[Z09SS]

I have a Ko-Tonics/Cardinal 16" lightweight barrel that I am reasonably happy with.

Recently I took some SSA 115gr SMK Mil/LE to the range and noticed the dreaded swipes.

Bison is an option, but I am unsure of the SPR profile because I think the current rifle is heavy enough and I am unsure of stainless over 4140. Am I fretting over nothing?

I have a friend in the same boat and he wonders what the consequences of ignoring the swipes is.

 

[tbready]

Try the Tubbs Final Finish bullets, they tend to helpout the Cardinal barrels with this issue.

 

[ron169]

Try the Tubbs Final Finish bullets, they tend to helpout the Cardinal barrels with this issue.

+1 on that one

If you do switch over to Ss, the SPR profile would be ok, remember, troops are carrying that profile rifle in the sand box so it cant be too heavy.

 

[marinesg1012]

I like the SBR profile, a little extra wieght is nice to me.... Stainless is ussually a little more accurate....

 

[Test_User]

I would not spend money on any new barrel until you have done things to try and get that barrel running. Get some Isso polish and wrap a birsh with a patch coated in it ans hit the whole bore a few hunder strokes. Do not exit the muzzle. Try it out. Then finish with tubbs final finsh bullets. Many times this will lower the pressure a good amount epsically since it sounds like you have not shot this barrel much. Honestly if you get it to where it shoots them without swipes the extra tightness may actully get you some very good accuracy.

HTR has a slightly tight CA CL with some work it was jsut shy of swipes. It has to be the most accurate CA barrel I have seen. HTR reguarlly gets groups .5 moa with a number of bullets with the GS 80s he actually got a 1/3 moa. Not saying this WILL be your resutls but it sure shows its possible and will save you money at a time when everthing else is so costly.

If the barrel still ends up being a complette dud then I would start lookingb at a new barrel.

 

[Z09SS]

This is a situation where not being a reloader gets frustrating. Tubbs doesn't advertise loaded 6.8 rounds.

I googled Isso and got many results for "is so". I hate when they get all helpful fixing my grammar.

What is isso polish? Where do I get some?

 

[Z09SS]

Dang it, buying the reloading stuff is just about the same price as getting the new barrel. That does not make the decision process any easier.

 

[owenslee]

+100 on working with the Cardinal Barrel.

I have now inspected 28 of these so called "undersized" barrels and found only two that were just barely undersize by only .0001 and .0002" respectively.
I also have found these barrels to be very accurate with ALL of the ones I have personally shot achieve 1 moa or better using SSA 110g Pro Hunter ammo.

The Tubbs final finish is a good idea but I have not had to resort to it to avoid high pressure signs.

Can you post pictures of the swipes? Are your primer edges still radiused....or sharp?
Can you get a good close up of the primers with swipes?
You will often see light polished or burnished looking "swipes" that are not necessarily signs of excessive pressure. Personally I prefer to use the primer edges as an indicator.

When did you purchase your barrel? I am working on the assumption it is one of the last 1:11 SPCII barrels...correct?

What buffer and spring are you running?

What bolt carrier? Std AR15...M16...National Match...?

Kerry

 

[rushca01]

This may be way out in left field and I know this is a firearms no no but you may want to see if someone can load you up some tubbs final finish ruonds. This saves the cost of the reloading equipment and new barrel. Just sign some kind of waiver that you want sue etc...from using their loads. Just a thought but you never know.

 

[Z09SS]

+100 on working with the Cardinal Barrel.

I have now inspected 28 of these so called "undersized" barrels and found only two that were just barely undersize by only .0001 and .0002" respectively.
I also have found these barrels to be very accurate with ALL of the ones I have personally shot achieve 1 moa or better using SSA 110g Pro Hunter ammo.

The Tubbs final finish is a good idea but I have not had to resort to it to avoid high pressure signs.

Can you post pictures of the swipes? Are your primer edges still radiused....or sharp?
Can you get a good close up of the primers with swipes?
You will often see light polished or burnished looking "swipes" that are not necessarily signs of excessive pressure. Personally I prefer to use the primer edges as an indicator.

When did you purchase your barrel? I am working on the assumption it is one of the last 1:11 SPCII barrels...correct?

What buffer and spring are you running?

What bolt carrier? Std AR15...M16...National Match...?

Kerry

I was so dispondant about it I forgot to pick up some brass for photos.
The primer edges were still radiused.
I got the upper from Tim around 20Mar08. My friend got his in the clearance sale.
I'm running an H buffer and spring that came from Rainier Arms with my CTR kit.
The bolt carrier is a standard semi-auto that came with the upper.

I would love to find that I don't need to do anything!

I will hit the range soon and see if I can get some brass for photo purposes.

EDIT:
I am extremely happy with the accuracy at 100 yards.

 

[owenslee]

I was so despondent about it I forgot to pick up some brass for photos.
The primer edges were still radiused.
I got the upper from Tim around 20Mar08. My friend got his in the clearance sale.
I'm running an H buffer and spring that came from Rainier Arms with my CTR kit.
The bolt carrier is a standard semi-auto that came with the upper.

I would love to find that I don't need to do anything!

I will hit the range soon and see if I can get some brass for photo purposes.

Your buffer and spring are good.

