IBX Gunworks

[Colorado Redneck]

IBX Gunworks is offering services for gun smithing. They have a price list for various services, and seem reasonable. Has anybody used them or heard anything about their reputation? I am thinking of having them install a pre-fit barrel for me, as it seems the local smiths want to sell me a barrel for much more than I can buy one from Midway, and then are reluctant to even estimate the cost to do the work.

Appreciate any feed back!

[Roughedge]

Thier prices seem in line with everyone else, never heard anything bad or good so cant help you there. I dont mind if the customer has his own parts as long as they are the correct parts. A prefit barrel allways needs a little tweeking and finish chambering. As long as they are fitting the barrel you should have them install a recoil lug so you can glass bed the stock. What gun are you rebarreling and what barrel are you looking at?

[4V50 Gary]

C'mon down south to Trinidad. Drop it off at the gunsmithing school.

BTW, I bought a pre-contoured Douglas barrel that I fitted to a Mauser 98 receiver this summer. As I was turning the barrel, it was jumping. It wasn't the bore that wasn't concentric but rather the contour was off. They cut .200" at a pass and the pressure from the cutting bit bends the barrel away from it. When the barrel is mounted concentrically, it looks like its jumping up and down. I recut the barrel and took .050" off to make the exterior concentric to the bore. When I chambered it, I gave it minimum SAAMI headspace. Our instructor expects it to close on the "Go" but not on the "No Go."

[Colorado Redneck]

The rifle I might want to rebarrel is a Remmy 700 SPS in 204 Ruger. This piece has always been about half goofy because after thorough cleaning it takes quite a few rounds to settle down. Once it gets to going, it is a pleasure to shoot. But lately it started keyholing everything. A local smith is doing a diagnostic, but even if it comes back that he thinks the barrel is fixable, it is tempting to just trash the factory tube and install a Shilen. It has been a frustrating ride with this gun.

Gary--I drive by Trinidad every few months, so that might be a good suggestion. Thanks for that! What is the name of the institution (so I can find the address)?

[4V50 Gary]

Trinidad State Gunsmithing Program. It's in the Mullen Building (which is visible from I-25); the four story brick structure with the "Gunsmithing" banner on the outside. Bring it (barrel & receiver) & trigger group/housing as well as two bullets (in most cases only one is fired and the empty case(s) should be returned to you) to the "Tool Room" on the second floor. The bullets are for test firing it after it is headspaced and chambered. Get a receipt.

BTW, if you don't have a barrel yet, you might want a pre-contoured. I recommend one contour sizes larger than what you want. This allows for the barrel to be turned down and the exterior made concentric with the bore.

If you get it there before the fall semester, I can use it for my project (we did Mauser 98s in our first semester and in our third semester we're either supposed to do a controlled feed Win M70 or a Rem 700).

If you're coming from the North, take exit 14. After the stoplight, go straight for one block, turn left and then go straight for two blocks. Turn right on Pine and past State St. into the campus. There's a parking lot right below the Mullen Building.

[Colorado Redneck]

Smith called and said they bore scoped the gun and it looks fine---no excessive throat erosion or fouling. Said the barrel looks fine! They then test fired it with some factory ammo (couldn't get which brand---me being deaf and all) and said it shot fine. One thing the smithy did mention is, they are wondering if my loads are hot enough to cause bullet instability. I don't know why the loads would suddenly be hotter. Same jug of Benchmark as was used working up the original loads. The bullets are from a different lot---?? Maybe that is it?

The rifle always shot Berger 35's really well, but was a stinker about needing several fouling rounds to get "settled." Also shot 32 Sierra's pretty good at max load with Benchmark. Well, a few weeks ago, it started key-holing with the Sierras. Brought it home and researched the issue, and found some posts in another forum about 32 Sierras key-holing unless loaded about 1/2 gr less than max with Benchmark (this was recommended by the tech support at Sierra Bullets). Loaded some rounds as recommended, and they key-holed and some didn't even hit the paper.

I have the targets that I originally shot when working up the Sierra rounds. 1/2 groups at 100, and at 200 yards was getting 1 1/2 groups with a light wind. So the mystery deepens. And some of the Bergers began key-holing later. This is almost like the gun is possessed. I can shoot the 22-250 or 222and they are shooting just like always, so it isn't some kind of uncontrollable flinch or something.

Head space is good. Brass FL sized and trimmed to length. 7 1/2 Remmy primers as always. Rifle cleaned same as always. ????

So, back to the bench and then out to the range. All fun but damned puzzling.

[4V50 Gary]

If it shoots fine, keep that barrel.

One thing about barrels, an old one that looks bad with pits can still shoot like a champ. A new shiny bore can shoot like a shotgun. You can't tell until you take it to the range.