After market barrels

[Austin Cole]

I'm needing help finding replacement barrels for my 15-22. I'd prefer a longer than stock barrel. Any body know of a good place to look? Thanks

[68sixspeed]

See if s&w will sell you the 18" barrel from the performance center model as a "part" or spare. Might just do the trick,

[telero]

Other than the PC model barrel mentioned, and maybe one other barrel made specially for Jerry Miculek, I don't believe there are any aftermarket barrels available...yet.

I know are at least a few people interested in getting an aftermarket barrel, so maybe some day. There are even a couple people interested in making an aftermarket barrel. One of the big issues is spare ejectors and the collar that contains the feed ramp and holds the ejector in place.

[Austin Cole]

Thanks for the info.

[tacticool22]

No aftermarket barrels yet. The breech block with the feed ramp is proprietary and metal injection molded. There is a special fixture needed to machine the half round holes for the spring pins to go and there are no aftermarket ejectors available yet.
I would make them, but there does not seem to be a demand for a superior stainless steel one that won't bend so easily.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by tacticool22

...there are no aftermarket ejectors available yet.
I would make them, but there does not seem to be a demand for a superior stainless steel one that won't bend so easily.

I'd buy 2. As difficult as S&W is being about parts, a source for ejectors, extractors, extractor springs, extractor plungers, firing pins and springs would be great.

I'd go for a couple (2) trick light weight barrel assy's (Tactical Soutions lined aluminum barrels?) even if I had to send my barrel(s) as cores so you could re-use the breech blocks...

[photoracer]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

I'd buy 2. As difficult as S&W is being about parts, a source for ejectors, extractors, extractor springs, extractor plungers, firing pins and springs would be great.

I'd go for a couple (2) trick light weight barrel assy's (Tactical Soutions lined aluminum barrels?) even if I had to send my barrel(s) as cores so you could re-use the breech blocks...

I have a Taccom alloy sleeved barrel in a custom AR 22 upper I built. It is a very accurate barrel, similar to the Volquartsen carbon fiber sleeved one in my Remington 597 but a little cheaper ($175 vs $300).

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

I have a Taccom alloy sleeved barrel in a custom AR 22 upper I built. It is a very accurate barrel, similar to the Volquartsen carbon fiber sleeved one in my Remington 597 but a little cheaper ($175 vs $300).

Thinking about this more... A threaded breech block, (breech block extended and threaded instead of the barrel being threaded) that accepts the tacticool "free float handguard converter", that is bored and threaded so a 10-22 (or similar) barrel would thread into it...

[little_airwolf]

Has anyone fluted their barrel? Sorry to thread jack.
Id like a shorter and lighter barrel. However up here in Canada we arent allowed to cut barrels shorter than 18". However any aftermarket barrel longer than 4" iirc is legal if the total gun length is 26+"
Silly canadian laws

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by little_airwolf

Sorry to thread jack.

Your 2 other threads about the same thing aren't enough?

[Majorlk]

Originally Posted by little_airwolf

Has anyone fluted their barrel?

The barrel really isn't thick enough to mill much of a flute into. At best, it will be cosmetic, rather than actually reduce barrel weight. Same deal for dimpling.

[AR-Getsome]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

Your 2 other threads about the same thing aren't enough?

I think he is hoping for a different answer.? He probably doesn't believe anyone in the other 2 threads.

[Majorlk]

Originally Posted by AR-Getsome

I think he is hoping for a different answer.? He probably doesn't believe anyone in the other 2 threads.

Ah, the old saying about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results comes to mind.

[little_airwolf]

Didnt read anything about fluting. Just read that there isnt aftermarket barrels.
Wow guys thanks for he amazing info!

[gdnagle]

Originally Posted by Majorlk

Ah, the old saying about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results comes to mind.

Or waiting for the answer he want's to hear. But I don't know if he got any answers before.

As for the OP do you have a reason for a longer barrel. If only for looks go with a longer flash hider or fake can, that will make it look longer.

[AR-Getsome]

Originally Posted by gdnagle

Or waiting for the answer he want's to hear. But I don't know if he got any answers before.

As for the OP do you have a reason for a longer barrel. If only for looks go with a longer flash hider or fake can, that will make it look longer.

We were actually talking about another member asking the same questions on this post and posts the other member opened. What we were referring to was asking the same question over and over will not change the answer. Our remarks are not reflected against the OP in this original posting.

[tomcatt51]

I asked the Adco folks if they will/can flute a 15-22 barrel and they said they can. There's the link http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.ht...f=130&t=195016 in the other "weight" thread where Adco turned a 15-22 barrel down to .485(?) OD. I wonder how it shot at that diameter...

