Got a bad .204 barrel

Catfish · #1 12-10-2004, 09:45 PM

I had been haveing trouble fire forming .204 brass with my new Encore barrel. I thought it was because of the action, but got to looking it over and noticed the the extractor looked like it was cut to deep and one thing lead to another so I bought the first box on new centerfire rifle ammo since the 1970`s. To make a long story short it wouldn`t fire it eather. The barrel is now on it`s way back to T/C. I hope the turn around isn`t to long.

skb2706 · #2 01-24-2005, 11:51 AM

I know this is an old post but I have some questions/comments on your barrel. First of all I bought a factory .204 Ruger barrel for my Contender at the first of this year....full bull 23". As soon as I recieved it I just knew there was a problem. First the gap between the breech face and the chamber end of the barrel was excessive....like >.005". Next the pivot pin hole in the lug was too large....so much so that you could push the pin out with the gun closed. And of course when I put a new unfired round in the barrel I noticed in went in way to far....chamber cut to deep. Called TC and told them that I had not even fired the thing but wasn't going to until after they checked it out. I sent it last week and haven't heard much back. My question have you gotten a satisfactory reply back on yours and is everything ok now ? How long did it take ? What did they do ?

Mine obviously requires more work to correct than to replace. If I had to do it over I would have just had Bullberry make me a 20 Tactical and been done with it. It makes more sense anyway as the Tac can be made up with .223 brass instead of the much less common .222 Rem mag. brass.

Catfish · #3 01-24-2005, 06:26 PM

skb,
They replaced mine. It`s been a while now, but I think the turn around time was just over 2 weeks, might have been just under. I do rember that I was very pleased with it. I also broke a fireing pin in one of my Encores, I called them on the phone and they shipped me a free one and it went out eather the day I called or the day after. Very happy with their service.

skb2706 · #4 02-02-2005, 11:50 AM

catfish - got my replacement barrel in yesterdays mail. It came with a hand written note describing what checks they did to it and how it did being test fired. Factory loads 32 gr. shot three shot groups 1/2". I can work with that.........I start putting it together tonight.

Catfish · #5 02-02-2005, 06:14 PM

skb,
I relly haven`t done much with trying to work up a load or anything with mine yet. I played alittle to get some loads that looked good enough to hunt with useing some surplus powder I had laying around then loaded all my brass for fire forming. I`ll get more serious this summer and try several different powders and bullets. But, from what little I did it looks like it`s a keeper. I still have not been able to draw blood with it yet, and it`s been in my truck for acouple of weeks.