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I quite agree there's nothing wrong with them, in fact, they're extremely good barrels,(I have two), and as an added bonus, they're not made in the US.

Indeed so, ooman. Many stainless barrels are actually made from relatively free cutting austenitic stainless steels, whereas LW use higher quality precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steels. On the plus side, they are strong, tough, erosion and corrosion resistant, but on the downside they need careful attention and process control when being machined. Anyone who just chucks a standard cutter in a lathe or mill and tries to treat them like a lesser steel will have problems, but with the correct choice of cutter and feed rates they machine easily enough.

Try HPS (John Carmichael). HPS know how to chamber Lothar Walther barrels. HPS fitted one for me a few years ago and it was one of the most accurate target rifles I've had.

Mike 01 wrote:Try HPS (John Carmichael). HPS know how to chamber Lothar Walther barrels. HPS fitted one for me a few years ago and it was one of the most accurate target rifles I've had.

At the moment HPS hav'nt got a machinist he now works for RPA. John Carmichael is not a machinist.

meles meles wrote:Indeed so, ooman. Many stainless barrels are actually made from relatively free cutting austenitic stainless steels, whereas LW use higher quality precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steels. On the plus side, they are strong, tough, erosion and corrosion resistant, but on the downside they need careful attention and process control when being machined. Anyone who just chucks a standard cutter in a lathe or mill and tries to treat them like a lesser steel will have problems, but with the correct choice of cutter and feed rates they machine easily enough.

Sorry to contradict you, Sir, but the free machining 416 corrosion-resistant steel is Martensitic, as all the 400 (410-420-430-440) series. 300 series are austenitic (303-304-316).

BTW, I met Ron Hilyard Saturday at IWA. He is moving to Camberley. His phone there is 027666470.

R.G.C