BARREL TESTING

It’s well known, that a gun can only shoot as good as its barrel. This simple concept is often times totally forgotten by most gunsmiths. The usual assumption is, the barrel is tested by the manufacture and that is capable in shooting very tight groups at 50 yards. In general, manufactures do not have the time or the manpower to test each and every barrel out of their CNC machines. They have tested the original barrels for accuracy, but that is where it ends. So the barrel that you buy or the gunsmith buys, is in reality an untested barrel capable of groups of ranging from less than one inch, up to 5 inches at 50 yards. In my shop, I built the gun around the barrel and not the other way around. When I receive a barrel form any manufacturer, I proceed with chambering and lapping the barrel so that all probable manufactures mistakes are removed. Then comes the fun part of testing the barrel. I have manufactured a barrel tester for which can handle both the 1911 type barrels as well as the M9 barrels. These barrels are tested at 50 yards only. A passing grade for a barrel is a one inch or less than one inch 10 shot group at 50 yards. For accurate measuring, I used old exposed X-Ray films duo to the fact that they are manufactured from a particularly soft polymer which provided with very clean cuts upon bullet impact. The barrels which score more than one inch are totally useless and are returned to the manufacturer. You will be surprised how many of them I have had to return, as a general rule, 8 out of 10 barrels are very good. Once you start with a barrel capable of 0.8 inch grouping at 50 yards, you can potentially end up with a gun capable of shooting slightly over one inch groups at 50 yards (allowing ½ thousands of play in the lockup areas).  
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Thanks, Nick and George