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Compass Lake Engineering closing doors to the public
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I just turned 19, ordered my first barrel from them, for the AR I am building. This lower counts as the first gun I ever bought. I really wanted the best for this build, and since I have put in hundreds of hours into research and a few thousand dollars in parts, made sense for me to go with a Bartlein barrel from CLE. When I ordered it in July it was an 8 week backlog, 6 months later, I am sure they are tired of me and everyone else constantly asking for updates. Guess I will go buy a cheapo 6 ARC barrel now while I wait on the next guy to make me the barrel I actualy want. I wish I had just done that in the first place now.
Maybe try contacting through Facebook. That is where they posted the message about closing to ghd public. Kind of poor form to post on Facebook but haven't answered emails from people whose money they are operating their equipment on. You would think they would have contacted the people with orders still unfulfilled directly just to let us know the status and the announcement was coming and to reassure us. We are stil customers after all.
A few months back i tried to get a barrel from them and I couldn't reach them a few times and the one time I did they didn't have an answer and didn't get back to me with one. I wrote them off. Paul Craddock has my upper now and us putting a barrel in it with a CLE chamber for me.
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To clarify, does CLE have your upper and Paul is doing the work at their shop, or is Paul doing the work elsewhere?
Well FWIW, got ahold of them and they are going to do my barrel.
Spoke to Teresa, and she's still there doing work. It's Franks wife as mentioned earlier so I'll roll the dice and send my bolt out today.
I've bought a few barrels from them in the past and she remembers me.
Spoke to Teresa, and she's still there doing work. It's Franks wife as mentioned earlier so I'll roll the dice and send my bolt out today.
I've bought a few barrels from them in the past and she remembers me.
No, sorry for not being clear. Paul Craddock(Craddock Precision) has my upper and is putting me on a new barrel. He is doing a CLE chamber in the new barrel. I couldn't get CLE to do anything several months back so I sought out Paul and it's been good so far.
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I was talking about Paul Craddock, sorry. I will edit my post to clear that up.
Best option ...Learn to do your own gunsmithing, from barrel blank to finished AR barrel, profile, thread for barrel extension, chamber, thread for muzzle brake, determine the gas system you want, turn area for gas block diameter, and drill gas port. Your barrel is done in a few hours, or one day of your old and slow. No waiting, I can Usually get a barrel in a week, unless it's a special odd- ball twist...then a day to machine. Out shooting the next day...oh and you can build them really cheap if ya want...like a used varmint barrels off a Rem 700, cut off both ends and make it an AR 15 barrel for free, with excellent accuracy.
There are schools, and classes, still available, and some videos from real gunsmiths.
It would be a hard business to be in today, but you can learn for yourself.
There are schools, and classes, still available, and some videos from real gunsmiths.
It would be a hard business to be in today, but you can learn for yourself.
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Hopefully.....
Compass Lake Engineering | Alford FL
Compass Lake Engineering, Alford, Florida. 2,157 likes · 135 talking about this · 32 were here. Quality custom work, service rifle, SPR, tactical, recon, and varmint barrels.www.facebook.com
If you have a barrel in the queue it will be finished.
I ordered a 6 ARC gas gun barrel on a Bartlein blank from them on July 15th 2023. Paid in full on that date. Website at the time advised 6-10 week lead times. I inquired about the status of my order in October of 2023 and was told that they expected the blanks in a few weeks. I inquired in December of 2023 about the status and suggested that if they couldn't get Bartlein blanks I could change the order and have the work done on a Criterion blank. They responded via email that they could do the order with a Bartlein blank, but I currently have some concerns about if I'm ever going to get my barrel. Their voicemail box is full.
I spoke with them on the phone last week and they said my barrel would be shipped in 3 weeks. Guess we’ll see.
I ordered beginning of October fwiw. Krieger barrel.
I spoke with them two weeks ago, similar situation but I have two barrels with them, fingers crossed.
If you call enough times youll eventually get through. Took me 6 tries few weeks ago. My barrel finally shipped last week. They said they were finishing out all orders so hopefully you'll get taken care of, but wouldn't hurt to check on it.
Got an email from them today. Sounds like everything is good to go. It's a shame the shooting community is losing them. I should have my barrel next week.
They were a good company for Service Rifle shooters. There is more competition for customers and fewer shooters competing in Service Rifle. In the late 90's they were one of the biggest companies on the range.
I had great conversations with Frank & Theresa @ Benning, Peach State Regionals.
