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Gunsmithing Considering a Pac-Nor Poly Barrel, should I?

3-0-hate

Captain Nimcompoop
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 13, 2011
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Lost in Idaho...
Im really considering ordering a 26" 1/10" polygonal .308 Stainless Supermatch barrel from Pac-Nor. Any reason why I should shy away from the poly rifling? I hear they clean a bit easier and are typically a bit faster. This may be anecdotal, but it sounds promising if its true. I use the rifle to play in PRS type matches, but Im no serious competitor and enjoy challenging myself in Tactical, when I do shoot. If I want to get crazy in it, I have a 6creed that I can build up easily enough.

So should I consider playing with the poly rifling? Is there any downside that Im not seeing?

Thanks.
 
I have a 22" .308 12 twist Pac-Nor cut rifled barrel, that runs the same speed as a Rock Creek 308 12 twist 26". Pac-Nor installed it some years back an she now has 16K plus down her an still shoots under moa. The only reason to stay away from the poly is if you want to ever shoot cast loads, as they will lead the bore no matter what the Brinnell hardness number.
 
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I would literally never be shooting cast through my 308.. That being said, if I were going to, they would be powder coated. Im looking at this barrel for my competition rig. As casual of a competitor as I may be, I still want the best kit for my given setup.

Thanks for the info about your barrel. That makes me feel a bit better about choosing poly rifling. How is it on cleaning? How long can you typically go between cleaning intervals? Any longer than cut rifling?
 
I would literally never be shooting cast through my 308.. That being said, if I were going to, they would be powder coated. Im looking at this barrel for my competition rig. As casual of a competitor as I may be, I still want the best kit for my given setup.

Thanks for the info about your barrel. That makes me feel a bit better about choosing poly rifling. How is it on cleaning? How long can you typically go between cleaning intervals? Any longer than cut rifling?
Not sure you can get poly rifling from Pac-Nor these days? Think they are cut with a button but not button rifled? As far as cleaning very easy to clean when they need it. Mine still goes 7-800 rds before groups open up. When I have another installed it will be a Pac-Nor as I have tried they bulk of the whats out there these days an still like the Pac better. Last installed was a Bartlein, could have got a mediocre one I guess, but I've had 3 Pac's an all were excellent.
 
Button is just the process, not the shape of the rifling.
I don't own a pacnor, but i have a couple black hole weaponry poly barrels I have been very happy with. Very easy to clean and just don't seem to pick up copper. Not the same as a pacnor, but I wouldn't be afraid of polygonal rifling.
 
Think they are cut with a button but not button rifled?

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A button is not a cutter.



Heres a clip off of their front page and for what its worth polygonal is still an option you can choose when ordering a barrel.

"PAC-NOR manufactures two grades of barrels, 'Standard-Match' and 'Super Match' with tolerances uniform from one end to the other, bore diameters within .0003 and grooves within .0001. Both grades are fabricated using high quality ACCU-TWIST rifling buttons. ACCU-TWIST buttons exhibit the highest level in button technology. They are positioned and indexed using the latest in electro-optical digital measuring equipment. This ensures precise symmetry and proper sizing to less than 50 millionths of an inch. Such high levels of rifling button dimensional accuracy is necessary in order to fabricate barrels having today's fractional M.O.A. accuracy requirements.

PAC-NOR also extensively utilizes "BARREL-SCAN", the electro-optical barrel twist measurement system. The "BARREL-SCAN" system has enabled PAC-NOR to develop new proprietary designs for its rifling buttons, that yield barrels which have substantially better uniformity in barrel twist rate than most conventionally made barrels. This improved twist uniformity translates into reduced barrel vibration during bullet transition, increased accuracy potential, and reduced barrel fouling."
 
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Polygonal rifling is not the same as cut rifling, Pac-Nor does in fact use a button to cut their rifling.

I think you are using your terminology a bit haphazardly.
A button does not cut. I agree with you that "Pac-Nor does in fact use a button" but they are not cut (I just called and asked this specifically). Are you meaning to say that they use a button to form their rifling? Because a button doesnt cut and your claim they they use a button to cut is objectively incorrect.

They also still make poly barrels, if you see the option in the order a barrel section they offer it.
 
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Polygonal rifling is not the same as cut rifling, Pac-Nor does in fact use a button to cut their rifling.

Polygonal rifling once again is the shape of the bore or finished product. The process they use to get the shape of the bore is either using a cutter or button. The shape and the process are two independent things.
 
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This is a pic of my 6.5 SLR Pac Nor poly barrel. I haven't shot it yet, so she still looks really nice. This barrel is one of their pre-Sunnen honed barrels, so I would imagine that those barrels might be even smoother yet. I wish the back of the land was as angled as the front.
 

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