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PRECISION SHOOTING AUGUST 2010

by Joe roxby Photos by greg herndon

Love you? She laughed. No I judged you among the others. Marhalt is a good and dependable knightmore good than great Gawain? A temperament, a handsome, ugly bachelorGawain has up days when the moon is an easy jump, and down days when an earthworm makes a high arc over his head. From Lady Lynns speech to Ewain, taken from The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. As translated by John steinbeck Like Sir Ewain, in the tale quoted above, every so often chance favors the unknowing. Fortune clearly favored me last De-

cember with an early Christmas present that came in the form of a phone call from Dean Dillabaugh. For those of you not familiar with Dean, he is the owner and driving force of Deans Gun Restorations. The idea he was proposing was to test the accuracy of the three most popular Garand barrels that are most commonly in use today. Being both a fan and student of the rifle, as a shooter, and as a collector, be assured that I did not take any armtwisting. My real reaction was more like a hunting hound hearing the horn. Some time ago (see Precision Shooting July 2007) I had a chance to test a rifle that Dean built specifically to compete in the Garand Matches at Camp Perry. It was most impressive. Normally, a couple of questions would immediately come to my mind. Was that ri-

This is the rifle fully set up for the test. The stock is a lovely example of Deans semi-fancy walnut variety. The wood is a bit lighter than one usually sees in walnut.

fle a one-hit wonder? Can he build them like that all the time or was that an example of one? The truth be told, I already had a pretty fair idea about the answers. In the interim since that last piece was written, Ive had the opportunity to play with some of Deans other work and he is clearly not a one-hit wonder. Getting a chance to seriously test another of Deans fine shooting M1s would be a most pleasurable task. Of course the real question this test was meant to answer was about the barrels. Would it be a case of you get what you pay for? Does just throwing money at the barrel buy you more accuracy or would there be a sleeper in the trio that offered champagne performance at beer prices? The barrels that were picked for the test were the three most often used as replacements today, Criterion, Barnett-Douglas, and Krieger. The Criterion is the most common of the three. It is used by the CMP on some of rifles they sell and also sold by them as a replacement tube. It is also featured by the gun parts supplier, Midway USA, and used by several Garand rebuilders as their entry-level barrel. I would add that this was to be my first experience with this one. The Barnett-Douglas barrel is also well

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known. The barrels are drilled and rifled by Douglas and then short chambered and given their final machining by legendary barrel maker Gene Barnett. Gene has been making good barrels for match-tuned M1s for as long as I have been around the Highpower Rifle game. The Krieger is considered the highest-end barrel of the three. Unlike the other two, which are button-rifled, it is a cut-rifled barrel with a stellar reputation. This test is something of a family feud, as the Criterion and Kreiger are corporate siblings. What he was proposing was a simple idea that is very complex in execution. After giving the matter some thought, I do not ever remember any sort of a test like this being done with a Garand. Testing barrel accuracy is nothing new. The components are the easiest part of the problem to solve. It is easy enough to get enough ammunition and components from the same lots. The twist in this experiment was that the same receiver and parts would be used for all three barrels. The hardest part is that each barrel would be tested on the same action and with exactly the same major parts. Other types of rifles such as those from the bolt action or AR-15 families lend themselves quite readily to this. The complexity factor enters the experiment because the Garand does not easily lend itself to such tinkering. It is very much the opposite. The science of building AR15s has developed to the point where a person with good mechanical skill, the right tools, components, and instruction can have a very good chance of building a rifle that will shoot quite well. Even without access to a smith that specializes in that piece, there is enough written materials out there to guide his efforts. (Derrick Martin and Barrett Tillmans excellent work The Complete Guide to AR-

