KRG TRG / SOTIC barrels & nut experience wanted

[jbell]

I am back shooting a TRG after too long of a hiatus, I simply missed the rifle. That being said I am not new to the TRG or having it re-barreled. I have had a few custom barrels spun up for my TRG's in the past all with excellent results. The main reason for me leaving the TRG platform (for an AIAT) is the ability to be able to order a new barrel / caliber with no wait time and change it in seconds at home or on the range.

I purchased my TRG with the full intent to have APA install a 6.5X47 barrel on it as opposed to the factory 308 barrel. However with the KRG barrel and nut system offered for the TRG & SOTIC (I almost bought a SOTIC as opposed to the TRG...) I am thinking about giving that a go. I will probably end up having to pay a gunsmith to either remove so I can re-use or cut off my factory barrel & I am ok with that. But going forward I would like to be able to use the KRG system.

With all that said I would appreciate any real world first hand experience with the KRG barrels and nuts on either a TRG or a SOTIC platform. I have a few specific questions:

-How is the accuracy & velocity looking on these barrels?
-How repeatable is the POI from barrel on to barrel off? **How are you installing it, meaning what are you torqueing the barrel nut to & how are you setting headspace each time?
-How is the machining of these barrels: thread quality, crown quality, chamber tolerances, etc...?
-Will the contours offered from KRG work with the TRG and the TRG bipod (if the barrel is too large in OD it will hit the bipod, and honestly the TRG bipod is the main reason for me going back to the TRG)?
-Any thoughts in addition to the above or any issues found?

I have read the KRG SOTIC thread front to rear and there is some good information in there but the few accuracy reports I have seen are honestly not overly impressive. But there are a lot of variables that go into that equation.

Thank you in advance for any info!

 

[jbell]

Anyone...?

 

[skatz11]

I’m getting ready to try the KRG barrel nut system on my TRG. It’s sitting on my bench next to a beautiful SAC barrel vise that I got for Christmas.

I’ve been reluctant to pull my factory 260 barrel because it’s still shooting pretty well, but I’m getting close to 3,000 rounds on it.

I’m curious to hear some feedback from anyone else who’s done it too!

 

[Bradu]

Interested in this as well, I don't want to send my rifle off to rebarrel.

 

[supratt96]

It'a hard to say if the KRG barrel nut system is as accurate as a standard shouldered barrel. My TRG was a little more accurate when it had the factory 260 Rem barrel, but since having it rebarreled, not so much. The sotic outshoots it pretty easily. The difference may be that I mostly shot my TRG with Lapua brass and Lapua 139 Scenars. So far, I have only used Hornady brass and bullets in my KRG. I suspect that using the higher quality Lapua reloading components would close the gap. I will give this a try soon.

 

[jzwolen]

While i've never shot a TRG or Sotic, this sounds more like the age-old 'Shouldered vs. barrel nut' arguement.

 

[jbell]

While i've never shot a TRG or Sotic, this sounds more like the age-old 'Shouldered vs. barrel nut' arguement.

Agreed, that was not my intent. I was inquiring about the quality of the KRG system & barrels.

 

[Massoud]

A couple questions I can answer, I'll let others talk about their experience. We use only "best" quality barrels, Currently if I remember we have Krieger, Chanlynn, and maybe some Broughtons left for 6.5CM. We get reamers from JGS and our 'smith dials them in to a max runout of .0002 to chamber. That's basically the recipe used by whatever top 'smith you are thinking of.

The contour is a TRG contour basically. Obviously ours has the long tenon thread and no shoulder so there is a slight difference at the chamber end.

For accuracy, I can't see how you're going to do better really. It's easy to get caught up in little things thinking they are big things, then you pull the action out of a tight shooting TRG and see that the bedding area isn't even machined, it's just the raw extruded surface (at least on the older ones)!

Someday I'd like to do or see a real scientific test between a barrel nut system and shouldered barrel torqued to huge values like the TRG and like Tac Ops does them. That would be a bear to setup though to have actual valid results.

Justin

 

[jbell]

Right on Justin, thank you for the info! I appreciate it!

Do you guys offer, or would you do a different caliber than the ones you have on your website? I would rather have a 6.5X47L...

 

[Bradu]

I'm wanting a 260 AI barrel for mine and it doesn't seem that many places offer prefits for these. Does anyone know what the biggest contour a person can run with a spigot installed?

 

[Massoud]

Right on Justin, thank you for the info! I appreciate it!

Do you guys offer, or would you do a different caliber than the ones you have on your website? I would rather have a 6.5X47L...

I think we're set at those we have right now, it would be easy for a 'smith to cut one for you and you could use our barrel nut. We can send them the specs for the threads if you do go that route.


Bradu, I think we're the only ones offering TRG barrels, you can technically fit a straight cylinder barrel with the spigot on the TRG. A straight cylinder on a TRG would be about 1.17" in diameter rather than 1.25" as on a Remington.

