Preferred Barrels Carbon Thoughts? (2024)

HandgunHTR said:

I like Preferred as a barrel maker, but not a CF fan myself. The part that matters is going to be solid from them however.

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I have one of their steel barrels, but I doubt they have the volume to justify making their own CF barrels. They are probably simply reselling them made by someone else. Who knows how good the barrel maker is?

Unckebob said:

I have one of their steel barrels, but I doubt they have the volume to justify making their own CF barrels. They are probably simply reselling them made by someone else. Who knows how good the barrel maker is?

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As to the OP, I’ve no first hand experience but the idea of taking a price point barrel that I’ve read about a fair number of unhappy customers from and then paying the another $350 to increase the chances of f*cking up a decent blank by making it really thin and wrapping it with carbon is not appealing.

I have Proof, Hells Canyon Armory and Carbon Six barrels. They are all shooters.

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wind gypsy said:

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As to the OP, I’ve no first hand experience but the idea of taking a price point barrel that I’ve read about a fair number of unhappy customers from and then paying the another $350 to increase the chances of f*cking up a decent blank by making it really thin and wrapping it with carbon is not appealing.

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That doesn't mean much. Weatherby has been selling "their own" ammo for decades. They buy their brass from others and their name is stamped on it.

It is not a problem if they (or anyone) sources things from others. In the case of PBB, I would rather find out they did a bulk buy from an established carbon blank maker rather than try to learn how to do it correctly.

Unckebob said:

That doesn't mean much. Weatherby has been selling "their own" ammo for decades. They buy their brass from others and their name is stamped on it.

It is not a problem if they (or anyone) sources things from others. In the case of PBB, I would rather find out they did a bulk buy from an established carbon blank maker rather than try to learn how to do it correctly.

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They make their own barrels. They may not wrap the carbon themselves, but contouring and cutting the rifling they do themselves and have since they started making barrels for TC Encores and Contenders under the name Virgin Valley, which then became Match Grade Machine (which still exists), and then spun off to make bolt rifle barrels under the Preferred name.

As to wind gypsy's comment, I have heard some issues with chamberings on prefits, just as I have on MGM's chamberings for single shots, but have yet to have anyone who bought a blank and have it chambered and installed by their smith complain about one of their barrels not performing.

Unckebob said:

That doesn't mean much. Weatherby has been selling "their own" ammo for decades. They buy their brass from others and their name is stamped on it.

It is not a problem if they (or anyone) sources things from others. In the case of PBB, I would rather find out they did a bulk buy from an established carbon blank maker rather than try to learn how to do it correctly.

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Interesting take. I've never seen weatherby say "We load ammo using our own brass". It would be very odd and misleading for a company named precision barrel blanks that manufactures barrel blanks, to deliberately say "using our blanks" if they used someone else's.

The other thing is the idea that a blank manufacturer would outsource their primary business function doesn't make sense unless being sold as a different product line. A barrel core to be carbon wrapped is nothing but a different contour. Hells canyon use(d) Rock and Benchmark blanks and did the carbon wrapping, not sure what their current practice is. PVA sends their Osprey blanks to hells canyon to wrap them now. Carbon 6 uses mcgowan blanks. Bartlein, proof, and benchmark obviously use their own blanks. In none of those cases does the company that actually manufacturers the core sell someone elses blanks under their name.

HandgunHTR said:

As to wind gypsy's comment, I have heard some issues with chamberings on prefits, just as I have on MGM's chamberings for single shots, but have yet to have anyone who bought a blank and have it chambered and installed by their smith complain about one of their barrels not performing.

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The chambering issues are one thing, the other was reports of barrels dying really early or really erratic break in periods. All together it's been enough to make then unappealing to me even though there are many rightfully happy customers and i'm happy with my Arrowhead encore 45 cal smokeless barrel that is made by MGM.

wind gypsy said:

Interesting take. I've never seen weatherby say "We load ammo using our own brass". It would be very odd and misleading for a company named precision barrel blanks that manufactures barrel blanks, to deliberately say "using our blanks" if they used someone else's.

The other thing is the idea that a blank manufacturer would outsource their primary business function doesn't make sense unless being sold as a different product line. A barrel core to be carbon wrapped is nothing but a different contour. Hells canyon use(d) Rock and Benchmark blanks and did the carbon wrapping, not sure what their current practice is. PVA sends their Osprey blanks to hells canyon to wrap them now. Carbon 6 uses mcgowan blanks. Bartlein, proof, and benchmark obviously use their own blanks. In none of those cases does the company that actually manufacturers the core sell someone elses blanks under their name.

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I guess I wasn't as clear as I intended to be with my comment.

1) I agree that PBB does use their own blanks to chamber rifle barrels. I am very satisfied with my barrel and would expect future customers for all steel barrels to get similar results.

2) As it relates to the Carbon Fiber wrapped barrels only, I would expect them to outsource the CF barrels (at least in part) to someone else ("CF Co") who specializes in CF wrapping.

- That was the main thrust of my original comment. Unless the consumer knows who does the wrapping, it is hard to judge the quality of that process.

- I hadn't considered the possibility that PBB sends its blanks to CF Co which are then wrapped around their barrel blank. I certainly agree that is possible/likely.

I apologize for the confusion.

wind gypsy said:

Interesting take. I've never seen weatherby say "We load ammo using our own brass". It would be very odd and misleading for a company named precision barrel blanks that manufactures barrel blanks, to deliberately say "using our blanks" if they used someone else's.

The other thing is the idea that a blank manufacturer would outsource their primary business function doesn't make sense unless being sold as a different product line. A barrel core to be carbon wrapped is nothing but a different contour. Hells canyon use(d) Rock and Benchmark blanks and did the carbon wrapping, not sure what their current practice is. PVA sends their Osprey blanks to hells canyon to wrap them now. Carbon 6 uses mcgowan blanks. Bartlein, proof, and benchmark obviously use their own blanks. In none of those cases does the company that actually manufacturers the core sell someone elses blanks under their name.

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To my knowledge HCA still uses Benchmark blanks. At least he did last year when I ordered my barrels from him.

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