A Short Sidebar How Accurate is Accurate? An article like this begs for a brief diversion on this topic. Perhaps even more here than where the advertising clich is used, size matters. An inch group would have a benchrester ready to wrap his rifle around the nearest tree, to be followed by him throwing himself upon his katana. In contrast, a Garand routinely producing such groups with several types of ammo might have its Catholic owner attending not only Sunday mass, but the daily ones as well with plenty of Novenas for good measure. To the point, just how accurate should your Garand be? To help answer that question Ive taken some opinions from resident Precision Shooting Garand Guru Roy Baumgardner and noted Garand builder of yesteryear, John Miller Roy Baumgardner If a seller wants top dollar for his rifle, he should be proud of it, and eager to show what it will do. A good accurized Garand should group 5 to 10 shots in a two-inch circle with match ammo at 100 yards off a bench rest. If it does better than that, kiss him on both cheeks, give him the money, grab the rifle, and run like hell. There are some 1MOA Garands out there but they are rare. From Precision Shooting with the M1 Garand by Roy Baumgardner. John Miller The match conditioned Garand should be capable of two MOA. This level of accuracy should be able to be held for the life of the barrel. Some M1s will shoot considerably better than 2 MOA. My old friend Gene Barnett (the worlds finest M1 barrel maker) once fired an Air Force match conditioned M1 in a mechanical rest at an old National Guard marksmanship training unit test tunnel just for grins. Gene was amazed to find that the rifle shot a 16-shot group of less than 1 inch spread at 200 yds. From The M1 Garand: Owners Guide by Scott Duff Joe Roxby I have heard lots of old stories about M1s that would shoot an inch all day long. The problem is what I heard never matched what I saw. Of course, Ive also heard stories of Hoop snakes and whores with hearts of gold too, and I have not seen any of them either. From Luck of the Irish Precision Shooting July 2007 The general consensus of opinion seems to be that at a minimum a decently conditioned M1 should shoot at least 2 MOA. Both of these fellows were talking about guns that were epoxy bedded and had other match conditioning done to them not allowed for as an-issued rifle for the Garand Match. That noted I still believe that the two inch minimum is still a good departure point, even for a tuned, as issued gun from my own experience and testing, the best purpose-built John Garand Match Guns will get to the inch-and-a-half mark and some will better that with a particular load they like. In my opinion, anything that gets averages at 1.5" is excellent. At or below an inch-and-a-quarter is an exceptional Garand, and you should do as our Uncle Roy recommended.

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PRECISION SHOOTING AUGUST 2010

15 Accuracy sold elsewhere in these pages rates very high marks in that regard.) The M1 Garand is a completely different animal. I have often complained that tuning one of these beasts is part science and part voodoo. While Im willing to grant I may have overstated the case slightly, I still stand by my point. A good example to illustrate my point is my good friend and neighbor George Strauss. He is an excellent machinist and wood worker and more than a fair hand as a Garand mechanic in his own right. Ive watched his quite talented eye meet with mixed results. Some shot very well, one outstandingly, and others were pedestrian performers. Working on Garands is perhaps best described as something one studies as a science and applies as an art. Complicating things a bit more for the shade-tree gunsmith, theres a great deal less written material floating around about accuracy-tuning the big rifle and the vast majority of it is quite dated. Added to that, there are far fewer smiths that specialize in that rifle. Those few men with that knowledge are building guns for a living and just dont have time to waste talking to every hill-jack and rube with a question. Perhaps that is why for as long as I can remember, common wisdom was once you got an M1 shooting well, do not fool with it any further under any circumstances. Rebarreling an M1 is major surgery and getting the parts fitted back correctly on each test barrel is also a laborious task. Fortunately, Dean is just the man for the job. For the record, theres enough work involved in this project that I would never have dared to ask anyone, let alone a man who makes his living at it, to get involved in it. I was most fortunate that this was Deans idea. All three barrels featured GI

