Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Any history / feedback on Apex barrels..??

I have a friend who wants me to build a stock for a very nice 1960s vintage FN Mauser m98 Sporter action with an Apex Imperial barrel installed on it.

It was bought from gunsmith's estate and is still in the white metal work is beautiful and the barrel contour is crisply done.

Anyway, I remember up until about 25 years ago(mid 1980s) Apex barrels were used on quite a few higher end custom bolt guns .

Anyone have any history on them and/ feedback on how they shoot?

Are they Douglas quality or better?

I used one about 20 years ago and it was outstanding. At one time they were widely used in benchrest. They made progressive twists also which is what I bought from them. I heard they quit making them to concentrate on barrels for the Gatling guns on helicopter gunships. I'd not hesitate to have one again.

This one is marked "Apex Imperial" and judging by the position of the markings looks like it may have been installed by them.

Had one back in the late 60's on a mauser action, 25/06 Imp, it was nasty on rock chucks. It shot very well & a friend of mine still has it. I believe it was a 26" tube.

Dick

Sam May was the barrel maker....good stuff from what I understand.

Monte Kennedy made the stocks.

I had a nice rifle built in the late '70s with an Apex cut rifle barrel, a new one, that was a phenomenal shooter (it was on a light .270 on an '09 M98 Argentine action). The barrel was superb.

Sam May owned Apex and built great barrels. he moved from California to Flagstaff, AZ around the mid-70's and was pretty much a one man show. When I knew him there and did a lot of unusual stuff like tapered bores and gain twist barrels for the gov't. All the barrels he made for me shot great.
After Sam died in the early 80's I understand that Randy Brooks and Lex Webernix bought the company and equipment. After they parted company I have no idea of what happened to the name.

This is all very encouraging, fellows, thanks for the feedback and history on the barrels.

I have never owned one nor shot a rifle with one on it, but do remember seeing Apex barrels used on custom builds as late as the mid 1980s. I recall seeing Goens, Al Lind, Pete Grisel and Maurice Ottmar stocked guns with those barrels on them. I figured they must be pretty good.

Also, the barrel in question was installed to show the "Apex Imperial" marking on the right side of the barrel above the stock line. The barrel had to be indexed that way or stamped after the install to do that. Somebody sure wanted to make sure the World knew that an "Apex Imperial" tube was on that rifle.

What does the trade term "Imperial" mean? Is it like Douglas "Premium" or Shilen "Match"?

Also was the "Imperial" labels used on the early barrels?

I heard that Apex was parted out and is in the wind forever. Can't confirm this though.

Phil is correct on the history of early Apex barrels and Sam May. I am revising an earlier thread- for research purposes.

I have a small ring 98 Mauser custom rifle with more questions. It is marked "A x 70" on the left side of the barrel-5 inches ahead of the 30-06" stamped on the left side in the usual place for caliber, BUT
the chambering is 30-06 Ackley Improved. No other markings. Marked "Mod 98" mid left side of receiver. No other markings .

It came from Colorado with an unusual brass Teutonic or German stag deep relief hunting scene-butt plate.
Rifle also has a B&Lomb -early BALVAR- mt adjusting scope with excellent optics. With the lack of markings on this custom Mauser
from CO, I am thinking Apex or possibly PO Ackley as the builder, or possibly a local CO custom rifle builder. Iron ramp sight. The stock resembles a
Winchester Super Grade with ebony FE tip and PG. The rifle shoots quite accurately. I think it is earlier-possibly 1960s, unless the 70 marking on the barrel reflects
the approximate build date. Any ideas?

According to a biography of Frank Pachmayr, he used Apex barrels on his custom rifles.

I had a pre-WWII Pachmayr for a number of years, a 1903 Springfield built along the lines of the famous Griffin & Howe 1903 sporters--including a Lyman Alaskan in a G&H side mount--but with a spectacular piece of Claro walnut, no doubt because Pachmayr was in California, which is probably a part of the reason he used Apex barrels. The rifle was originally a .35 Whelen but had been rechambered and converted to .358 Norma Magnum--probably in the 1950s when the .35 Whelen was still a wildcat and the .358 was a hot new factory round. The bore was very fine, and the rifle shot well, especially with 250-grain bullets and Ramshot Big Game.

Bill Davis, when he was still on the CHP, built for me a 6” heavy barrel PPC gun on a S&W 15 using an Apex multi-groove barrel. Its performance was first rate.

It got me this constipated policeman to hang on the wall:


It also threw five Winchester 148 gr. Wadcutters into this group at 25 yards from a Ransom Rest:

1954 FN action,300 Apex,stocked by Monty Kennedy

Jerry Fisher's first job as a stockmaker was with Monty Kennedy making stocks for Apex. Jerry told me this. Somewhere I have a B& W photo of a Kennedy stocked Apex rifle that Jerry sent me. I don't know if Jerry signed any of those stocks?

You are correct about Jerry’s first job being with Sam and Monty. They were in Sun Valley CA and had an arrangement with Apex. Thereafter Jerry relocated to Portland.

Interested thing about Apex barrels, they were cut rifled but not by the single cutting method commonly used today. Instead they were broached in a single pass.

I too had a Bill Davis Apex barrelled revolver and it was certainly fantastic
I won quite a few service pistol matches with that gun
Funny thing about your name, always thought you must have been a retired Carpenter, as I soon will be

Sam did top quality work and I was fortunate to enjoy some interesting time with him at his place up in Flag. Every Apex barrel I have used as been excellent. The eventual developments in his business were not nice for him at all, and his final life years over in SC were somewhat saddening.

I think it ended up down in Hereford AZ

I had Lex Webernick install an Apex gain twist barrel on a custom 300Win mag in 1991. This would’ve been while he owned Apex barrels along with Brooks. He was located in Cedar City Utah at that time.

Really? New info. I thought it was Paul Marquardt's machinery that went down there. Thanks, and oh well - maybe it all went down there.

Now seems like it 'twas a long time ago.