Is there a demand for custom barrels?

wyldr

wyldr

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Hello,

I was thinking about trying to make my own barrels then I thought why not tool up and sell them to others. Thus my question is, what is the demand for a heavy walled, reamed, honed, cut rifleing barrel not stamped or button etched.

ttyl,

Wyldr
 
It takes a while to make a name for yourself, but the few barrel makers here in Canada are pretty busy.

In a small shooting community such as Canada, you NEED to have a high quality product and great customer service, otherwise your name gets around pretty quick, in a negative sense.


SC...............................
 
"...trying to make my own barrels..." Mucho expensive tooling amd machinery is required. Precise deep hole drilling machines are few and far between. As are rifling machines.
Like SuperCub says, you'd be the new, unproven guy on the block. The demand is there, but you'd be looking at very long dollars to get started.
 
I guess the real question would be: do you think (Nope, wrong way to get started) CAN you produce a product that is as good or better than your competitors? At a competitive price?

After that, as SC stated, the few here in Canada are busy....
 
I think Quality is everything, If I can make a high quality product then clients will be willing to pay more for the more time consuming processes utilized in it's creation. I'm pretty sure I have a solid lead on a place where I can get a gently used gun drill for at nearly scrap metal cost to me. The scope of their buisness changed and now this machine is just taking up floor space. Thank you all for your comments. I know that barrels, like all things firearms related things, are very reputation based so until I get my name out I'd be working at cost at best. I'll have to make up some rigs and convince target shooters to use them in competition or perhaps take up the competion myself.

ttyl,

Wyldr
 
One of the biggest problems told to me by a Canadian barrel maker was getting proper, quality steel. I understand that stainless is easier to get and more consistant, quality wise.


SC...........................
 
I say go for it too. I would try one. There are a few guys out there making barrelas but they are very busy so the wait for one can be disappointing. Get at it and let us all know when you start cranking them out. I want a heavy barrel in 22 cal. Prefer 26 inch.
 
I agree.... You will never know until you try it. It may be a big financial commitment but the few great barrel makers that we have in Canada cannot last forever. Someone needs to step up to the plate and start filling there shoes. If I were in the trade I think I would be inclined to give it a shot.

Best of luck and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.


Calvin
 
I think there is always a place for any good product of any sort. Having said that, I also must say that there are now more barrel makers than ever and most are making a good product. The top prices are established by the top makers as is the required level of quality.
I also believe the major stumbling block is steel availability. Another primary requirement is the ability to properly stress relieve the blank prior to contouring. There is absolutely no point in making a beautiful blank which then warps when it's turned down. For myself, if I find a maker's barrels to be improperly stress relieved, I never use them again. Life is too short to waste time fighting with a warping barrel when there are alternatives available. Regards, Bill
 
To have another barrel maker in Canada would be a good thing in itself. The investment will be substantial and I would not count on making a great return on the investment for several years as the gun culture is slow to try " new makers" products. The 1 stumbling block I would see be of concern is the LARGE minimum orders that steel producers like Carpenter want to make it worth their while shipping to us from the US. Maybe contact some of the existing barrel makers here and inquire if you can get into a buying co-op with them. I know a few here that do that so as not to have to sport the $20K minium orders commanded for a barrel steel run.
Hope you get it off the ground, would be nice to have more CDN made stuff to work with.
 
Thanks for all your positive feedback / info gents, I'm going to look into this deeper come the new year. What are the most important calibers? I was thinking 9mm, 38, 308, and .22.

ttyl,

Wyldr
 
WYLDR: I hope you are joking on the caliber's???? I thought by reading your earlier postings you were going to supply the hunting industry??? It would be great to have someone in the barrel making buisness, but the list you have provided has to be the least used calibers on the market today. On the hunting scene , I think the 308 is long gone, the trouble with the barrel making market is there is so many great caliber's , how do you do them all? in the varmint list the 22 is still great so ("good on ya, there") in the hand gun scene there are alot of guy's at the range shooting all sorts of crap, but the least of is 38, some 9mm but mostly 45. The 308 (30 cal) has alot of possiblities. The 22 has probably even more. I hope you do this project and become a great barrel maker, but, just make barrels , don't try to make just certain calibers?? My 2 cents
 
For what you'll sell the most of, my guess would be (in order of size) .224, .308, .338, and .510 if I just had to pick 4. although maybe substituting .264 for .510.
 
wyldr said:
Hello,

I was thinking about trying to make my own barrels then I thought why not tool up and sell them to others. Thus my question is, what is the demand for a heavy walled, reamed, honed, cut rifleing barrel not stamped or button etched.

ttyl,

Wyldr
Click to expand...

You're a machinist or a tool and die maker?
 
saskhunter, " I think the .308 is long gone" "the .308 has posibilities" ?? which is it? anyhow, .22 and .308 would be the two most common cals. Then 6mm, .284, maybe .338. Not many .458s, never heard of anyone shooting out a .458 bbl. yet.
 
I'm more of a machinist than a tool maker but I'm very patient and when you take your time you can make anything. I'm starting to look into bigger and better lathes to beef up my home shop.
 
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