Please take note that I know longer build M1 Garands, M1A/M14, AR15's, or bolt actions for the general public I did for over ten years. My opinions are based on that experience along with many years of shooting both 30 calibers and AR15's in NRA High Power competition.
What single thing
can I do to my AR15 to help it shoot better?
If the barrel is in good
shape- add a barrel free float tube. The addition of a good trigger and
good sights help you as the shooter. But only a barrel float tube actually makes
the rifle more accurate.
What barrel twist rate should I use?
In the AR15 1-7" thru 1-8"are considered best for across the course using the various bullet weights.
For those using their AR15 for varmint shooting I offer 1-12" thru
1-15" for use with
the lighter bullets. For those doing varminting but desiring to use a bit
heavier bullet 1-9" to 1-10" works well up 69 grain bullets. However on special order I can use most any twist rate available by
the major barrel makers.
Note to the above- I still receive many questions regarding twist rates for AR15's. Here's the bottom line guys. Use any twist from 1-8" thru 1-7" and your rifle will shoot just fine. I personally feel the only reason to use a 1-7" twist is if you are planning on shooting in 1000 yard matches or going to use JLK or Berger VLD 80 grain bullets. I have shot both 1-7" and 1-8" barrels (even have a 1-7.5") and the fact is they all shoot great. Both twist rates have fired plenty of cleans for me and a whole bunch of other shooters. Don't expect your score to go up simply because you switch from a 1-8" to a 1-7" twist. It just doesn't matter.
What should I expect from my AR15 HBAR rifle
accuracy wise?
AR15's offer a much
better level of performance then most other semi-auto rifles. The fact is that most HBAR type rifles will shoot
on par with the best of the full match grade M1's and M1A's with only a few
upgrades. Most factory AR15 HBAR's will readily hold 1 moa groups with good
ammo. Once equipped with a premium grade barrel they will shoot well under 1
moa. In many cases even under .5 moa!
What is the one thing I can do to make my M1 or M1A shoot better?
Assuming that the barrel is in good shape- have it glass bedded.
What kind of accuracy can I expect from my M1 Garand or M1A service rifle?
Accuracy can vary widely. From a standard, rack grade rifle I would expect no
better then 2 moa* perhaps no better then 4 moa. From a fully match conditioned
rifle with heavy premium grade barrel and all the tricks done, 1 moa or better
for ten shot groups. And then the rifle should be able to hold this level of
perfomance out to 600 yards.
(1 minute of angle equals approximately 1 inch per 100 yards. 2 moa equals 2 inches at 100 yards, 4 inches at 200 yards, etc)
What about adding "lugs" to my receiver? Will it make the rifle
more accurate?
Lugs are blocks of steel TIG welded onto the receiver that
are then tapped. This allows screws to be added to the stock to draw the
receiver down tightly into the bedding. Most common is the rear lug installed at
the heel of the receiver, called rear lugging. On M1A's a front and rear lug is
possible. This is called "double lugging". On M1 Garands some 'smiths
install 3 lugs, two at the sides and one in the rear. This is commonly refered
to as "triple lugging. First and foremost- lugs DO NOT make the
rifle more accurate then an unlugged rifle. There is a lot of myth and
misconception about just what lugging does. The addition of a lug or lugs
greatly increases the bedding surface of a receiver. This allows the recoil
forces to be spread out over a greater area giving less wear and tear on the
glass bedding. Over time the bedding lasts longer with a greatly reduced chance
of "zero" shift plus a reduced need for repeat skim beddings. On
the M1A type rifles I recommend the installation of a rear lug. Due to the small
bedding area on this type of receiver I feel a real lug can be of great benefit
to a long lasting bedding job. On the M1 Garand with its four receiver legs and
large recoil/counter-recoil surfaces no lugs are needed. But if desired a rear
lug may be installed. I do not recommend either double lugging for M1A's or
"triple lugging" for the M1 Garand. There is one very critical thing
to consider about the lugging process. Welding takes place on the receiver. The
less the better. And since lugs absolutely DO NOT make a rifle more accurate why
risk destroying an expensive receiver with unnecessary welding? I have seen some
very bad multiple lugs jobs where the lugs were arc welded on badly burning the
receiver. I have seen lugs crack and bust off. Receivers have been ruined
because someone got sold a bill of goods about the wonderfullness of "more
lugs are better". In this case more isn't better. All lugging done at this
shop is performed by a certified, professional welder. The lugs are absolutely
warrented not to crack or break off. The weld will not have the sloppy look of
some jobs and in most cases is barely visible, looking as if it were a part of
the receiver at manufacture.
What caliber should I select for my M1 Garand?