Thanks guys,
Justin

 

[jbell]

I think we're set at those we have right now, it would be easy for a 'smith to cut one for you and you could use our barrel nut. We can send them the specs for the threads if you do go that route.


Bradu, I think we're the only ones offering TRG barrels, you can technically fit a straight cylinder barrel with the spigot on the TRG. A straight cylinder on a TRG would be about 1.17" in diameter rather than 1.25" as on a Remington.

Thanks guys,
Justin

I just may do that. Thank you!

 

[GBMaryland]

So, to reopen an old thread...

Does anyone have specific instructions for how to install the TRG-42 300WM barrels from KRG?

I've got GO / NO GO gauges, an action wrench, the KRG barrel nut system, and the barrel nut tool... but I want to make sure I follow the proper procedure for installing the barrel.

I've been told that you need to use the shoulders, but it's a belted magnum... so ultimately, it's going to rest on the belt.

What an I not considering?

Also, what do I need to know and does anyone have any documentation / video on the procedure. (I'm not a noob, but this specific one I've never done before!)

@Massoud

 

[Massoud]

Well if unless you are an expert then you should have a qualified gunsmith do it. Here's how a qualified gunsmith should do it:
-put grease on threads of barrel shank, barrel nut, face of action, action threads and face of barrel nut
-put barrel nut onto shank as far as it will go (crenelations facing toward muzzle)
-put min headspace gauge into chamber in barrel
-clamp action into vise, remove firing pin from bolt and leave bolt in action
-thread barrel into action with bolt in action until gauge bottoms onto bolt face, as hard as you can with your hand. Bolt handle should be very still or not possible to open.
-tighten barrel nut with our wrench to 100-130 ft-lbs (we use 130 but it can make them difficult to remove), at this point the bolt handle should move freely and the gauge can be extracted

Thank you,
Justin

 

[BuLLet]

I'm not a gunsmith, but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night!

Thanks for the insight Justin. I'd love to sample some of your TRG bits. That folding stock looks great too!

Well if unless you are an expert then you should have a qualified gunsmith do it. Here's how a qualified gunsmith should do it:
-put grease on threads of barrel shank, barrel nut, face of action, action threads and face of barrel nut
-put barrel nut onto shank as far as it will go (crenelations facing toward muzzle)
-put min headspace gauge into chamber in barrel
-clamp action into vise, remove firing pin from bolt and leave bolt in action
-thread barrel into action with bolt in action until gauge bottoms onto bolt face, as hard as you can with your hand. Bolt handle should be very still or not possible to open.
-tighten barrel nut with our wrench to 100-130 ft-lbs (we use 130 but it can make them difficult to remove), at this point the bolt handle should move freely and the gauge can be extracted

Thank you,
Justin

 

[GBMaryland]

Well if unless you are an expert then you should have a qualified gunsmith do it. Here's how a qualified gunsmith should do it:
-put grease on threads of barrel shank, barrel nut, face of action, action threads and face of barrel nut
-put barrel nut onto shank as far as it will go (crenelations facing toward muzzle)
-put min headspace gauge into chamber in barrel
-clamp action into vise, remove firing pin from bolt and leave bolt in action
-thread barrel into action with bolt in action until gauge bottoms onto bolt face, as hard as you can with your hand. Bolt handle should be very still or not possible to open.
-tighten barrel nut with our wrench to 100-130 ft-lbs (we use 130 but it can make them difficult to remove), at this point the bolt handle should move freely and the gauge can be extracted

Thank you,
Justin

I can’t believe I let you guys sell me this crappy barrel…

I mean really, I was only able to put three rounds through a hole the size of a nickel once I got it dialed in!

(I got the action and trigger for someone else… And I have to adjust the trigger because it’s not like my 22 or my other 42. I had a rather rude awakening when I noticed there was no wall between the first stage in the second stage; trigger just goes right off immediately, which shortened the day.)

I was able to get the barrel on with 100 foot pounds in the action wrench. I’m sort of curious as to how you guys are getting 130 foot pounds...

 

[jbell]

Well if unless you are an expert then you should have a qualified gunsmith do it. Here's how a qualified gunsmith should do it:
-put grease on threads of barrel shank, barrel nut, face of action, action threads and face of barrel nut
-put barrel nut onto shank as far as it will go (crenelations facing toward muzzle)
-put min headspace gauge into chamber in barrel
-clamp action into vise, remove firing pin from bolt and leave bolt in action
-thread barrel into action with bolt in action until gauge bottoms onto bolt face, as hard as you can with your hand. Bolt handle should be very still or not possible to open.
-tighten barrel nut with our wrench to 100-130 ft-lbs (we use 130 but it can make them difficult to remove), at this point the bolt handle should move freely and the gauge can be extracted

Thank you,
Justin

You torquing to 130 lbft with grease? That is a lot... Have you seen performance issues with a lower torque, say something around 50-60 lbft?

 

[GBMaryland]

I was able to get 100 foot pounds using a KRG action wrench on the action side and the barrel nut wrench on the other side with a half inch torque wrench