profile with a 1:10 twist and a M72 Match Chamber. Chambering was done with a brand new Manson finish reamer #607 in 30-06 Springfield, which Dean purchased specifically for this test. The bolt opened on gauge 2.0517 and closed on gauge 2.0507. The barrels gauged 0 on ME and 1 on TE. The test bed rifle was a five million, four hundred thousand series H&R receiver with mostly H&R parts throughout. Being personally quite fond of H&Rs, I thought it a good omen. To keep the costs down a tad, Dean selected one of his semi-fan walnut stocks. This particular one showed nice fiddleback behind the pistol grip and has a lighter finish than I normally associate with walnut. As is the case with all Deans better wood the whole effect was most pleasing to the eye. This particular stock was not bedded but melted to the rifle. I would go so far as to say Ive seen bedded rifles that were not as tightly fitted. This rifle was set up within the parameters of the John C. Garand Match rifle. The only difference was this was fitted with a scoutmount to facilitate ammunition testing. While the idea of using a 2.5x scope for accuracy testing would make a benchrester cringe, it is a quantum leap forward for old eyes from iron sights. The ammunition for the test was to be a true can of mixed nuts, featuring factory match, Mexican match, ball, and one good handload. I certainly would have liked to experiment further, but the prohibitive price of both ammo and components dictated I limit my selection. The factory match ammunition that was used was none other than Black Hills Ammunition, Inc. (Ps advertiser). That company has a 24-carat reputation for very accurate ammunition. Again worth noting for Garand lovers, all Black Hills match ammunition is

Garand-friendly. Dean was so impressed that he recently began featuring it as an accessory on the DGR website. With the continuing ammunition shortage still in effect, Black Hills was only able to get me their fine fodder in the 168-grain weight. In my last Garand test their 155-grain A-Max bullet stole the show but they did not have any available. Wanting to have a good 155-grain bullet represented in the test, I resorted to plan B. That was to make some Spartan Match consisting of Greek HXP 70 with a 155 grain Sierra (Ps advertiser) bullet substituted for the GI one with no other changes. This load has been an excellent performer for me in several M1 rifles. The third ammunition selected for the test was ordinary Greek HXP 67. Theres no telling when CMP will switch back to this ammunition for the Garand Matches so it would be nice to have an idea how it would perform in a barrel you might select. Finally, one good handload was in order. That choice was Everymans classic load of yesteryear for the Garand, a 168-grain match bullet propelled by 46 grains of H4895. For the newcomers out there, about the time Brian Boru gave up the ghost at the battle of Clontarf, (1014 AD) and everyone shot Garands across the course, this load was found to be the most generally accurate loading. Some others loads shot better in individual rifles, but they all shot well with that one. As an historical note, at the previously mentioned battle all good sons of Erin used Garands. Pagan Viking mercenaries employed by both sides used Swedish Mausers, as you might expect of pagans. (Editor: I get the impression that you were there?) The Criterion Barrel For those of you who had the luxury of being able not to pay attention this last winter, it was miserable. In northern West Virginia, it was the

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23

snowiest February and the second snowiest month on record. Being butt-deep in snow does not lend itself to a fun day at the range. Fortunately such bad times do pass. About the time the weather had finally broken in the second week in March, the test rifle arrived wearing the Criterion, the first tube to be tested. Upon arrival the barrel was patched out with a bit of Kroil and taken to the range. Dean normally recommends 100 rounds to settle the action into the stock. I fired about 40 rounds function testing it and getting the irons and scope sighted. At the 60 round mark, this rifle seemed to have it stabilized quite well. About five days later on the first 60+ degree day of the year in these parts, I got down to some serious testing. Cinderella arrived at this party early. The Criterion barrel is the least expensive of the lot. Dean sells them for a most reasonable $179 short-chambered as an accessory or installed on your rifle for an additional $115. To say the least, the results certainly speak for themselves and were pleasantly stunning as well as totally unexpected. This barrel had achieved what I consider the Holy Grail of Garand-land, groups that averaged under one inch. The next to last group shot with Black Hills factory ammunition tore one ragged hole in the target and measured an unbelievable .39". Im thankful God let me see something like that at least once with a Garand before I journey to the land where no traveler returns. The last group shot was the largest and the last shot opened it up to the largest, otherwise the averages would have been even better! The handloads were fired two days later with their own impressive results. When I got back home and was calculating the results, just for fun, I threw out the largest and smallest groups with the 168 loadings and they still averaged under

