Gunsmithing McGowan barrels any good?

[Hogstooth]

Hey just bought a rifle from a guy with a Remington 700sa in .243 with a McGowan stainless heavy barrel on it, from what I can tell action has not been trued and the work looks to be a little rough, sending it to my smith to look over. Wanted to know if anyone has this barrel and if they shoot or not foul bad or what? Any gouge is appreciated.

thanks

 

[idahoorion]

Hogstooth, I've had good luck with them I have had three, not one was a fouling problem, the 243 barrel and gun I sold. it was a easy .5 moa gun. I have a .223 from Odin works and it too is a shooter, with bolt type accuracy on a AR. the third one is on my 260 hunting gun and it is 1/2 to 3/4 moa gun but it is a lighter build. all were easy break in and I would buy another.
Idahoorion

 

[Mordamer]

If the rifle is deemed safe to shoot then shoot it and find out how good it is! The truth is on the paper.

That being said, I understand that they are good quality, button rifled, and hand lapped barrels. I have seen good reports on their accuracy as a google search will show you. I would expect it to shoot under MOA if it does not have a ton of rounds fired.

Also, I wouldn't worry about the action not being trued. I would have the gunsmith check head space and then just go to shooting.

 

[dryfire]

This McGowen barreled R700 will do this as consistently as the shooter can keep it together. It has shot several 5 shot one hole groups and sometimes it puts 5 in the .4s but it is a good shooting rifle for the money I have in it. It's a consistently accurate sub 1/2 MOA rifle to 1000 yds. I've re-barreled several R700s with Criterions and they shoot very well too.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[6AYoteHunter]

Have friend that has a 264 win with a McGowan that has killed coues at 940 yards, 810 yards, and 1030 yards. All one shot kills.

 

[Wannashootit]

Good barrels. When you say the "work looks a little rough", are you referring to the barrel contouring- or the installation?
They're not hand lapped like Shilen, but I've not received any complaints of excessive fouling at "break in".

 

[Woodhall jr]

Have one on the wife's remage 6.5 and it shoots very very well.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I have an AR barrel that started as a McGowan blank. Shoots awesome, it must not foul much since i haven't cleaned it yet and accuracy hasn't changed in the last 6000 rounds.

 

[FUNCTIONAL]

Ive put two on my fathers rifles...both .223. With black hills 75gr the worst id see it do is 1/2" at 100...average is closer to 1/4. Oddly...the remage version shoots better than the savage prefit. Both are 7 twist bull barrels but the savage is 26" and the rem is 30".

 

[skeetlee]

mcgowan barrels are an affordable lower cost button rifled barrel As a smith and a perfectionist i wouldnt recommend them or use them. with that said im sure they probably shoot fine and im sure there is a real market for them. A rifles single most important component is the barrel. i buy and use cut rifled barrels from the top makers........ This is my opinion with no experience with mcgowan, other than my customers experiences. lee

 

[Hunt]

mcgowan barrels are an affordable lower cost button rifled barrel As a smith and a perfectionist i wouldnt recommend them or use them. with that said im sure they probably shoot fine and im sure there is a real market for them. A rifles single most important component is the barrel. i buy and use cut rifled barrels from the top makers........ This is my opinion with no experience with mcgowan, other than my customers experiences. lee

I buy Criterions (McGowan falls in this niche as well) so that I don't need a gunsmith to install it. I have both button and cut-rifled barrels. I can not tell any difference on paper.

 

[98Vandal]

I just installed a McGowen Barrel and couldn't be happier. Mine in is 6 XC and now has 91 rounds through it and it is proving to be very accurate despite the fact that I've yet to establish a tailored load. More to follow as the load development experiment continues.... Regardless, this is a GREAT barrel!

 

[chevy_man]

I buy Criterions (McGowan falls in this niche as well) so that I don't need a gunsmith to install it. I have both button and cut-rifled barrels. I can not tell any difference on paper.

So far I've found zero practical difference between a shilen and McGowan. They both shoot, clean easy, and are tack drivers.

But as a smith, do you think they'd recommend one you can do yourself? You're cutting them out of $300 every barrel you install yourself.

My smith will do a benchmark for $500, shilen, lijah, kreiger for about $600.

I'll keep buying McGowan and changing them myself in a few minutes when I need.

 

[Rant Durden]

McRee uses McGowan barrels and those are shooters.