If the primer edges still maintain the same radius as an unfired primer...I would not worry even if swipes are present. If pressures are too high...the primer will flatten and you lose the corner radius making it appear much sharper at the corner. If that occurs I would then take additional steps to polish the bore as Tim suggests.

The quality of the bolt face finish can affect the presence of "swipes" plus there is considerable difference in interpretation of...is it a swipe where metal is deformed from high pressure....or is it a burnished swipe area resulting from a less than perfect bolt face finish in conjunction with acceptable pressure?

For that reason I put more credence in the primer corner radius as being a more reliable indicator of excess pressure.

Kerry

 

[Z09SS]

This may be way out in left field and I know this is a firearms no no but you may want to see if someone can load you up some tubbs final finish ruonds. This saves the cost of the reloading equipment and new barrel. Just sign some kind of waiver that you want sue etc...from using their loads. Just a thought but you never know.

I used to have friends who reloaded. They have drifted away over the years. I guess I got to rely on them rather than learning it myself.

 

[jasonpeterson]

I watch the primers also. If they start flattening I know they are hot. Except my remington brass. All the primers flatten in them. SSA brass is so much better. I shoot all the large primer brass out of my bolt guns. That way I won't get them mixed up with my SSA brass.

 

[Strawdawg]

This is a situation where not being a reloader gets frustrating. Tubbs doesn't advertise loaded 6.8 rounds.

I googled Isso and got many results for "is so". I hate when they get all helpful fixing my grammar.

What is isso polish? Where do I get some?

Tim's fingers were trying to keep up with his brain. Try this http://www.iosso.com/

got some from either Midway or Brownells

 

[Tat2]

This may be way out in left field and I know this is a firearms no no but you may want to see if someone can load you up some tubbs final finish ruonds. This saves the cost of the reloading equipment and new barrel. Just sign some kind of waiver that you want sue etc...from using their loads. Just a thought but you never know.

Exactly. Find a buddy or someone on the forum close to you to hook you you w/ making loaded Tubbs rounds.

T

 

[Test_User]

I would be careful waiting on the primer to flatten. If you see a swipe you are hot. The small primers especially the CCI 41 and WOLF s are very hard and do not flatten like the large primer in the Remington cases. Primer flatten has a lot to do with the headspace as does "blowing" a primer. I put up a 3-d rendered image a year ago on the process of a case when fired in the chamber. When fired the primer actually unseats somewhat from the case and hits the bolt face followed by the case which reseats the primer. But that is a different subject. Fact is we had round at 60K with primers edges still having radius. Swipes given no issue with the ejector hole in the bolt face with SSA cases have always held consistent around 58K. I have to say I think swipes are one of the best rudimentary ways to gauge pressure with this round in the this rifle platform. Regardless I think it to be unwise to ever disregard any sign of pressure. Swipe, flatten primer cratering etc if you see these signs back down. I am not saying you are going to blow up your rifle as it takes over100K for a modern rifle in good condition to have a catastrophic failure. You will greatly shorten your case life as well as that of your bolt. The modern rifle is very very safe and setup with may double and triple fail safes. 1: primer blows, 2: case ruptures 3: bolt lugs break (BCG and receiver have gas blow ports.) All of this before a true catastrophic failure Kaboom could happen and all at increasing pressure steps. 99.9% of all kabooms happne from defective rifle part or firing with a barrel obstruction ( squib load then rechamber andf fire without removing the stuick bullet is a good way to get you there fast)

I suggest you 1: get the ISSO paste and polish the bore and chamber for 100-200 or so strokes feeling for any rough or sticking even spots. Test fire and see how it works. The swipes will almost certainly be less. If still there to any degree borrow the SPCII Reamer from Paulo with go and no go gauges and chcek the chamber. Run the reaqmer in there and go till you feel it seat agiasnt the shoulder. You will be bale to tell. You can check the reamer for where it is cuting it any. Look where the shaving of chrome are on it. AS long as they are not any on teh shoulder area of the reamer you are good. When you see any on the shoulder stop. If the headpace is good with the guages you are GTG. Now repolsih teh chamber and throat and test again. That is hte last thing you can do.

 

[6.8Vol]

I hope this doesn't sound tacky, but if you don't feel like doing all the above or don't have the equipment to fix the barrel,
there are probably several members that would be interested in that barrel including myself. I have a Cardinal and love it.
Maybe someone would load some Tubbs FF bullets for you. They work really well. I used them on my first barrel(brand
unknown) and it shoots much better. Made a huge difference. I haven't tried that paste, but will in the future if needed.
You have a gem in the rough. You have a bunch of knowledgeable people giving you help. Personally, I'd hang in there with that barrel.

 

[Z09SS]

Tim: I-O-S-S-O

My buddy and I have decided we're going to get into reloading.

We have not decided what reloading press to get or whose house we are going to keep the stuff.

Once we have the stuff, we can do the Tubb's bullets.

 

[Z09SS]

I am going to attack this from two directions. Polish the bore on the existing barrel and get a new one, "just in case".

Is this the stuff I want to polish the bore?

http://www.iosso.com/MivaStore/merc...&Product_Code=00012&Category_Code=GunCleaning

Second, I am on the pre-order list for a Bison 16" barrel. If worse comes to worst, I will have two 6.8 rifles. Wouldn't that just be too bad?

 

[constructor]

BTW, do not coat the bore with a thick layer of oil. If you oil the bore follow with a dry patch to remove the excess.