an inch. History and my own limited experience have taught me that one group lies, but averages do not. Also notable, this was the first Garand rifle-barrel combination that I have tested that preferred the 168s over the 155s. Worth a chuckle, at the conclusion of shooting I took the test targets over to Georges house and let him give them a glance. Given how well the rifle shot, he was in favor of just throwing a bunch of hundred dollar bills at Dean and not tampering with the gun any further. The Barnett-Douglas Barrel I got the rifle back in its second mutation just before Easter. This barrel represents the mid-point of the price range, selling for $300 as a part or $415 installed. Any experiment like this is bound to produce some observations that are unexpected, and in that regard this one held true. Judging by the differences in velocity that the same ammunition offered, the Barnett-Douglas appeared a smoother finish. The underlying assumption here is that a smoother finish produces higher velocities. The HXP 67 ball ammunition clocked a notable 98 FPS faster in the Barnett-Douglas barrel compared to the Criterion. For whatever reason, the barrel did not like this round. This was also the only flat-base bullet tested. Of the five groups fired, all were strung

vertically and only two of them offered any sort of normal grouping pattern. The Spartan Match groups were much more in line with what I would have expected in terms of accuracy with this rifle, averaging just over an inch and a quarter. It also chronographed faster but the difference was much less and much more in line with what one might expect at 37 FPS. In terms of velocity, this barrel-ammunition combination was the most consistent one tested, showing a mere 37 FPS between the fastest and slowest rounds recorded. The Black Hills A-Max was the star of this show. It shot yet another ragged one-hole group that went just over half an inch and produced a test-best average of .90. Given the results it offered with Black Hills ammunition, I thought the handload would have done better. The barrel clearly liked the 168s and offered another smallish .59 for one group. The largest groups tended to show four shots in about an inch with a flier opening the group. It finished with a most respectable 1.34. The Krieger Barrel Krieger barrels need no introduction from me, they are considered a gold standard. As you might expect, they are the priciest of the lot going for $410 as a replacement part or $525 installed. This price reflects

This close up of the stock better shows the beauty of the wood.

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the fact that they are a cut-rifled barrel, which is more expensive to produce. Aside from being known for accuracy, many also feel they give longer life. Since they do not need to be replaced as often, in theory they save money and down time as they do not need to return to your favorite smith as often. Among the AR-15 shooters I have bandied about with concern to the Douglas vs. Krieger barrel topic at Camp Perry in years past, they seemed of divided counsel. One school feels in terms of wear and accuracy, they are the best. The other school feels they are not worth the extra price and start south at just the wrong time of the season. Worth pointing out, the AR crowd puts a lot more rounds downrange than the Garand gang. With the price of ammunition and components, I suspect few M1 shooters these days will actually wear out a barrel The results from the bench were surprising to say the least. In terms of accuracy from the tests this barrel was the poorest performer. A general comment would be that its performance was very good with everything but great with nothing. The Spartan Match ammunition would have had a much better average had it not been for one outlandishly large group and probably come in under an inch and a half. I might have been tempted to reshoot it but this barrel seemed to produce one of those outsized oddball groups with every load tested. As two of the barrels are Krieger products I called them for an opinion. Mike Hinrichs of Krieger Barrels noted that the Krieger and Criterion barrels are made of exactly the same steel, the difference being one is cut-rifled and the other button-rifled. He added that in general terms the Criterion probably offered as much accuracy as the Krieger, particularly where ball ammo is used. Again note that we are talking about chrome-moly GI con-

