Federal Arms barrels?

Secmat · April 30, 2001, 03:56 PM

I am looking to replace the barrel in my teaching/demonstration/beater early 90's vintage stainless Springfield 1911. The Federal Arms catalog lists a stainless barrel w/link for about 90 bucks. Does anyone have experience with these? Should I just pop for a Wilson or some other barrel?

Romulus · April 30, 2001, 09:51 PM

Shotgun News has ads for a lot less - 60 bucks or so for aftermarket bbl's... The ninety bucks you mention is a lot closer to the $120 or so you'd shell out for a good aftermarket barrel, Wilson, Baer, etc...

But who knows, Federal may be THE deal...

BBBBill · May 1, 2001, 08:17 AM

Every Federal barrel that I've fit has been too tight in the chamber regardless of gun/caliber. Not a problem if you've got the reamer, but they are sold as finish reamed. More a problem with the diameter than depth. They seem to work OK for casual use, but no long term data as of yet. For the price, if I were going to be shooting much, I'd spring for a Storm Lake, Wilson, Brown, Nowlin, etc.

Stay away from the ROTO-Forged barrels in SGN! They are soft & the lugs will roll over in short order.

tator · May 1, 2001, 03:24 PM

The Federal Arms Warehouse is 2 miles from where I work. You can pickup all parts directly from there. I always wanted to try one of their ported barrels.

Romulus · May 2, 2001, 10:14 PM

BBBBill, those are exactly the barrels I had in mind...I wonder how much junk is floating out there then...come to think of it ROTO's claim that a hammer forged barrel is better than a cut barrel is strange to begin with - how would you explain the cost of top notch cut barrels like Krieger...

Thanks for the heads up...

Secmat · May 3, 2001, 03:58 PM

Thanks for the info folks! I'll leave the FA barrels alone and check out the others...

Cheapo · May 3, 2001, 04:31 PM

Aw nuts! I was hoping someone could give us a firsthand report of how a Fed Arms .357 SIG barrel performs in a Glock.

I'm especially interested in the accuracy.

I'm not afraid of tight chambers. Had a 9mm once that was so tight, the back half of the cases were barely touched in resizing. Cased fired in a SIG 226 would get stuck in the last 1mm of chambering in that other 9mm...so much for full-length resizing with carbide dies!

The only way to unload the gun with those tight cases was to shoot them. And it was just as reliable as the SIG! Go figger, eh?

redhawk44p · May 5, 2001, 08:53 AM

I have a Fed barrel in my Glock 22 and it works great. I have no complaints.

Cheapo · May 8, 2001, 02:03 PM

REast--Is your Fed Arms barrel in .40 or .357 SIG? What kind of accuracy do you get?

Joe Portale · May 8, 2001, 11:00 PM

I bought a Federal .357Sig barrel for my Beretta 96 and am really happy with it. The accuracy is darn good. I never measured groups at 25 yards with this barrel, but they go where I put them. My buddy bought a Federal barrel for his Glock. The chamber was tight. He contacted Federal and they suggested polishing the inside of the chamber with some film emery cloth or 600 grit sand paper wrapped around a dowel. He did that and the rounds chambered fine.

Just my two cents, your mileage may vary.

WalterGAII · May 9, 2001, 07:51 PM

I use a ported Federal barrel in .400 Cor-Bon in my G30. Accuracy, fit and function are fine. Barrel hood was about .051" too narrow, but that doesn't seem to adversely affect performance.

May 1, 2001, 03:24 PM	#4
tator Member Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 81	Maybe I'll do a test for everyone The Federal Arms Warehouse is 2 miles from where I work. You can pickup all parts directly from there. I always wanted to try one of their ported barrels.

May 8, 2001, 11:00 PM	#10
Joe Portale Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 1999 Location: Tucson, Arizona Territory Posts: 715	I bought a Federal .357Sig barrel for my Beretta 96 and am really happy with it. The accuracy is darn good. I never measured groups at 25 yards with this barrel, but they go where I put them. My buddy bought a Federal barrel for his Glock. The chamber was tight. He contacted Federal and they suggested polishing the inside of the chamber with some film emery cloth or 600 grit sand paper wrapped around a dowel. He did that and the rounds chambered fine. Just my two cents, your mileage may vary. __________________ Joe Portale Tucson, Arizona Territory "Even now in heaven there are angles carrying savage weapons". - St Paul

April 30, 2001, 03:56 PM	#1
Secmat Member Join Date: September 7, 2000 Posts: 81	I am looking to replace the barrel in my teaching/demonstration/beater early 90's vintage stainless Springfield 1911. The Federal Arms catalog lists a stainless barrel w/link for about 90 bucks. Does anyone have experience with these? Should I just pop for a Wilson or some other barrel?

April 30, 2001, 09:51 PM	#2
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	Shotgun News has ads for a lot less - 60 bucks or so for aftermarket bbl's... The ninety bucks you mention is a lot closer to the $120 or so you'd shell out for a good aftermarket barrel, Wilson, Baer, etc... But who knows, Federal may be THE deal...

May 1, 2001, 08:17 AM	#3
BBBBill Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2000 Location: Alabama Posts: 197	Every Federal barrel that I've fit has been too tight in the chamber regardless of gun/caliber. Not a problem if you've got the reamer, but they are sold as finish reamed. More a problem with the diameter than depth. They seem to work OK for casual use, but no long term data as of yet. For the price, if I were going to be shooting much, I'd spring for a Storm Lake, Wilson, Brown, Nowlin, etc. Stay away from the ROTO-Forged barrels in SGN! They are soft & the lugs will roll over in short order.

May 2, 2001, 10:14 PM	#5
Romulus Senior Member Join Date: January 18, 2001 Location: Kettle Moraine country Posts: 897	BBBBill, those are exactly the barrels I had in mind...I wonder how much junk is floating out there then...come to think of it ROTO's claim that a hammer forged barrel is better than a cut barrel is strange to begin with - how would you explain the cost of top notch cut barrels like Krieger... Thanks for the heads up...

May 3, 2001, 03:58 PM	#6
Secmat Member Join Date: September 7, 2000 Posts: 81	Thanks for the info folks! I'll leave the FA barrels alone and check out the others...

May 3, 2001, 04:31 PM	#7
Cheapo Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 1998 Posts: 986	Aw nuts! I was hoping someone could give us a firsthand report of how a Fed Arms .357 SIG barrel performs in a Glock. I'm especially interested in the accuracy. I'm not afraid of tight chambers. Had a 9mm once that was so tight, the back half of the cases were barely touched in resizing. Cased fired in a SIG 226 would get stuck in the last 1mm of chambering in that other 9mm...so much for full-length resizing with carbide dies! The only way to unload the gun with those tight cases was to shoot them. And it was just as reliable as the SIG! Go figger, eh?

May 5, 2001, 08:53 AM	#8
redhawk44p Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1999 Posts: 207	I have a Fed barrel in my Glock 22 and it works great. I have no complaints.

May 8, 2001, 02:03 PM	#9
Cheapo Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 1998 Posts: 986	REast--Is your Fed Arms barrel in .40 or .357 SIG? What kind of accuracy do you get?

May 9, 2001, 07:51 PM	#11
WalterGAII Junior member Join Date: November 7, 1999 Posts: 1,516	I use a ported Federal barrel in .400 Cor-Bon in my G30. Accuracy, fit and function are fine. Barrel hood was about .051" too narrow, but that doesn't seem to adversely affect performance.