Great folks! Frank started the Space Gun / match rifle options.
Gunsmithing - CLE Krieger Barrel
What's wrong in these pictures? Point of view is at the chamfer of the neck. More information to follow...
www.snipershide.com
The majority of barrel makers or even resellers and suppliers in this industry, have horrible websites and next to no marketing.
I would say that the team at MDT is an exception to the norm.
I just ordered 6 arc mags direct from a large manufacturer. Went direct as they were OOS on the normal channels (brownells, midway, etc).
The confirmation email thanked me for my order from "woocommerce"...meaning, they never even bothered to change the defaults on their shopping cart integration. Who knows what intern is processing my order data there. Quite a few of us who ordered direct from Ballistic Advantage had all of our customer information leaked, BA never even acknowledged it and refused to answer any questions about it. When the Aero rep was questioned here about it, people threw a fucking fit because its "wasting his time"...even though Aero owns the damn company, and it was just about the only direct line to someone who would actually respond on the subject.
This industry maintains unusually slow shipping times, dogshit customer service standards(you're routinely shunned by the overall majority for even asking about your order, AFTER you've been charged for it up front) large shipping fees on top of it, and shitty websites.
That factor clearly isn't whats kept them from being competitive. Product still sells daily, and at a premium.
Well damn.. Hate it that you got a dud. I had made that statement based on a 20” Bartlein I got from them and all the other positive reviews from other customers.Gunsmithing - CLE Krieger Barrel
What's wrong in these pictures? Point of view is at the chamfer of the neck. More information to follow...
It is really something to watch. If I treated my customers that way there would be a lynch mob with torches hunting me down. It seems giving these companies no interest loans for products they do not have is just part of the norm.
To paraphrase another member here, worst case of Stockholm, syndrome I have ever seen.
Yeah I know. I have to answer every single email myself, on top of all the other crap I have to do outside of actually do MY job, and somehow many in this industry just basically blow everyone off when they feel like it.
I will say that the precision rifle group, at least that I regularly deal with are really good at taking care of me and communicating. IME, the ones who deal with mostly the AR stuff are the worst about that sort of thing.
I got an email on Jan 23rd where they said that my barrel would be machined the next week. After that, no further communication when I asked for a status update, or notification that a barrel was shipped. Today I called and their phone instead of ringing went straight to voicemail. Order was placed on July 15th and I was advised of 10-12 week lead times. In a few days, it will have been seven month. I'm done. Credit card chargeback initiated.
FWIW, both times I’ve emailed them I got a reply that same day. Usually within an hour or two.
[email protected]
I have emailed them multiple times. Last email was from Theresa. On Jan 23rd she told me that Conrad would be machining it 'next week'. On February 8th I emailed to ask if there was any update on the order. No response. I have zero confidence at this point that I will ever receive anything. I have been more than patient, and every email has been very polite. 7 months is absurd and at this point I feel like a sucker for giving them an interest free loan for so long.
I got mine this past fall. Ordered in May 23'. 6mm ARC that is. I'm having feeding issues, I think the gas port might be too small. Either way its a hell of a shooter that is for sure! Glad I got it when I did.
Edit: After reading more comments in here I might be one of the lucky people to have gotten my barrel haha! many waiting sure sucks without a word on what is going on. If given info on the status that makes waiting understandable. Not an issue of whinny modern people! When you're paying for a product in full upfront you're in the damn right to be expecting info on what is going on. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE COMPANY IS POSTING A TIME FRAME ON A PRODUCT DELIVERY!
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Update:
Little bit of egg on my face. Got an email today that the barrel is finished and ready to ship. Still not happy that the barrel took 7 months but looking forward to laying hands on it and if everything is good I'm just going the chalk this up to bad timing on their restructuring or whatever caused their issues, as their reputation was stellar when I placed the order. Called the CC company to make sure that if I get the barrel that they will still get their money and as long as I don't update any documents (emails, etc) they will still keep their money. I'm not going to screw them out of their money so long as they deliver the barrel as promised.
Little bit of egg on my face. Got an email today that the barrel is finished and ready to ship. Still not happy that the barrel took 7 months but looking forward to laying hands on it and if everything is good I'm just going the chalk this up to bad timing on their restructuring or whatever caused their issues, as their reputation was stellar when I placed the order. Called the CC company to make sure that if I get the barrel that they will still get their money and as long as I don't update any documents (emails, etc) they will still keep their money. I'm not going to screw them out of their money so long as they deliver the barrel as promised.
