February 21st, 2012, 10:38 AM
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| Lifer
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Jacksonville, OR
Posts: 3,107
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The US GI heavy pattern barrel part number 9349847 was put on paper March 2, 1982. The government contract for these barrels doesn't appear to have been produced until 1993. According to Lee Emerson's M14 HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT, Nomura Machine produced barrels under this contract. A company called New Arc Welding is also thought to have produced heavy pattern barrels. Since the military dropped the M14 as an advanced marksmanship weapon in 1993, very few if any of these barrels may have made it into issue. I have only seen one in the years since. There is no reason to avoid any of these barrels. Criterion Barrels has also made up some heavy GI pattern barrels on special order.
Your concern may be related to the medium weight NM barrels made by Schuetzen Gun Works (SGW), Olympia, WA in 1982-83. some of these barrels were found to have defective steel and the whole batch was recalled by the military. SGW tested them and those found to be within spec were remarked OLY (Olympic Arms) and sold.
Several companies produced the medium pattern barrels and all were quite good. Saco-Lowell barrels are considered to be among the best.
The military also used commercial barrels from, Krieger, Barnett, Douglas, and many others in the advanced marksmanship program.
Last edited by Ted Brown; February 21st, 2012 at 10:55 AM.
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