Recommend a barrel maker?

[Schwag173]

I want to have an old Browning hunting rifle re-barreled so I'm looking for recommendations on a manufacturer. To complicate matters, the original barrel was step-tapered so I'm going to need that precisely recreated on the new blank. Speaking of blanks; any advice on stainless or chrome alloy? I will be having it hot-blued when completed.

[mongoosesnipe]

Most barrel makers will match you factory contour if you send ou original barrel tree are a lot of barrel Akers and most of the put out exquisite products in no particular order hart, Krueger, satern, pacnoir, walther, and a whole mess more you can find a comprehensive list on http://www.6mmbr.com/barrels.html

[Keep The Change]

Brux Barrels as well.
I believe their barrel holds the record at 600 yds. They are cut rifling and very reasonable on price. I'm waiting on an AR barrel from them in 6.5 G so I can't report on accuracy at this point.

[adamjp]

Your old Browning hunting rifle sounds like a Belgian FN Mauser with a military barrel.

To get it recreated you will need to supply the exact lengths of the steps and their diameters at the start and end of the step (should be the same). If it is a FN Mauser based rifle, Lothar Walther barrels generally have stock items of a prechambered/threaded barrel in the military profile you probably have.

There are few bad makers of barrels, bad barrels don't sell. It is a matter of getting what you pay for though. A cut rifled barrel will be more expensive and will generally last a little longer, but it will not necessarily be any more accurate. You may not notice any additional useful life either.

As to stainless v CrMo, only CrMo can be successfully blued, the stainless 'blueing' does not have a similar appearance.

[mongoosesnipe]

in order to match the factory contour i would find a barrel maker that will let you send in your barreled action in order to match your factory contour and intal and head space your new barrel i know er shaw will do that and i think hart will as well

[Schwag173]

Thanks everybody. I went online to Kreiger, Bartlein, Hart and a few others. When I saw where Lilja was located (along with their offerings) my choice was made. They are just a few miles from my sister's place whom I'd already planned to visit. I spoke by phone with Ben Lilja himself and after telling him the intended purpose of the barrel and bullet weights I wanted to throw, his rifling suggestion confirmed my inclination. A few days later, I stopped in with my rifle and exact external measurements of the barrel were taken. A good thing too, because the barrelsmith who will build it for me noticed there are a couple different versions of FN's barrel in the book. So, it was cool to establish a bit of a face-to-face and handshake relationship with my barrelmaker. Their wait-time is about 16 weeks.

[Keep The Change]

Awesome. The face to face time paid off and it's good to have that ability to ask questions and discuss the options and possibilities on the spot instead of thru emails and phone calls. I'd like to see the final product.