I've sent Tactical Solutions an e-mail, see what they have to say. I'd like a lighter barrel for shooting steel. The tricked out light weight (high dollar) Ruger 10-22s sure swing faster, but my S&W runs and doesn't have the mag/feeding issues I see the Ruger bunch dealing with...

Punching my calculator it looks like 6 flutes cut with a 1/4" ball end mill would remove ~5 oz. Turning the OD down to .500 would lose ~10 oz.

[photoracer]

Generally making a barrel thinner will increase the harmonics and barrel whip, reducing accuracy and expanding group size. To me I don't see making the 15-22 even less accurate as a sensible thing to do. Fluting on the otherhand increases the barrel stiffness reducing those factors plus increasing the barrel's surface area to help dissipate heat.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

Generally making a barrel thinner will increase the harmonics and barrel whip, reducing accuracy and expanding group size. To me I don't see making the 15-22 even less accurate as a sensible thing to do. Fluting on the other hand increases the barrel stiffness reducing those factors plus increasing the barrel's surface area to help dissipate heat.

Fluting a barrel won't make it stiffer but will change its' harmonics. It will be stiffer than a same weight and length non-fluted barrel. The turned down barrel will be a flexy-flyer, much less stiff.

The stock barrel, while not a tack driver, seems plenty accurate for steel. I wish the fella that had his barrel turned down had done a follow-up with group sizes. There are stock 10-22 Rugers with light skinny barrels that also seem to shoot plenty good enough...

[photoracer]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

I asked the Adco folks if they will/can flute a 15-22 barrel and they said they can. There's the link Thinnest possible .22 LR barrel - S&W 15-22 --- Done, Pix - AR15.Com Archive in the other "weight" thread where Adco turned a 15-22 barrel down to .485(?) OD. I wonder how it shot at that diameter...

I've sent Tactical Solutions an e-mail, see what they have to say. I'd like a lighter barrel for shooting steel. The tricked out light weight (high dollar) Ruger 10-22s sure swing faster, but my S&W runs and doesn't have the mag/feeding issues I see the Ruger bunch dealing with...

Punching my calculator it looks like 6 flutes cut with a 1/4" ball end mill would remove ~5 oz. Turning the OD down to .500 would lose ~10 oz.

Yeah but technique can trump tricked out. The year BJ won the RR world championship (2011) he was shooting the lower from his 3-gun rifle and a Tac Sol AR upper while John Allchin was shooting a $2k 10/22 that might not have had any Ruger parts left in it. Of the top 4 that year BJ (AR-22), John (10/22), John Bagaskis (S&W pro, 10/22), and Mark Izstein (pro AR-22 same as BJ) the gun weight made little difference it was the technique. At the 2012 championship they had a Wounded Warrior charity side match. John Allchin finished 3rd with his hi dollar 10/22. I finished 2nd shooting a cheap AR with a CMMG conversion kit installed and Paul Dandini won using I think a 10/22 (I am pretty sure he shoots a 15-22 now). Its been awhile since someone has beaten me in a speed steel event with a 10/22 (generally only at the RR/NSSF world championships).
While I have a very fast and light AR-22 I use with my 3-gun lower I still shoot one of my 15-22s 99% of the time in competition. Once I get a new polymer lower for the AR-22 so I can use my Taccom carbon fiber stock I might rethink that. Or maybe not.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

Yeah but technique can trump tricked out...

Access to a range where you can practice, practice, practice regularly helps too. But that doesn't change the fact that a lighter gun swings faster.

Some matches have targets in nice tight little groups and some spread them way out. I stopped (usually) shooting a 6" S&W 617 for steel because of it's weight and use a Ruger 22/45 Lite. The transitions on widely spaced targets were a killer with the 617. On stages with tightly grouped targets it's a toss which is faster. Still prefer the 617 for bowling pins...

[photoracer]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

Access to a range where you can practice, practice, practice regularly helps too. But that doesn't change the fact that a lighter gun swings faster.

Some matches have targets in nice tight little groups and some spread them way out. I stopped (usually) shooting a 6" S&W 617 for steel because of it's weight and use a Ruger 22/45 Lite. The transitions on widely spaced targets were a killer with the 617. On stages with tightly grouped targets it's a toss which is faster. Still prefer the 617 for bowling pins...

I have a friend here that used to be a junior shooter buddy of BJ when both practically lived with Todd Jarrett. He had Scott Volquartsen (one of his sponsors) build him a custom .22 for Steel Challenge and this is close to it

https://www.volquartsen.com/products/522-olympic

although it evolved into this one

https://www.volquartsen.com/products/998-lightweight.