 

[Dolomite_Supafly]

I have had one chambered in 300 Blackout for over a decade now. It has always, and still does, shoot very well.

 

[98Vandal]

So far I've found zero practical difference between a shilen and McGowan. They both shoot, clean easy, and are tack drivers.

But as a smith, do you think they'd recommend one you can do yourself? You're cutting them out of $300 every barrel you install yourself.

My smith will do a benchmark for $500, shilen, lijah, kreiger for about $600.

I'll keep buying McGowan and changing them myself in a few minutes when I need.

My experience is very similar when comparing the McGowen that I just installed versus the high quality (and considerably more costly) cut rifled barrel (name of manufacturer excluded intentionally because the barrel does perform well and the company is great) that I had a local gunsmith install on a 700 action that I also had him true.

I became curious about the differences in CUT RIFLED vs BUTTON RIFLED and SHOULDERED vs BARREL NUT so have attempted to kill two birds with one stone, Prior to my current "experiment" I'd researched about the aforementioned comparisons and, as everyone knows, there are A LOT of opinions. After my research I decided to contact three High Quality Barrel Manufacturers and got their input. Those that were CUT RIFLED told me that it's the best way and that which was BUTTON RIFLED told me that it doesn't seem to matter.

In regards to the SHOULDERED vs BARREL NUT comparison, I also posed the question above and two manufacturers told me, "It doesn't matter" and the other said, "It may make a difference but I haven't seen anything that clearly indicates so."

I write all this as I am currently learning more through this experiment than I've ever learned in my 35ish years of shooting. I recommend to anyone who is reasonably mechanically competent to start putting their own guns together following established protocols as I am learning that a mechanically competent individual can put together a REALLY ACCURATE rifle, LEARN a bunch and SAVE a couple dollars in the process.

Do I still intend upon taking things to the Gunsmith? Absolutely but there are things that I used to "contract out" that I now do myself.

Coming full circle on this thread has me leaving with this, a McGowen Barrel is a REALLY good product and has proven to be very accurate. I fully intend upon buying more when the times comes.

 

[Wannashootit]

McGowen is different than many (e.g. Shilen) in that they do not recommend cutting either or both ends before chambering /crowning.
i sometimes choose to work between centers and need to add the length needed for a truing cut at the muzzle end.

all Ive used have been accurate.

 

[mudpig]

I've had a number of McGowen barrels now and all of them have been less then 1/2 MOA. (3 in 300WM, 1 in 300WSM, 1 in 270Gibbs) I still have one left that's a blank trying to figure out what it's going to go on. Bottom line....great barrels!

 

[fb40dash5]

I just installed my McGowen last month, my first custom barrel. Only shot it once so far, but shooting from an uncomfortably low sitting position (due to range rules) with 140gr 6.5 American Gunner my best group was around 0.6MOA... and that was including a flier that I don't doubt was on me. IMO it's incredible given that I wasn't at my best and was shooting relatively cheap ammo. I got some Hornady Match, lower rings to improve my cheek weld, and I'm looking forward to taking it out and seeing what it/I can really do.

It was delivered pretty much dead-on the stated lead time when I ordered, which seems to be above average for the industry. My request wasn't totally straightforward, it's a Tikka with a Bugnut and apparently the 1st of those they did, and I think their machinist botched the math a little... when I got it, I couldn't set headspace, and when I screwed the barrel down on a Go gauge without the nut the face to shoulder was exactly the depth of the Bugnut threads, but with the depth of the shroud that overhangs the shoulder subtracted.

However, they offered to fix it free (as expected) and when I said I'd rather get it fixed locally (I wanted to get the chamfer cut off the action face & Bugnut, as fixing it with just the barrel would've meant taking the shoulder 0.150"+ past where it already was, with no threads for almost the last 1/4" at that point) they didn't have a problem reimbursing me for that. I actually just did that last week, and told them the machine shop gave me a sweetheart cash deal so I couldn't give them a receipt, and they refunded that no question. I'm a firm believer that screwups happen sometimes and (unless they're happening repeatedly) the true test is how they handle those issues, and McGowen aced that hands down!

 

[EastCOYotes]

I’ve got a new carbonsix barrel I haven’t shot yet but I’m hopeful for good results. They use McGowan blanks and wrap them in carbon fiber. Have heard other reviews that they shoot great.

 

[Carlos Danger]

I picked up a 300 win mag that was a build by the previous owner. Only had a dozen or so rounds down the tube but need to address trigger issues before I see how it really breaks in. Hopeful you guys are right.

