Mcgowen Barrel Reviews

[eaglemountainman]

Dan Wynne, McGowen General Manager, (and the guy you will have to deal with) is one of the most unprofessional business people I have ever had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with. His communications skills and attention to detail are unbelievably horrible!


This^^^^^
See post #57

 

[Sled]

I cannot speak to the quality of the gunsmithing or how McGowen barrels shoot because I never received the correct barrel. There is one thing I can comment on ...

Dan Wynne, McGowen General Manager, (and the guy you will have to deal with) is one of the most unprofessional business people I have ever had the unfortunate opportunity to deal with. His communications skills and attention to detail are unbelievably horrible!

My best advise to someone looking at McGowen Barrel is to "RUN" and never look back. I am serious, do not do business with McGowen Barrel. I am sharing because I do not want anyone to experience the 5-month ordeal that I went through.

I fired them, got my money back, and purchased a Bartlein barrel (haven't received it yet).

you're preaching to the choir with me.

 

[willicd]

Apparently most of you have absolutely no clue about tolerances between mass produced receivers. Expecting a shouldered prefit to work on a factory action is just playing roulette. You are going to lose most of the time! If the barrels shoot good, that’s what really matters so either use a barrel nut or have someone FIT a blank to your receiver. If I were in charge of McGowan, I’d drop the shouldered prefits immediately! What other barrel maker is crazy enough to even try such a venture?

 

[atmat]

What other barrel maker is crazy enough to even try such a venture?

Are you living under a rock? Literally, lots of them. PVA, Proof, PBB, UM, etc.

 

[kswaterfowl]

Apparently most of you have absolutely no clue about tolerances between mass produced receivers. Expecting a shouldered prefit to work on a factory action is just playing roulette. You are going to lose most of the time! If the barrels shoot good, that’s what really matters so either use a barrel nut or have someone FIT a blank to your receiver. If I were in charge of McGowan, I’d drop the shouldered prefits immediately! What other barrel maker is crazy enough to even try such a venture?

They should drop the shouldered prefits, because they are the only ones that can't get it right.

 

[Anschutz]

I've got a McGowen on my Savage 243. With 105 Amax and Ramshot Hunter, it was consistently under a half inch. I also shot a 588/600 F-Class at 600yds with it in some switchy conditions. With Nosler 95BT Factory loads, it was around 3/4". I would use them again without question.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[willicd]

Who exactly “gets it right” when doing shouldered prefits on mass produced factory actions? I would guess NOBODY does. How could they? If the factories have .005 tolerance between actions, some prefits work with some actions and others don’t. Just use a barrel nut and there won’t be any issues.

They should drop the shouldered prefits, because they are the only ones that can't get it right.

 

[willicd]

Are you living under a rock? Literally, lots of them. PVA, Proof, PBB, UM, etc.

And how are they taking into account the vast differences between factory actions? If the mass manufactures could keep those kinds of tolerances, we wouldn’t need custom receivers!

 

[Anschutz]

Who exactly “gets it right” when doing shouldered prefits on mass produced factory actions? I would guess NOBODY does. How could they? If the factories have .005 tolerance between actions, some prefits work with some actions and others don’t. Just use a barrel nut and there won’t be any issues.

I think with modern manufacturing. Your tolerance is .003-.004 too high. Plenty of folks have had success with Tikka, Semi-Custom, and custom actions. Just because you think it doesn't work doesn't mean it doesn't. Are there going to be onsies and twosies that are out of tolerance for a pre-fit? Yeah, but I'd bet over 99% of Tikka T3x actions work just fine.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[atmat]

And how are they taking into account the vast differences between factory actions? If the mass manufactures could keep those kinds of tolerances, we wouldn’t need custom receivers!

I have zero idea what the tolerances within factory Tikkas are. But there are a ridiculous amount of prefits out there that people (myself included) are using.

Even guys who said they’d never make a prefit for it, like Jake from UM, have changed their minds after actually measuring Tikka actions. I believe he said they spec within 0.001.