Choose the caliber that you are most comfortable with. In my opinion, there is no practical difference between .308 and .30-06. Special calibers are also
available but should be reserved for NRA match configured rifles and those for
fun or hunting.. NRA rules state the M1 must be either 308 or 30-06.
Should my barrel be chrome moly or stainless?
Many prefer stainless steel because it is easier to clean and also seems to last longer. But, it also scratches easier during cleaning and extra care must be taken. Chrome moly, while slightly harder to clean, is less susceptible to cleaning damage. On the average, most stainless barrels provide an extra 1,000-1,500 rounds of useable life.
The reason for this is due to the way stainless wears. It stays a bit smoother
in the throat thus giving a bit better life then chrome moly.
What makes
one rifle barrel more accurate then another?
This is a very good question
that has too long of an answer for me to put it all down here. Dan Lilja owner
of Lilja Barrels has written some very good articles about this subject. I would
suggest reading his articles in the following order. Each subject is hyperlinked
to it's web site for ease of navigation. 1) Barrel
Making, 2) Deep Hole
Drilling, 3) What
makes an accurate barrel?
What type/brand of barrel is best and will give the longest accurate life?
While opinions on this subject are wide, varied, and well published I do have
my own thoughts. First off I want to put my statements in the proper context.
Which is barrels and rifles being used for NRA
"across the course" high power matches, or tactical and custom
hunting rifles. This includes semi auto's such as the M1 Garand, M1A, AR15 and
various bolt actions. I'm not talking competitive bench rest here.
Here in the shop I have used barrels made by virtually every well known name in the business at one time or another. Some of those being, Krieger, Douglas, Obermeyer, Hart, Shilen, and Lilja. On my own firearms I have used predominantly Douglas, Krieger, or more recently, Lilja. It has been my experience that ALL the barrels I've used shoot better then I'm capable of holding out to 600 and 1000 yards. Bear in mind I'm not talking about bench rest type shooting off sandbags but NRA High power, lying prone in the dirt with no more then a sling for support. In most cases the type of rifles being used for high power are not capable of what would be considered "bench rest" accuracy nor should it be expected (see below). But these rifles must maintain a high level of accuracy under conditions most bench rest competitors will never see. Hot barrels from multiple rapid fire strings, fouled barrels from having fired 40 to 60 rounds BEFORE getting to the 600 yards stage where the accuracy is most critical and with no time to clean the bore, just to name a few. So back to the original question- which barrel type or brand is best?
I prefer button rifled rifled barrels over cut rifled barrels for the below stated reasons, not all of which are purely performance related:
Accuracy- Ever read the bench rest match results where equipment is listed? It isn't cut rifled barrels dominating the sport of ultimate accuracy! It is button rifled barrels like Hart, Lilja, and Shilen. (But of late I have noticed Krieger is making some inroads with the bench rest community. That is to their credit)
Untrue myth- "Cut rifled barrels last longer. Button rifled barrels wear prematurely." As a gunsmith I have rebarreled many rifles because of worn, inaccurate barrels. Most of the barrels I've seen firsthand that had an exceptionally long, accurate life were button rifled. I've seen more cut rifled barrels stop shooting suddenly, in fewer rounds then button rifled barrels. I know the stories of cut rifled barrels going well over 6000 rounds. But I've also seen many button rifled barrels do the same. (Personally I think proper care has much more to do with it then the method of rifling used in manufacture). I know of a Douglas Premium stainless barrel (.223 on an AR15) with over 8500 well documented rounds. It still shoots scores in the high 190's with strong X-counts in 600 yard slow fire. I also know of several Kriegers that have stopped shooting in less then 2000 rounds.
Another Myth- "chances are greater you'll get a bad (meaning inaccurate) button rifled barrel then if you get a cut rifled barrel". In a word- hogwash! Literally hundreds of rifles have been rebuilt in the shop. Never has even one been returned for inaccurate performance. With either button rifled or cut rifled barrels. The quality of today's premium grade barrels is very high. Better then ever. Stick with a proven barrel maker and you won't be disappointed. But go with a no name, gun show brand and you'll likely be unhappy.
Personal Experience- I've used both types of barrels during my years shooting NRA High power at distances from 100 through 1000 yards. All my best performing rifles had button rifled bores.
Cost- button rifled barrels tend to be cheaper. This is not always the case but is true on average.
Availability- As a gunsmith I shouldn't have to wait MONTHS just for a barrel blank. If I request a price sheet/product sheet from a very well known cut rifled barrel maker I should get it. Repeated request shouldn't get ignored. (Yeah I know. I have a bit of personal bias here.)