 

[ugsly308]

I have put many many prefits on. I have sent quite a few back after lookin at them with a borescope. Do they shoot, YES. Being that I chamber all my barrels, would I buy one. No. If I was the average shooter lookin for a prefit I could install myself, Yes I would buy one.

Casey

 

[98Vandal]

Not trying to steal anyone's thunder but I just bought a borescope. Looking down the bore of my McGowen vs my two higher end barrels is enlightening. The two high-end (cut-rifling) barrels are smooth and the McGowen has a lot of imperfections/tooling marks/pits. In defense of the McGowen though, it shoots amazing. How long this continues is certainly up for debate but the cost comparison is a factor that should be taken into account. For one of my cut-rifled barrels I can almost get two McGowens.

As I've just taken on a new cartridge I am using the McGowen as my "load test platform" and then intend upon taking all those lessons learned and applying them to the next barrel.

I may post the images of the McGowen's bore vs the others when I get a new SD card. The comparison is striking for sure.

 

[BadAccountant]

I've had good luck with McGowen and Wilson barrels. They're reasonably priced, and though they aren't factory lapped, I have the tools to lap barrels if I decide to.

 

[BadAccountant]

There's another aspect here that I think is often overlooked, and that is the practicality of having two barrels on hand, esp. for calibers that tend to be tougher on barrels.

If I were running something like a 6 CM, knowing full well that barrel life were shorter, I think there's something to be said for grabbing a couple of barrels, keeping one on the rifle, and having a spare. As you wear the throat, you can pull the barrel off, replace it with your spare, and send out the barrel to your smith to be taken in.

This way you only have a barrel at the smith instead of your rifle as you wait for weeks at a time for your smith to finish it up.

 

[chevy_man]

Well, just ordered a .257 1-7 twist from them. I'll see if it shoots .25 moa like my 6mm brx.


For what it's worth, $400 barrel, $350 action, $350 bravo, $355 trigger, and I'm into a sub moa rifle for less than a lot of people spend on an action. I can afford to replace barrels sooner, or go to a Lila next time when I'm not buying all the other parts.

 

[BadAccountant]

Well, just ordered a .257 1-7 twist from them. I'll see if it shoots .25 moa like my 6mm brx.


For what it's worth, $400 barrel, $350 action, $350 bravo, $355 trigger, and I'm into a sub moa rifle for less than a lot of people spend on an action. I can afford to replace barrels sooner, or go to a Lila next time when I'm not buying all the other parts.

Have fun with the 131s. Sweet bullet.

 

[98Vandal]

This is an internal look at my McGowen Barrel Chambered in 6XC. I now have 143 rounds down it and have developed two loads that consistently shoot 0.33", 3 shot groups at 100 yds. The first image is several inches down the bore (prior to cleaning) from the chamber, the second (and remaining pictures are all post-cleaning) is Mid-Barrel, and the final two images are at the muzzle. Despite the appearance, the rifle shoots very well (particularly after I've fired a fouling shot).

As a comparison, I borescope two of my "better" barrels and they are definitely cleaner and there are virtually no tooling marks BUT they don't shoot orders of magnitude better.

 

[Kyshooter94]

I've got a prefit for R700 in 223, it's a 1/2MOA barrel.

 

[Strike_out]

Button rifled any different for breaking in?
My Bartliens and Kriegers I have just cleaned before the first shot and that was it.

I have a 22BR shouldered McGowen headed my way in the next couple weeks. I’ll be posting results here.

 

[drwood96]

Button rifled any different for breaking in?
My Bartliens and Kriegers I have just cleaned before the first shot and that was it.

I have a 22BR shouldered McGowen headed my way in the next couple weeks. I’ll be posting results here.

I just spun some McGowens up and did what you just stated. Ran a couple patches through to clean oil and stuff then just started shooting it. The barrel will settle in around 100 rounds. As you see from the posts above, they aren’t the smoothest barrel so copper build up really helps them out.

 

[BigBlue&Goldie]

I have a McGowen from about 6 or 7 years ago that is beautiful inside and shoots amazing. The borescope makes it look as good or better than other high end barrels I have.

 

[Farmerhunter]

I have had two 6mm ai barrels and one 28 nosler McGowan and all shoot amazing. 1/2 moa or better. The 28 has shot everything I’ve run thru it really well

 

[Strike_out]

I noticed that McGowan was going to release a cut rifled line a few years ago...did this end up scrapped or do they produce cut rifled blanks as well?