 

[Formidilosus]

And how are they taking into account the vast differences between factory actions? If the mass manufactures could keep those kinds of tolerances, we wouldn’t need custom receivers!

Sako and other manufacturers are holding tolerances to within what “custom” actions are, and they have been doing it for decades- to within one thousandth.
All tikka barrels are “prefits”. Every singe Tikka T3 factory barrel can be screwed on to every other single factory T3 action and headspace correctly.

 

[dirtytough]

Apparently most of you have absolutely no clue about tolerances between mass produced receivers. Expecting a shouldered prefit to work on a factory action is just playing roulette. You are going to lose most of the time! If the barrels shoot good, that’s what really matters so either use a barrel nut or have someone FIT a blank to your receiver. If I were in charge of McGowan, I’d drop the shouldered prefits immediately! What other barrel maker is crazy enough to even try such a venture?

It’s not just the chamber they mess up. They couldn’t even thread the muzzle properly.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Who exactly “gets it right” when doing shouldered prefits on mass produced factory actions? I would guess NOBODY does. How could they? If the factories have .005 tolerance between actions, some prefits work with some actions and others don’t. Just use a barrel nut and there won’t be any issues.

Anyone using a modern 4-axis CNC that can't hold at least 0.001" tolerance should either replace their machine or operator, or get out of the business.

The fact that Remington still can't do it is more a testament to their interest in cutting costs rather than making a decent rifle.

 

[Sled]

It’s not just the chamber they mess up. They couldn’t even thread the muzzle properly.

Don't forget the tenon. Couldn't thread on the other end either.

 

[gbflyer]

Who exactly “gets it right” when doing shouldered prefits on mass produced factory actions? I would guess NOBODY does. How could they? If the factories have .005 tolerance between actions, some prefits work with some actions and others don’t. Just use a barrel nut and there won’t be any issues.

There are production actions that are built with very repetitive tolerances. I agree with you in a sense though, if a barrel builder is going to offer a shouldered prefit, they’d better be ready to deal with some returns. Some will not fit, even with the best QC.

My McGowan shoots fine, it was a contoured blank that I chambered. I had no contact after my money was taken, and it wasn’t fluted the way I told them I wanted it. Minor irritants compared to other’s experiences.

 

[willicd]

Anyone using a modern 4-axis CNC that can't hold at least 0.001" tolerance should either replace their machine or operator, or get out of the business.

The fact that Remington still can't do it is more a testament to their interest in cutting costs rather than making a decent rifle.

That may be a very true statement, but another fact overlooked even with the very best machines and operators; tooling wear. It the reason ruger had such a hard time getting their revolvers right when they gang reamed the cylinders. The reamers would wear at different rates. So, building a receiver with CNC requires quite a few machining stations. As those tools wear, does the program account for it or do tolerances begin to stack? I honestly don’t know. My machines don’t even have DRO much less CNC!

 

[NSI]

That may be a very true statement, but another fact overlooked even with the very best machines and operators; tooling wear. It the reason ruger had such a hard time getting their revolvers right when they gang reamed the cylinders. The reamers would wear at different rates. So, building a receiver with CNC requires quite a few machining stations. As those tools wear, does the program account for it or do tolerances begin to stack? I honestly don’t know. My machines don’t even have DRO much less CNC!

Willi,
A few baselines:

1) Many MFGs are famous on this site for not replacing their reamers or other tooling until tolerances are visibly out of whack. We're aware of that problem, and it's real.

2) Sako/Tikka have been holding a thou since before it was cool. When they don't, it's a notable outlier that's worth posting about. Whereas, if a Remington was within 2 thou of its spec that would be a notable outlier. It's not that every Tikka action is perfect, it's that the vast majority are, and that's enough to support 5 or 6 good pre-fit businesses, plus McGowen. These companies generally spin shouldered pre-fits for Tikkas and guaranteed customs. Not factory actions which don't generally hold a thou. Of course they also do barrel nut designs.

