I have a chance to buy a lot deal on Green Mountain barrels, 37 barrels in all, are they any good? Better than factory, ER Shaw, who they on par with. Never used them and just wondered how they are. It's a good deal but don't want to buy junk.

The one I had in .224" was a hammer. It was a match barrel on an AR.

I think they are on par with Douglas or Wilson.

Tag - I've always wondered.

I think their origins were in Black Powder barrels. In the early 1990's, they were the barrel makers tapped by Ruger for the 1992 US Palma Rifles. Those rifles shot terrible and the barrels are the most often cited culprit.

I know of an AR smith that uses them as his budget match barrels along the lines of a Wilson. But he gets to spec the quality.

I find myself asking if they are like outsourcing manufacturing to China where you can get quality only if you spec it, or have they really come a long way since the Ruger fiasco?

Here's Bart Bobbit's account of the Ruger/Green Mountain/Palma episode;
http://www.reloadersnest.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2917

For under $70/bbl I think you'll be happy for what you paid for them.

The question is would you rather buy 37 serviceable barrels or 6-8 top notch barrels?

That's why I asked, never used them, but the price right but I wouldn't be using them by me.

I've only heard good things about them. Mostly .223 used in ARs and their .22LR barrels. Their BP barrels are supposed to be pretty good to. I've got a couple projects lined up and will use a GM barrel if I can get the diameter and twist I need. They don't have a large range of diameter/twist options like some of the other makers, but it seems what they do, they do pretty well.
I don't know the history of those Palma barrels but judging current quality by a single project 25 years ago isn't likely to give a valid result.

There's a lot of difference between 1/4 MOA and 1/2 MOA barrels when you are target shooting, but there is no difference between them when they are on hunting rifles.

Won't be used for match shooting, groundhogs and deer that's what the use will be for. Picked them up today they look good, checked them out with a bore scope and they look alot better than ER Shaw barrels.

UPDATE

Took a 22cal 1-8 twist varmint taper barrel and chambered it for a Savage action that I had laying around. Chambered it to 223 Rem, nothing done to the action, factory recoil lug, bolted it in a B&C M40 stock, Leupould 6-18 with Burris Zee Rings and Weaver mounts. Loaded up 10 rounds of ammo, load consist of lake city brass, federal 205M primer, 26.5gr of benchmark and a Hornady 50gr v-max. And out the door I went. After using three rounds to zero @ 100 and getting it close to the bull, the next 7 rounds when into a 5/8" cluster. Im sure it would better with working up a load but wanted to see just how good Green Mountain barrels were. If I was offered another 37 for the price I paid for these I would grab them in a heart beat, not bench rest accuracy but good enough for match shooting and varmint hunting.