 

[Strike_out]

I just spun some McGowens up and did what you just stated. Ran a couple patches through to clean oil and stuff then just started shooting it. The barrel will settle in around 100 rounds. As you see from the posts above, they aren’t the smoothest barrel so copper build up really helps them out.

These barrels might be more sensitive to a deep clean then I’m guessing. More foulers needed to bring it back after?

 

[drwood96]

These barrels might be more sensitive to a deep clean then I’m guessing. More foulers needed to bring it back after?

That's what I'm seeing but everyone has different opinions. I rarely "deep clean" a barrel unless accuracy fall offs before expected barrel life. Usually do a cabron cleaner around 1000 rounds but it change depending on powder. Example: carbon builds up faster with RL16 and StaBall 6.5 vs H4360 in a 6.5cm.

 

[Strike_out]

agreed. I have a 6.5 cm bbl that I run for practice loaded with staball and it greases up the suppressor quick
Running varget in a bartlien I only swab out the dirt and run it

 

[RITWIN]

Firstly sorry for the long post but its a long story...
Anyone have trouble getting emails or good customer service from McGowen on Yahoo or Gmail!? I have had what seems to be a rather rude experience so far... I put in an order for about a $700 full custom barrel and I had noticed that after I had ordered it I had mistakenly clicked on the 8 straight flutes instead of the helical flutes I wanted... no big deal right? Call em up and make a simple change and bobs your uncle... I have what like 12-16 weeks of lead time anyway? Nope! Called em up and was rather curtly told I have to do it through email, like I was bothering the guy to ask a question. I thought ok will do, so I sent them an email stating my issue and also noticed that I never even got a confirmation email but got no response. I waited thinking maybe they are busy... nothing. I emailed again at both email addresses respectfully reiterating my issue and then I finally got a rather impersonal reply from Dan Wynne, only

"It was emailed to you twice on 9/19/22. Disregard [email protected] No longer exists."

So I respectfully and nicely replied:

Hello, thank you for the response Dan. There seems to be something going wrong (I can only think maybe its being sent to the wrong email address somehow) because your response just now has been the only contact I have had which is greatly appreciated. If you could forward the previous confirmation email and change order email to either
********@yahoo.com
Or
********@gmail.com it would also be greatly appreciated
Thank you for your time, Dan

I got only this in response...

"Nope, going to the email address that you sent this email from. It’s Gmail & Yahoo that are blocking it. You have to go into your settings for your email and list us as a trusted email."

Now... I have not one single security setting and or blocked email address in any of my accounts. I have never had any company not be able to email me a confirmation email when purchasing a product at the very least let alone any other but I never the less complied and added them to my contacts and "trusted" list and sent another email reply to Dan stating this...
"Hello Dan,
[email protected] and mcgowenbarrel.com is now a trusted email address and added to my contact list for both accounts can you please resend the emails. I don't know what else to do after that, I am not sure how I can receive emails from you directly from [email protected] and every other company I have dealt with but not your company, they are not showing up in my spam folder either. Is there a specific other email address that they are coming from besides the admin one that I can add? I would like to do business with you guys, I hear you make a great product."

I have yet to get a response... I have paid in full $700 to a company that barely responds to me and can't get a simple confirmation email to me and seems rather unwilling to help or even really try to figure out how or why... I am at the point where I am about to say F*** it and file a claim with PayPal and get my money back and go to criterion or something but I really just wanted the barrel I ordered... Anyone else have this kinda trouble or rudeness with McGowen?

-Dan

 

[Ravenworks]

Wow a 5 year old thread back from the dead, your first post on your brand new account

 

[RITWIN]

Wow a 5 year old thread back from the dead, your first post on your brand new account

Hey the information is still valid right? And it still shows up in the old googler... and its posted in 2 other threads

 

[supercorndogs]

Hey the information is still valid right? And it still shows up in the old googler... and its posted in 2 other threads

So you came here and signed up to post this in multiple threads and sling mud because you can't figure out how to get your e-mail to receive e-mails from them? I also would suspect its your email, just like he does, because I have received confirmation e-mails and other e-mails from them on multiple occasions. I have never had to change an order there though because I triple check before I submit my order that I fill out.

I am assuming since you only have two posts here, then that means the other two threads are on two other sights. Which means you are running around posting this shit everywhere.

