McGowen Barrels

[billc]

Does anyone have any experience, opinions, first or second hand info on the new McGowen rifle barrels? I'd like to know what you've learned.

Thanks.

Bill

[rossman40]

McGowen barrels are what Henry Ball uses, or at least used to. It is under new ownership since last year and operations are now in Montana. They use to be pretty good barrels for being button rifled, I haven't heard anything about the newer barrels since the change of ownership. The good thing is they are a smaller shop so you have pretty good turn around time, supposedly the best in the business.

A important thing nowadays is some of the run-of-the-mill (Douglas, Shaw, Wilson) shops have dropped honing the barrels to remove reaming marks. They now trust the button to remove the marks. A bad thing is these shops provide rifled blanks to a lot of other smaller shops and smiths who claim to make their own barrels when all they do is chamber and contour a rifled blank.

[billc]

Didn't know Henry used their barrels -- good to hear that. I haven't heard anything bad about the old owners barrels. Just trying to get a feel about the new owner. 10% off for first time purchasers.

[killahog]

I own a McGowen Barrel chambered for a 220 swift. It took almost a full year to get the rifle built and when It was done the first barrel would not group 2" at 100 yards. I called Harry McGowen and He was downrite Nasty. He did agree to replace the Barrel and When I received it the second time He had replaced the heavy varmint barrel with a sported weight. The mistake was so obvious that I feel it was Intensional, Just Imagine what the stock looked like at the forearm. I called him again and He refused to replace it. If McGowen Rifle barrels offered me there top of the line barrel for free I would not even use it for a stake to grow tomatoes on.