FWIW - Frank just called me ref my two barrel order that he's machining now; I originally ordered back in Sept.
Received my barrel two days ago. It looks fantastic to the naked eye, going to borescope it soon but it looks like stellar work. Building as soon as possible. Shooting a match this weekend, so, busy, but wanted to update that they did indeed come through. If it shoots well, which I expect it will, I'm content.
6 mm ARC was very easy to get good groops after I took off the BA barrel from the Areo factory upper...it was a dog.
Ordered a Get a good barrel go from 2.5" to .5" on the first 5 shot group at 100 yds. Complete Areo upper shot against a Proof Research barrel on home built upper on the same day with the same match ammo.
Take off the BA barrel and ordered another Proof Research barrel...it shoots just as well as the first. ARs will shoot half inch 5 shot groups when set properly,...with a good barrel, & ammo. So does my 224 Valkyrie, now, but it took a bit more tuning.
Ordered a Get a good barrel go from 2.5" to .5" on the first 5 shot group at 100 yds. Complete Areo upper shot against a Proof Research barrel on home built upper on the same day with the same match ammo.
Take off the BA barrel and ordered another Proof Research barrel...it shoots just as well as the first. ARs will shoot half inch 5 shot groups when set properly,...with a good barrel, & ammo. So does my 224 Valkyrie, now, but it took a bit more tuning.
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Yup this is terrible news. I have a 18" SPR bartlien barrel from them and its a f'ing tac driver.
I noticed several months ago they stopped having as many options since I was was looking for another barrel from them. I wanted a 13.9-14.5 mid gas bartlien and ended up going with craddock but I haven't assembled the upper yet to see how it shoots.
I noticed several months ago they stopped having as many options since I was was looking for another barrel from them. I wanted a 13.9-14.5 mid gas bartlien and ended up going with craddock but I haven't assembled the upper yet to see how it shoots.
Not yet. Haven't built the upper yet, but may have run into a problem. Muzzle device needs shims to be timed properly. The peel washer that Thunderbeast sent with my muzzle device won't seat up against the shoulder of the barrel, as the OD of the barrel right where the threads end is .645. Looks like this is too large for typical 5/8x24 shims. I was going to buy a shim kit regardless, as I despise peel washers and refuse to use the pain in the ass things. But most places don't actually list the ID of their shims, and the ones that do, it looks like the OD of the barrel right where the threads end may not have been finished properly.
I swear, shit like this always happens to me.
The muzzle device for the Thunderbeast silencer will thread all the way to the shoulder, as it has a relief cut inside in front of where the threads begin, but I'm currently in an internet rabbit hole of searching for a 5/8x24 shim kit that has an ID of .645 or greater.
Are you looking for a shim that is chamfered?
If so, this may be a possible solution:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/2836/2739A45 (Part#2739A45)
Go to the 1:25 mark
If so, this may be a possible solution:
https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/130/2836/2739A45 (Part#2739A45)
Go to the 1:25 mark
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No that is not correct...there is no thread relief, under cut to bottom out against a square shoulder ....if the shoulder on this is actually square.
Put it back in the lathe and fix it.
The only way to utilize this barrel is to counter bore the muzzle devise deep enough to go over this unthreaded part with no thread relief.
Then time it by cutting back the counter bore muzzle device in the lathe..so it stops at 11:00 and tighten to 12:00 to finish.
Or machine a counter bore washer same as barrel OD, to cover the no thread relief area.
Easy fix for a machinist, or semi skilled guy with a lathe.
Put it back in the lathe and fix it.
The only way to utilize this barrel is to counter bore the muzzle devise deep enough to go over this unthreaded part with no thread relief.
Then time it by cutting back the counter bore muzzle device in the lathe..so it stops at 11:00 and tighten to 12:00 to finish.
Or machine a counter bore washer same as barrel OD, to cover the no thread relief area.
Easy fix for a machinist, or semi skilled guy with a lathe.
The Thunderbeast muzzle device is counterbored. It will thread on to the shoulder, and everything appears to be perfectly concentric. The problem is that I need to time the muzzle device, and no off the shelf 5/8X24 shims have a large enough ID to clear the part of the barrel that wasn't relieved.
Supposed to have a cut at the shoulder end of the threads, dimension C.
ETA:
I think. Again, I am no machinist.
ETA:
I think. Again, I am no machinist.