Both those guns weigh between 38-40 oz. My race Browning weighs in at 27 oz. So technology wise I have an advantage but in technique he can kick my a** every which way there is. With that heavy gun he can scare shooters that are on the USA national shooting team no matter what .22 they are shooting. Of course he is a lot stronger and younger than I am. And we have shot each others guns in practice but he never wanted to time himself with my gun. Unfortunately due to medical issues he has retired from the shooting sports in his early 20's except for some teaching and training.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

My race Browning weighs in at 27 oz. So technology wise I have an advantage but in technique he can kick my a** every which way there is.

That's fine. My 22/45 Lite weighs 29 oz, my 6" 617 weighs over 48 oz. C-mores on both. No doubt which I'm shooting on stages with a lot of "swing". On stages with targets closely clustered the difference might be a tenth or two. I highly recommend all my competition shoot 70 oz guns .

I have two 15-22s. I take the second upper assy as a backup, it's set-up the same as the primary. It's tempting to have Adco turn the barrel down on one and see how it works. 10 oz or so off the barrel weight would be considerable.

Notice I answered your post without any "name dropping"?

[photoracer]

I don't think there are any other threaded .22 barrels for one thing. All of them lock into the receivers with some kind of compression tab or fitting. And that includes the AR ones also since it it the receiver than it threaded.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

I don't think there are any other threaded .22 barrels...

No shortage (at least that I'm aware of) of threaded aftermarket 10-22 barrels.

[photoracer]

Well it will accelerate faster on the swing than a heavy gun but if you are stronger it will not seem that different. But in my case being 67 YO factors into the equation so I build my stuff ultra light as I am not getting any stronger. I shoot bowling pin matches with the light open steel gun. My iron sight gun weighs even less (20 oz)(actually William Firesight FO sights). I shoot that in pin matches also. My best with the open gun in a match is about 2.7 seconds (5 pins) and about 3.3 seconds with the lighter iron sight gun. I can hit 2 seconds flat in practice with a clean run (open gun) although I seldom practice pins anymore because it is such a pain to practice (setup, knockdown, setup, knockdown, etc.). Did shoot a 2.7s last month. Next match is this Sat.
Our clubs speed steel matches are with targets that are randomly closer together than say Steel Challenge and I shoot both. Normally the fastest stage is always stage 5 because they are a setup of 5 steel plates in a line pretty close together. My best at that from a low ready is 1.35s (15-22) but last month we had a stage looking like an upsidedown T with the stop plate being smaller than the rest at the top. I managed to shoot that in 1.35s on one run. Didn't expect that. I had to call that on myself to see if the timer actually recorded 5 shots and it did. With the pistol I was shooting that stage in about 1.7s-2.0s. I think I am going to start posting some monthly videos using the 15-22 (I have a mount for my action cam on the side).

[BigWaylon]

Originally Posted by Austin Cole

I'm needing help finding replacement barrels for my 15-22. I'd prefer a longer than stock barrel. Any body know of a good place to look? Thanks

If you really want a longer barrel, check with ADCO. I know they make custom barrel extensions for pistol barrels, so I'd think they could do the same for a 22 barrel.

[photoracer]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

No shortage (at least that I'm aware of) of threaded aftermarket 10-22 barrels.

I was talking about the breech side of the barrel. I don't think anyone has another type of .22 semi with a threaded barrel on the breech side. All of them I know use some kind of wedge or breech block (10/22, 597) to lock it to the receiver. Anyway unless S&W specifically authorizes one and supplies the patented parts no one can make one.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

I was talking about the breech side of the barrel.

So was I. One of the aftermarket 10-22 mods is barrels and receivers that are threaded together instead of the "press in" factory arrangement...

[photoracer]

Originally Posted by tomcatt51

So was I. One of the aftermarket 10-22 mods is barrels and receivers that are threaded together instead of the "press in" factory arrangement...

That is intereting, I have never seen one of those so I stand corrected. Doesn't sound like that rifle wouldn't have any 10-22 parts left except maybe the mags if at all.

[tomcatt51]

Originally Posted by photoracer

Doesn't sound like that rifle wouldn't have any 10-22 parts left except maybe the mags if at all.

You're right. It's like small block chevys and harleys and AR-15s and others. You can build one from all aftermarket parts. I looked at this option before buying 15-22s. It was tempting. You can build a really light/trick "10-22" but I'd seen too many shooters with too many problems with feeding/mag issues with the 10-22 platform...

[Majorlk]

Granted, my 10/22 was made in the early 80s, but I shoot it the least of my .22s for just the problems you describe. It's more fun to shoot my 15-22 and 77/22 than mess with at least one problem per mag.