BARLOC QUICK-CHANGE BARREL DEVICE, BARREL NUT VERSION

[PTPATAW]

Now that the BARLOC has been out for awhile, what’s everyone’s thoughts?

I plan to use it with a Bighron TL3 action and my growing collection of Savage Small shank Prefits. 5 barrels and counting.

My main concern: does my barrels need extended threads for this to work. ARC says no but one rifle smith says yes. I’ll spare them their name as I still purchase things through them.

 

[PTPATAW]

Also on ARC website, it says “Choose Lug Configuration” with recoil lug or without.

Is that meaning they supply a recoil lug if you choose “with recoil lug”, OR does it mean, your action has a recoil lug so “with recoil lug” is designed to compensate for those dimensions.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

You should be fine.
I ordered a standard Criterion Savage Prefit from NSS and had no issues installing the Barloc. There was plenty of threads to get the barrel installed and tightened down without screwing up headspace.

I believe you will need a recoil lug because the ARC lug has a contoured face on one side to match up with the taper of the Barloc.

The TL3 lug would not work because both sides are flat.

 

[NICETRY]

I tried a shouldered barloc setup on my Nucleus and have had issues with a zero shift. My gunsmith is reworking the barrel to get rid of the barloc so we can see if it’s the culprit. Tried different scopes and going over anything else that could cause the issue and we are down to the barloc assembly.
Now I think the savage nut style should be fine but time will tell.

 

[Patty]

you need a 1.7" tenon thread for it to work, most barrels will be fine, i think criterion was doing a 1.6"

Barloc worked great for me, very simple.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I tried a shouldered barloc setup on my Nucleus and have had issues with a zero shift. My gunsmith is reworking the barrel to get rid of the barloc so we can see if it’s the culprit. Tried different scopes and going over anything else that could cause the issue and we are down to the barloc assembly.
Now I think the savage nut style should be fine but time will tell.

Were the zero shifts noticed when switching barrels? Or was there zero shift every time you went out shooting?

 

[PTPATAW]

You should be fine.
I ordered a standard Criterion Savage Prefit from NSS and had no issues installing the Barloc. There was plenty of threads to get the barrel installed and tightened down without screwing up headspace.

I believe you will need a recoil lug because the ARC lug has a contoured face on one side to match up with the taper of the Barloc.

The TL3 lug would not work because both sides are flat.

That’s why they include the conical washer...

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

That’s why they include the conical washer...

I thought the conical washer was for between a shouldered barrel and the Barloc?

 

[PTPATAW]

I thought the conical washer was for between a shouldered barrel and the Barloc?

https://www.americanrifle.com/wp-co...loc-with-Nut-Install-Procedure_2018-10-17.pdf
This says differently.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I guess I'm wrong.

 

[Lonestar1027]

Minnesota, you're not wrong but you guys are talking about two separate things. For shouldered barrels, you do use the washer between the BARLOC and the shoulder. For prefits, it sounds like the barrel nut is all that is needed on that side.

 

[Patty]

Minnesota, you're not wrong but you guys are talking about two separate things. For shouldered barrels, you do use the washer between the BARLOC and the shoulder. For prefits, it sounds like the barrel nut is all that is needed on that side.

That’s correct.

Shouldered barrel= washer>barloc>washer>barrel

Prefit=
Washer>barloc>barrel nut(has a coned inner face)> barrel

 

[NICETRY]

Were the zero shifts noticed when switching barrels? Or was there zero shift every time you went out shooting?

I would get a 1.5 mil shift up or down. I had it happen in a match going between stages, while shooting stages and travel to or from a match.

 

[PTPATAW]

I would get a 1.5 mil shift up or down. I had it happen in a match going between stages, while shooting stages and travel to or from a match.

Did you throw a regular barrel nut back on it and the issue not longer exist? And I mean actually test it. Not swap the nut and shoot a group and say everything’s fine. Actually run it through a match and see where your zero holds at afterwards.

 

[NICETRY]

Did you throw a regular barrel nut back on it and the issue not longer exist? And I mean actually test it. Not swap the nut and shoot a group and say everything’s fine. Actually run it through a match and see where your zero holds at afterwards.

If you seen my first post I’m using a shouldered version of the barloc. I think the barrel nut version probably be just fine but if you get some issues with zero shift it could be the barloc assembly.

To answer you questions I do not have a barrel nut so I can’t do anything about that. With the shouldered version I tried adjusting headspace some but you’re kinda stuck with what you got once it’s chambered. My gunsmith is reworking the barrel so it fits up like a normal barreled action and I’ll see if that corrects the problem.

 

[Lonestar1027]

Same here. Using a BARLOC with two different barrels. No zero shift, repeatable differences between the two barrels

 

[Anderson_A]

Eric and lone star what did you find was the best way to time the barrel repeatably? Just by feel with a headspace gauge or brass or some form of witness marks looking for the best way to go back and forth between barrels and just have to do a quick zero check this is all new to me

 

[Lonestar1027]

I use a headspace gauge. Obviously it lines up with a witness mark, but I prefer the precision of a gauge

 

[Anderson_A]

Gotcha again I’m new to this and it seems like even after removing my firing pin spring and all I can have some variance in where I set my headspace either a little resistance when operating the bolt or zero resistance and still be well within my go and no go don’t know if that will affect my rtz if I don’t duplicate that feel exactly 2 weeks or maybe 2 months later when I switch barrels again

 

[PTPATAW]

Good to hear guys

 

[LawnMM]

Rather than let you continue on this path, I'll just say: the barloc is designed to let you swap a barrel in the field. It's not designed to be a perfect RTZ switch barrel system.

Your best luck would be with a shouldered version to minimize variables, with a barrel nut you're going to have to rezero so I'd accept that and move forward.

If you think you're going to switch barrels at the range and have everything consistently and repeatedly line up without variance or the need to rezero the gun you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[PTPATAW]

Rather than let you continue on this path, I'll just say: the barloc is designed to let you swap a barrel in the field. It's not designed to be a perfect RTZ switch barrel system.

Your best luck would be with a shouldered version to minimize variables, with a barrel nut you're going to have to rezero so I'd accept that and move forward.

If you think you're going to switch barrels at the range and have everything consistently and repeatedly line up without variance or the need to rezero the gun you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

I don’t even expect all that with the other switch barrel systems. Ballistic apps have zero offset. I really don’t care to be honest. I’m perfectly fine with confirming zero. It’s really not that hard.

 

[LawnMM]

?

 

[Sutherlandsd]

I use the Barloc and several barrels, I shoot shots to confirm zero always after swapping most times its just a few clicks occasionally its dead on. I do use a headspace gauge to confirm and use a mark.

Its not a perfect RTZ thing by any means, but its very nice I have gone from 260 to 308 to 243 back to 260 in one range trip with the same go gauge is convenient.. next time out I will add the 223 bolt and gauge lol.