toured barrels mounted on John C. Garand Match style guns. As for longevity, he estimated the barrel life of the Krieger at about 10-15% more than the Criterion. The reason for that was that since the Criterion is button-rifled, it tends to prestress the steel and causes it to develop heat cracks faster. He also opined that the only place the Krieger barrel would show substantially more accuracy was in a heavy contoured barrel mounted on an epoxy bedded, fully match conditioned Garand with high end match ammunition or handloads carefully tailored to the rifle. Mike added that he thought the ceiling of the Garands accuracy capability was about three-quarters of an inch. Some General Observations It is hard to say if the trends and idiosyncrasies that the test data produced for each barrel will hold generally true for all of them. If all of the Criterion barrels shoot like this one does, Id probably say save your silver and purchase this one. Again, please pay attention that this is the only one I have ever closely tested. It was an outstanding per-

former with the 168s and excellent with the 155s and shot Greek ball quite well (under 2") too. The Barnett-Douglas is a bit more problematic. Ive seen two of them and they both shot quite well. The test barrel shot the 155s predictably well and the 168s even better. It put just about any load with a match grade bullet under and inch and a half. Just for curiosity I looked over the old test data from my first DGR rifle, also wearing a Barnet-Douglas barrel. The Spartan Match with the 155 Sierras shot well in both whereas this barrel shot the 168s in both variations decidedly better. The other striking difference between the two Barnett-Douglas barrels was how much better the first barrel handled Greek ball. Dean offered that the Barnett-Douglas were very good for achieving that most critical fit between the gas cylinder and the barrel. Krieger barrel was a bit of a disappointment. Given the reputation, high quality, and price, I expected better. Ive had the chance to test one previously on another Garand

Test Results With Criterion Barrel

Ammunition Greek HXP 67 Ball Greek HXP 70 Sierra 155 bullet Black Hills 168 gr. A-Max Handload 168 Sierra 46 gr. H4895 Avg. Velocity 2685 smallest 1.13 Largest 2.44 group Ave. 1.85

2695

.65

1.57

1.14

2660

.39

1.34

.98

2562

.70

1.41

.93

*Ammunition was tested between 65F and 75F at approx. 638 feet above sea level. Group averages are measured in inches taken from five, five shot groups, fired at 100 yards single loaded. Velocity was measured in feet per second with a Chrony Model 1 Chronograph placed 12 ft. from the muzzle. Averages were taken from 10 round samples. The scope used was a Leupold IER Scout Scope 2.5 power in Warne Q-D rings.

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Match rifle built by another high end Garand smith, and the results were surprisingly similar (Precision Shooting, Dec. 2006). As long as we are slaying myths, this barrel was not supposed to be particularly good with ball ammunition. Actual bench testing proved it to be the best with it. Go figure! The Krieger barrel was the speed king. All ammunition tested produced the highest velocity readings from this barrel, with the Barnett-Douglas a close second, and the Criterion a distant third. In terms of accuracy the order is reversed. The Criterion was a clear winner, the Barnett-Douglas a solid second, and the Krieger last. As might be expected, the Black Hill Ammunition was the favorite of two of the barrels tested and a very close second on the third. From my observations, I have come to these conclusions: The Criterion offers a lot of barrel for the money. I readily concede that idea is based on only one observation but I came away quite impressed. I suspect that because there are a lot of them out there they dont get the respect they deserve, a case of familiarity breeding contempt. The Barnett-Douglas was a solid performer, outstanding with Black Hills 168 A-Max and close to it with the 155s. Both samples I have observed shot well with

the Palma bullet. I think Krieger an outstanding barrel maker but their high-end tube would not be my choice for the M1. Ive worn out one Krieger on my Compass-Lake AR-15 upper and it presently wears a second. However, for an M1, set up within John C. Garand Match rules, on balance I do not believe the higher price is justified by the performance it offers. That stated, Im taking the Fox News approach, We report, you decide. Final Thoughts Dean Dillabaugh should be thanked by Garand Shooters everywhere for hosting this experiment. To his credit, even though he makes his living working on Garands, he has never lost his enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity about his subject. The big fellow dipped into his own pocket to provide the test barrels, not to mention lots of $50 an hour shop time. I also note that Garands are pretty much his sole occupation. There are no M1As or AR-15s in his shop. Dean dabbles a bit with M1 carbines and 1903s but Garands are the meat-and-potatoes of his daily diet. His love of his subject and constant working with them makes him one of the premier M1 builders in the country. The excellent shooting data these barrels generated speaks volumes to support that thesis. Adding more weight to that con-

