Bartlein Barrels in Review
Precision Shooting magazine’s February ’07 issue featured an excellent write-up about Bartlein Barrels, an up and coming barrel-maker that is producing outstanding match barrels. Click HERE to read the story, by Robert Whitley. We were sufficiently impressed with reports about Bartlein barrels from top smiths such as Alan Warner and Richard Franklin, that we chose Bartlein to produce two barrels for AccurateShooter.com’s 6×47/6.5×47 Lapua test gun now in the works.
The two founders of Bartlein are Tracy Bartlein and Frank Green. Both men worked at Krieger Barrels for many years. Bartlein employs advanced CNC machining techniques to produce barrels that are super-straight and dimensionally uniform. Alan Warner says the Bartlein barrel he installed on his wife’s 6.5-284 F-Classer shoots close to 1/4 MOA at 600 yards and cleans up easily. Richard Franklin told us the Bartleins he’s received have been outstanding. Robert Whitley has ordered eight Bartlein barrels, and he reports they are “great on the outside [and] when bore scoped, looked perfect on the inside as well”.
In January of 2008 I called Bartlein to discuss their barrelling a Win. 70 action for me. The person to whom I spoke indicated that the work would take from 4-6 weeks. Satisfied, by this and other information, I shipped the action in late January along with a cashier’s check for most of the cost of the barrel and installation.
Having heard nothing from them, I called around Thanksgiving and, since then, on two other occasions.
The two persons to whom I have spoken have given me three different reasons why they have not completed the work.
Yesterday, March 18, I was told that the person to whom they ship their bluing work had a heart attack; further, I was told that they might not be able to retrieve the barrelled action, unblued.
All of this is documented.
As things now stand, I am out a substantial sum (the deposit) and a pre-64 action.
They might make great barrels, but I can’t say their customer service is particularly admirable.