Thread: Heads-up on Volquartsen THM 10/22 barrels

A few here will have seen the issues I had with a Grey Birch 10/22 barrel - detailed here: https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-barrel-66079/ Well, in a roundabout way I decided to replace it with one of the Volquartsen 16.5" carbon-fibre sleeved THM barrels that Gun City has in stock. A fair bit more expensive, but hopefully that extra money buys extra quality? Not necessarily.

The first barrel:

Chamber:


Chamber:


Crown (mainly cosmetic):


Breech (cosmetic):


Scratches in the carbon fibre (cosmetic):


Took it back, swapped it for a second barrel.

Chamber offset:


Chamber offset:


The second barrel had the same scratches as the first, though I wouldn't have sent it back for that.

Both barrels had chambers long enough that a loaded round wouldn't touch the rifling. I didn't measure the first, but on the second barrel a SK standard+ bullet would have to jump a full 1.6mm before touching.

The shanks of both barrels were oversize at ~0.927" vs. spec. of 0.920". Enough of a difference that the barrel wouldn't properly seat in the receiver. I know the tenon is oversize by design, but the shank shouldn't be.

I returned the second barrel as well. Gun City gave me a full refund without any drama, so no complaints there. I emailed VQ a couple of times just to let them know but haven't had a response.

I suggested to Gun City that they have someone go through their stock of these barrels with a borescope and cull any bad ones. Hopefully they took my suggestion, but if any more like my 2 are out there then at least you guys know what to look for before committing the cash. Happy to give more details as required.

Thanks so much for the heads up, real world informed experience is what the forum is about. Caveat emptor.

GC probably got them as grey imports and they were mean't to be chopped up at factory for not meeting QC.... has happened there before.

Post your shooting results.

Originally Posted by 55six

Post your shooting results.

Which results are you referring to? Both VQ barrels were returned unfired - I'm not wasting my time to machine, fit and test them when they have obvious defects. I've been caught that way before.

In due course I'll post the shooting results from the Beyer barrel I'm working with now, but probably not on this particular thread.

Your borescope has earned it's keep.

I would have been asking whether or not those barrels were truly Volquartsen.

Originally Posted by Rushy

I would have been asking whether or not those barrels were truly Volquartsen.

Yeah it surprises me as well. I would have doubted Volquartsen would have produced barrels of this quality let alone let them leave the factory.
I wonder if they would be interested to know that there are some below par barrels on the market with their name stamped on them ?

Originally Posted by viper

Yeah it surprises me as well. I would have doubted Volquartsen would have produced barrels of this quality let alone let them leave the factory.
I wonder if they would be interested to know that there are some below par barrels on the market with their name stamped on them ?

Yes, those thoughts have occurred to me also. But I sent them emails on the 23rd and 31st Oct with all the details and never received a reply.

Originally Posted by PaulNZ

Yes, those thoughts have occurred to me also. But I sent them emails on the 23rd and 31st Oct with all the details and never received a reply.

When I last emailed them it took them a little while to get back to me, I was actually emailed back by Scott Volquartsen himself, he was very helpful.

I think the company is actually quite small (13 people from what I've been able to research), this is perhaps why technical questions take a bit of time to hear back from them.

Originally Posted by 308mate

When I last emailed them it took them a little while to get back to me, I was actually emailed back by Scott Volquartsen himself, he was very helpful.

I think the company is actually quite small (13 people from what I've been able to research), this is perhaps why technical questions take a bit of time to hear back from them.

Could be. If I get a response I'll add it to the thread for sure. I certainly have no vendetta against Volquartsen - I genuinely thought they'd want to know and act on this.

Originally Posted by PaulNZ

Could be. If I get a response I'll add it to the thread for sure. I certainly have no vendetta against Volquartsen - I genuinely thought they'd want to know and act on this.

100% agreed.

GC are doing some weird things with the Volquartsen rifles. Noticed they sell same named "22LR Volquartsen with Tan FAB Stock & Threaded Carbon Barrel", in which they've removed the VQ barrel and put on there own ranger carbon barrels. Not sure how happy VQ would be about that

Originally Posted by Rushy

I would have been asking whether or not those barrels were truly Volquartsen.

yeah what he said..
Considering comment below about VQ's with GC barrels, maybe they are doing even more of a switcheroo.
Copy a VQ, put their own brand barrel on it and then flog the VQ barrel as ridgy didge.
All theoretical of course.
They wouldnt do that would they?
Rhetorical

I don't have a real opinion on this, but I do know that bore scopes can be the devil and create problems where there arnt any.
@55six has it right imo - but how does it shoot / function?

Have dealt with people in the past who have bought a brand new rifle, then returned it saying they put a bore scope down it and found tooling marks, scratches or whatever in the barrel...
OK...so how does it shoot? Does it meet its accuracy and function requirements to be fit for purpose? You mention the projectile does not contact the lands...if it did you'd run the risk of yanking projectiles out of their case every time you unload.

Im not saying these are fit for purpose. Could not comment on what if any effect the detected imperfections would have on real functioning and accuracy of a given barrel and firearm. Impossible to really say without testing.

If you own a bore scope your chances of ever being happy with a barrel goes down drastically regardless of how well it shoots. Sometimes its better not to know that that 1/4" barrel has a big pit in it, because afterall its accuracy and function that matters, and a bore scope cannot tell you that.