Now the Big Question. What brand of barrel do I use on my own rifles? Mainly Douglas Premium in stainless steel. Though this season (2000) I am switching to a Lilja stainless, 3-groove, 1-8" twist on my beloved AR15 space gun. The barrel on the AR15 mentioned below that took me to High Master was a Douglas. Take note of how well it shot (see text below).
UPDATE TO THE ABOVE COMMENTS<> I have now been shooting Lilja 3 groove barrels for two seasons. I stand firm in my belief that they are simply the best barrel out there- bar none. My bores don't foul, what little fouling there is practically wipes out with Butch's Bore Shine and wet patches. I intentionally took one barrel off after only 3000 rounds just to remove the chamber end and segment it to do an inspection of the throat wear. Any wear was barely visible. The internal finish of a Lilja barrel is the best I've ever seen. Krieger and Obermeyer look rough by comparison. This is not to say they are rough only that I feel Lilja's internal finish is superior.
What should I expect from my rifle as far as accuracy?
In this business there is much advertising hype such as " Ultra
Match", "World Class", " guaranteed under 1 m.o.a." or
"groups average under .795" for rifles built". Well that's all
well and fine. But did you ever notice they never mention at what distance or
for how many shots? Or that the accuracy "guarantee" is only with one
factory brand of ammo that is so expensive very few can afford it. Of course
that guarantee (and any others) are void if you shoot hand loads. Which
virtually all high power shooters must do because of either the expense involved
with high volume big bore shooting or the pursuit of more accurate ammo. With
this said what should you REALISTICALLY expect from your rifle? For the M1 or
M1A/M14 types no better then 3/4 moa for ten shot groups. Most of these rifles
will open up to 1 to 1-1/4 moa after a couple thousand rounds or earlier.
If your gas gun holds a consistent minute of angle be happy! These are not bolt
actions, they have many more moving parts and all kinds of things hanging off
the barrel. The one gas gun that is the exception is the AR15/M16. These ugly
little buggers shoot like a house on fire when upgraded to match quality.
Accuracy under 1 moa is easy to obtain with good ammo. Accuracy of under 1/2 moa
can be obtained with careful hand loading tailored to the rifle. I have had many
reports of groups well under 1/2 moa from customers and have personally fired a
ten shot, 100 yard group from an AR15* of .273". And this was with iron
sights!
(* It should be noted that the above mentioned AR15 rifle also fired a 100-7x clean in 300 yard rapid fire on the last day of the Nationals. This after being fired all week, five days straight, with absolutely no cleaning. Not even a dry patch pulled through the bore for over 300 shots. My score on the same day at 600 yards was a 196-7x, the final ten shots being a 99-3x. This barrel already had over 3000 total rounds through it at this point. I made High Master while shooting this gun. Later on in the season this Douglas barreled AR15 took a 2nd Place overall, 1st Place High Master Class in a local long range event fired at 600 yards. Three 20 shot strings for a 600 point aggregate. Final score was a 592-21x. And this was with over 3400 rounds through the bore)
Heavy bolt guns built for either high power, tactical, or varmint use should be capable of no worse then 1/2 moa for ten shots. Most will honestly do better with good hand loads. Many being capable of solid 1/3 or even 1/4 moa. But don't expect this kind of solid performance from even a custom hunting rifle if it has a light barrel contour. At least not for ten shots. Maybe three or five. A light weight barrel will move as it heats up.
Now here's a question I'm frequently asked, "will you guarantee the accuracy of my rifle?" Simply put- no. I can honestly tell you what to expect from my experience as a gunsmith and competitor. But actually guarantee, no.
Why?
The are too many intangibles I have no control over. From the type and
quality of ammo being used, to the skill level and proficiency of the shooter
pulling the trigger. You wouldn't believe how many calls I've had over the years
saying "my gun won't group" and then finding out that the guy was
firing the cheapest military surplus blasting ammo he could get. Or that he was
firing off a tractor hood in the field out back. If you just paid big bucks to
get your rifle upgraded and then shoot Timbuktu, 3rd World, surplus ammo through
it, I don't want to hear about it! Or if you're a Marksman class shooter don't
think your new rifle will magically, overnight make you a High Master class
shooter. Remember the old saying, "a $2500.00 rifle doesn't make a poor
shooter better. It only makes him a poor shooter with a $2500.00 rifle."
All rifles I build are test fired before leaving the shop but working up loads
for accuracy is the customers job. If you honestly can't get the rifle to
perform I'll be happy to test it for you and help find a load. If it truly
doesn't shoot I WILL rebarrel it or rebuild it as needed. That much I do
guarantee. My reputation as a gunsmith and livelihood are at stake. And that's
the bottom line.
Michael S. Orwan
Gunsmith/Retired
NRA High Master Classified, High Power Rifle and Long Range (1000 yard), Master Classified High Power Sporting Rifle