heard on another site a while back. I'm still going to check my twist rate and report back. All I know is I feel special. Seldom do I get the "good one" when I buy something, lol. I buy the rifle that shoots 3" groups after everyone claims the one they bought shoots bugholes !

 

[jasonco]

I was only repeating what I had heard on another site a while back. I'm still going to check my twist rate and report back. All I know is I feel special. Seldom do I get the "good one" when I buy something, lol. I buy the rifle that shoots 3" groups after everyone claims the one they bought shoots bugholes !