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Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 5:54 am
by mitchellchandler_au
Hi all,
If I was reading the rules correctly. If I burn out my factory barrel on my production rifle and replace it with an after market barrel but the exact same ie. Same profile, length , chambering it will now be only legal in open hunter class?
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 8:33 am
by Benji
My reading of the rules is must be a factory offered chambering but the profile and length can change as long as it’s inside these dimensions and the gun makes the 7.5kg weight limit
IMG_7476.jpeg
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 3:00 pm
by Lithgow
Correct, aftermarket Barrel = PCO
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 3:11 pm
by mitchellchandler_au
Cheers, thanks for the reply's guys
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 4:13 pm
by macguru
The way the rules are written,
PC= factory barrel, aftermarket stock ok, 6.5kg limit all up, 26" barrel length
PCO= any barrel, any stock, 7.5kg limit all up, 27" barrel length
So by the time you wear out the factory barrel you should be ready for PCO

Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 4:56 pm
by Blindbat
Benji wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2024 8:33 am
My reading of the rules is must be a factory offered chambering but the profile and length can change as long as it’s inside these dimensions and the gun makes the 7.5kg weight limitIMG_7476.jpeg
Agreed that PC class needs to be the original barrel with the original unaltered chambering. My reading of the PCO rules is that a re-barrel can be any chambering you want.......taking it to the extreme the chambering is not necessarily required to be SAAMI described.
To my way of thinking a PCO re-barre should ethically be in a SAAMI described chambering and be able to feed from the original factory magazine if one was fitted to the production model. The rules do not stipulate this though for PCO that I can see.
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2024 8:02 pm
by Lithgow
Blindbat wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2024 4:56 pm
To my way of thinking a PCO re-barre should ethically be in a SAAMI described chambering and be able to feed from the original factory magazine if one was fitted to the production model. The rules do not stipulate this though for PCO that I can see.
Open class should be exactly that that OPEN, not Restricted Open Controlled Class.
PC is the foundation, Open is the pinnacle!
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2024 3:38 pm
by free-beer
If one was to send the rifle back to be manufacturer to be re-barrelled with another factory barrel (Lithgow offers this service), wouldn't it still be able to shoot in PC?
That said, given the cost effort and time would probably be similar to getting a custom barrel, you might as well max out the rules and shoot PCO.
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2024 4:07 pm
by Lithgow
Correct, if returned to manufacturer or authorised agent for rebarreling, rifle remains PC.
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2024 5:22 pm
by macguru
If you have a Savage rifle with the locknut system, you can buy another factory barrel and fit it yourself. You can set the headspacing with a go gauge or fired case. I did it to mine a few years ago... I now wish I had kept the factory varmint barrel, but I didn't ....
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2024 7:22 pm
by Agros351
mitchellchandler_au wrote: Thu Nov 21, 2024 5:54 am
Hi all,
If I was reading the rules correctly. If I burn out my factory barrel on my production rifle and replace it with an after market barrel but the exact same ie. Same profile, length , chambering it will now be only legal in open hunter class?
For the cost of a barrelled action, it's not worth rebarelling just buy another barrelled action
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:50 am
by macguru
If your using a howa barrelled varmint action in a chassis (reputedly v good) then thats true ....
Re: Barrel replacement
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2024 9:19 am
by Blindbat
macguru wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2024 2:50 am
If your using a howa barrelled varmint action in a chassis (reputedly v good) then thats true ....
And if you're using anything other than a Howa start looking for that barrel......