3) Some customs are advertised as holding a thou or less, some aren't. Will you get tighter headspace in all cases by spinning to the host action? Yes. Does it matter? That depends. Sometimes for some applications. Usually not.

Glad you joined the site, don't get intimidated by the reception - there is a common base of understood knowledge in this group that you're peaking into now.

Best,
-J

 

[willicd]

Willi,
A few baselines:

1) Many MFGs are famous on this site for not replacing their reamers or other tooling until tolerances are visibly out of whack. We're aware of that problem, and it's real.

2) Sako/Tikka have been holding a thou since before it was cool. When they don't, it's a notable outlier that's worth posting about. Whereas, if a Remington was within 2 thou of its spec that would be a notable outlier. It's not that every Tikka action is perfect, it's that the vast majority are, and that's enough to support 5 or 6 good pre-fit businesses, plus McGowen. These companies generally spin shouldered pre-fits for Tikkas and guaranteed customs. Not factory actions which don't generally hold a thou. Of course they also do barrel nut designs.

3) Some customs are advertised as holding a thou or less, some aren't. Will you get tighter headspace in all cases by spinning to the host action? Yes. Does it matter? That depends. Sometimes for some applications. Usually not.

Glad you joined the site, don't get intimidated by the reception - there is a common base of understood knowledge in this group that you're peaking into now.

Best,
-J

I don’t have a vast knowledge base on tikkas since I’ve only built on a couple of them and there was no reason for me to compare measurements since I was fitting a shouldered barrel myself. I do know they are incredibly slick and the factory trigger is just fantastic with the smallest amount of work. If they are as true as you say, why do we even bother with custom receivers? I’ve built on pretty much all of them and my favorites are the Bat VR and the now discontinued surgeon RSR. I did just buy 3 of the aero solus actions to play with. The integral rail and lug with the floating bolt head are intriguing to me at the price point. I’ve also use most of the major blank manufacturers but I’m a self proclaimed cheap A$$ and normally go with whomever gives me the best bulk deals. First that was pac-not and then benchmark. Cut or button has never meant much to me. Id say my most accurate short range BR rifles have been button namely Harts. I’m going to build myself a slow twist bolt action 30-30 deer rifle just for something different and I think I’ll try a McGowen 1-15 for the 125’s. It will be my first McGowen so apparently I need everyone to wish me luck!

 

[atmat]

If they are as true as you say, why do we even bother with custom receivers?

For the same reason people cerakote stainless steel: they like to spend money and want some customization.

I only build Tikkas now. Customs are dumb.

 

[NSI]

I don’t have a vast knowledge base on tikkas since I’ve only built on a couple of them and there was no reason for me to compare measurements since I was fitting a shouldered barrel myself. I do know they are incredibly slick and the factory trigger is just fantastic with the smallest amount of work. If they are as true as you say, why do we even bother with custom receivers? I’ve built on pretty much all of them and my favorites are the Bat VR and the now discontinued surgeon RSR. I did just buy 3 of the aero solus actions to play with. The integral rail and lug with the floating bolt head are intriguing to me at the price point. I’ve also use most of the major blank manufacturers but I’m a self proclaimed cheap A$$ and normally go with whomever gives me the best bulk deals. First that was pac-not and then benchmark. Cut or button has never meant much to me. Id say my most accurate short range BR rifles have been button namely Harts. I’m going to build myself a slow twist bolt action 30-30 deer rifle just for something different and I think I’ll try a McGowen 1-15 for the 125’s. It will be my first McGowen so apparently I need everyone to wish me luck!

The short answer is that, generally, we don't "bother with custom receivers."

There are features that are interesting which Tikkas don't have - modular bolt heads, quick change barrel systems, lighter bolt lifts, etc. However, for most of us these features are weighed down by the requirement for a Remington 700 pattern trigger and its reliability/safety baggage.

For a self-professed cheapskate like yourself, focused on utility, I'd recommend selling those Solus actions (which don't even provide most of the sought-after advantages of customs, and are not terribly smooth) and focusing on the humble Tikka.

-J