Test Results With Barnett-Douglas Barrel

Ammunition Greek HXP 67 Ball Greek HXP 70 Sierra 155 bullet Black Hills 168 gr. A-Max Handload 168 Sierra 46 gr. H4895 Avg. Velocity 2783 smallest 2.00 Largest 3.30 group Ave. 2.66

2732

1.14

1.49

1.26

2722

.51

1.19

.90

2623

.59

1.85

1.34

clusion came to me on a more personal level. Last winter I sent Dean an heirloom M1. It is a correct, down to the cuff links, post-Korean War Springfield that came to me from a now-deceased, close friend. Ive killed a pile of whitetails with that piece and my son David (who also proofreads my work) killed his first deer with it. For one reason or another it began to string vertically to the point where it would scarcely hold the black on an SR-1 target. When George and I could not cure the problem, I gave Dean a call during what I hoped was his slow season in early January. Shortly after sending it down he called me back saying that since it was my rifle he could not walk by the bench without giving it a quick look. He pointed to problems in the gas system and with the op-rod and I suspect that he diagnosed in two minutes what we might not have caught in a month. Along with his tuning, Dean suggested a new stock. The old properly cartouched one is now safe from any further nicks and dings in the field. While the fix was not cheap, preliminary tests indicate that I have gotten back a shooter with the same GI barrel and correct parts that will probably break the coveted two-inch mark. Had George and I continued to tinker with it at home I could have easily shot up over a hundred bucks in ammo and components and lots of hours testing it with the possibility of no resolution to the problem. Having been through this before, the frustration comes at no extra charge. An idea advocated by everyone from Highpower to Bulls-eye competitors is that if you want high-performance firearms for your particular discipline, get on the list of a top-flight smith and have him come to think of you as one of his customers. The old adage about all cooks starting with the same ingredients and coming up with vastly

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different results applies to the M1 in spades. Good parts do not guarantee good results. To the point, whether getting a tune-up or major rebuild, Dean will tune your Garand to perform to the ceiling of its capability. This test piece with the Criterion and Barnett-Douglas tubes grouped like a bolt-action rifle. They shot so well that I have been forced to eat my own words about Hoop snakes, whores, and one-inch M1s. I suppose the next time at the Lewis Wetzel Range, most probably at the bench shooting a Garand; a Hoop snake will sneak up and bite me on my crusty old behind for my disbelief. I suppose the moral of that story is your own words always get you in the end, and sometimes it does not matter in which one! Deans Gun Restorations (423) 562-2010 www.dgrguns.com

Note the barrel markings on the Krieger barrel. Theres a lot of information going on here, military part number, manufacturing date, rate of twist, and one unknown to the author. The second line of markings are 30 06 and DGR.

Test Results With Krieger Barrel

Ammunition Greek HXP 67 Ball Greek HXP 70 Sierra 155 bullet Black Hills 168 gr. A-Max Handload 168 Sierra 46 gr. H4895 Avg. Velocity 2818 smallest 1.16 Largest 2.51 group Ave. 1.70

2765

.87

2.86

1.71

2743

.74

2.17

1.38

2621

.87

2.22

1.57

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A collage of loaded ammunition, bullets, primers and powder used in the testing.

Authors longtime friend and excellent photographer, Greg Herndon, poses with his subject. A man given to dangerous pursuits, he favors overpowered muscle cars and red-headed women. Gregs inspiration for his photos was supplied by much libation along with Jimi Hendrix belting out strains of All Along the Watchtower.