 

[RITWIN]

So you came here and signed up to post this in multiple threads and sling mud because you can't figure out how to get your e-mail to receive e-mails from them? I also would suspect its your email, just like he does, because I have received confirmation e-mails and other e-mails from them on multiple occasions. I have never had to change an order there though because I triple check before I submit my order that I fill out.

Calm down bud...I signed up because if you google mcgowen barrels this is almost literally the only forum that shows up talking about them and Im Not slinging mud, Im asking if anyone else had any bad experiences and sharing my experience multiple threads reach out to more people and gets more opinions, tell me how I can receive emails from Dan Wynne himself but not any other part of the rest of the company...that doesn't make any sense and not only that its over multiple companies yahoo AND google so I find it hard to believe that its my email settings...

 

[RITWIN]

So you came here and signed up to post this in multiple threads and sling mud because you can't figure out how to get your e-mail to receive e-mails from them? I also would suspect its your email, just like he does, because I have received confirmation e-mails and other e-mails from them on multiple occasions. I have never had to change an order there though because I triple check before I submit my order that I fill out.

I am assuming since you only have two posts here, then that means the other two threads are on two other sights. Which means you are running around posting this

No not "posting this shit everywhere" they are both on this forum the other posts haven't been "approved" yet. I unlike you seem to be am not immediately out for blood... damn who pissed in your cornflakes?

 

[supercorndogs]

No not "posting this shit everywhere" they are both on this forum the other posts haven't been "approved" yet. I unlike you seem to be am not immediately out for blood... damn who pissed in your cornflakes?

Ironic you say that after just signing up to sling shit because you aren't receiving their e-mails. Do you think they are going hire a tech person to figure it out for you? I imagine you will soon find out, not many here are going to give you a warm welcome either.

 

[RITWIN]

Ironic you say that after just signing up to sling shit because you aren't receiving their e-mails. Do you think they are going hire a tech person to figure it out for you? I imagine you will soon find out, not many here are going to give you a warm welcome either.

holy keyboard commando batman!! GFY....I guess billy badass has a hair across his ass... I dont expect to hire a tech person but it is not unreasonable to expect some sort of actual customer service like they claim on the first page of their website "any questions just call or email we will be glad to help" or something along those lines, especially when people are shelling out $$$ for a service you are providing...

 

[supercorndogs]

Well holy shit, you seem so reasonable and patient. You definitely don't seem like you would fly off the handle over nothing.

You called and they gave the help they could.

 

[RITWIN]

Well holy shit, you seem so reasonable and patient. You definitely don't seem like you would fly off the handle over nothing.

You called and they gave the help they could.

Well if that isn't the pot callin the kettle black...

 

[supercorndogs]

So these posts "waiting to be approved" are they also highjacking other people's McGowan barrels threads?

Honestly, what do you want them to do? Not this provide customer service bullshit. What is your solution to the problem?

 

[RITWIN]

So these posts "waiting to be approved" are they also highjacking other people's McGowan barrels threads?

Honestly, what do you want them to do? Not this provide customer service bullshit. What is your solution to the problem?

No I started a thread are you really that elitist dude? you think you're something special cuz you have been on an internet forum for longer than someone who just signed up? Come on get off your high horse... what I wanted was to see if I was the only one having an issue with the company... not to be immediately accosted and beliddled by some holier-than-thou keyboard warrior for sharing an experience. And what I want from the company is what literally all people expect from a company and that is polite, professional, and curtious customer service and a willingness to figure out a PAYING customers issue with your company or product... its not like im trying to get something for free or screw them over, I literally paid them in full $700 not a deposit its paid in full and I am just trying to get things straightened out between their email system and my own and to get what I paid for... I fully understand its gonna be a 12-16 week lead time but if I can't even get a confirmation email or a real attempt to rectify the issue it doesn't lead to any real confidence in receiving what you ordered

 

[swamper2]

I have bought 2 barrels and both are tack drivers. The first was a chrome moly 1-12 twist which showed little signs of copper and the second was a stainless in 22-250 with 1-8 twist with very little sign of copper. They have a breakin schedule which I follow and bore scope during the procedure. The stainless took only 3 weeks to get but the CM took about 3 months. The stainless was for my savage 12 fv my day tool and the CM was for my night tool. Both were sporter contours with threaded muzzles. Stainless is the way to go. And they do hand lap.