Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Barrel finish--What are the options?

I just got my Schneider #3 SS .257 barrel. The exterior finish is pretty rough, probably the norm. What are the options for finish that most custom gunsmiths offer?

This swirly is a trademark finish of my smith Dan Dowling. No charge and covers all scratches. Some like it, some don't, but it works for us. Plus those of us who know Dan recognize it and smile.

I prefer a satin smooth finish, but a matte roughish bead blast is what a good many Smiths do. I have it on a couple and it seems fine.

Dowling is a respected 'smith. I bet his swirl treatment would look really cool after SBN/Melonite. I would love to see that.

Bead blast- smooth even satin finish
Oxide blast- rough even flat finish
brushed finish
high polish

I'd like to see photos of bead blast versus brushed. I have never heard of oxide blast. I was planning on having a black action and black bolt contrast my SS barrel. Any opinions on what would look the sharpest?

From top to bottom
bead blast blued
polished blued
bead blast stainless
brushed stainless
Still looking for a picture of an aluminum oxide blasted barrel but it looks like a gun metal grey color and no sheen. Polished stainless looks like a mirror. My vote with a black action would be either polished if you want a big contrast, 120 grit Oxide blasted, or black. I don't care for the brushed, looks like my stainless garbage can.

The swizzle dick! That is the coolest.

I avoid oxide blast. Too rough, shows scratches easily, and collects oil and hand prints. It's best use is before paint or coatings.

Satin bead blast is my favorite.

Dark black parker is nice on Moly barrels.
And Cerakote is awesome too...

IFC,

I have a couple SS tubes with the BB that appear just as your pic shows. Smooth, but still a bit roughish and collects trash when rubbed. I also have a couple that are smoother, sort of a slick satin that doesn't shine. Any idea what that would be called?

Only had a few with the brushed and it was nice, but a bit brighter than the Satin or BB.

Wanting the slick satin on an upcoming build.

Thanks,

Loder

Different blast pressures will give a different finish as well as different size beads. I don't have enough experience with bead blasting to know the method but I would imagine it is from a course, fresh bead at high pressure. I would suggest calling Karl Feldkamp at kampfeldcustom.com. He is the wizard of barrel fluting and finishes and has decades more work under his belt than me.