Best barrels; Rice or Getz?

[jweston]

I am interested in building a Chambers/Marshall and he has Getz and Rice barrel options. Which are the best in your opinions for a Marshall?

 

[Stumpkiller]

The one that has a profile most closely matching your requirements.

IMHO they are tied for first place. L.C. Rice has a shorter lead time and will do any rifling twist you desire.

I went with a Rice on the Lehigh I'm currently having built. The gunsmith allowed me a little extra "carving credit" as L.C. turns them out ready to be finished.

"The only marks on it will be the ones put there by the gunsmith." -- L.C. Rice

His are also smooth lapped and, supposedly, require no "shooting in" time.

 

[Slowpoke]

Go with a Rice barrel, you will be VERY happy. Their barrels are polished inside and out, terrific in their accuracy, and you don't have to deal with Getz.
I am very happy with every barrel I have gotten from LC and the service is terrific. In the next few years, I believe you will have a very limited amount of places that you'll me able to buy a swamped barrel. I hope that Rice will be one of them.

SP

 

[brushbuster]

Go with a Rice barrel, you will be VERY happy. Their barrels are polished inside and out, terrific in their accuracy, and you don't have to deal with Getz.
I am very happy with every barrel I have gotten from LC and the service is terrific. In the next few years, I believe you will have a very limited amount of places that you'll me able to buy a swamped barrel. I hope that Rice will be one of them.

SP

ditto :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[GobblerKnob]

Slowpoke~ Am I reading something into your post that isn't there, or did you have a problem with Getz? Just curious. Rick

 

[Slowpoke]

Hmm..... how to say this.... There was a time that I would only buy Getz barrel but this has changed. Their customer service is gone and that a lot of times means more than the product, which in turn made me look bad in the eyes of the clients. It hard to get them on the phone and when ever I ordered a barrel from them I alway got the run around on the delivery time. Their quality is still there but IMO it's not worth the hassle. Rice barrel are better quality and you get honest answers.
As far as my thought on the availibility of swamped barrels. When Green Mountain get their 42 and 44' swamped barrels in full operation they will more than likely put a lot of barrel markers out of business. They will flood the market with barrels that are $70 cheaper and their accuracy is just as good. The other companies won't be able to compete and still turn a profit for them to stay in business. Getz will do better than Rice though, they have the backing of the major gunbuilders that have years of lead time on their orders and can wait. For the average builder, I'm afraid we're in for long waits or ordering from Green Mountian. Doing this will put barrel makers out of business. Just my thoughts, I'm probably wrong, but I've seen what the Wal-marts of the world have done to Mom-Pop type business, and I don't see how anything would be different in the barrel making business. Also, things go in cycles. The interest in blackpowder shooting/building that there is today, might not be there 5 years from now, who know. I have nothing personally against Getz. John and Don are fine men, they just got a little over their heads with the muzzleloading "boom" that is today and they are paying for it in the minds of a lot of gunguilders. Just my opinion, nothing personal against them.

SP

 

[GobblerKnob]

Thanks, Slowpoke. I've always thought well of the Getz barrel but your post subtly indicated a problem. Thanks for clearing it up. Rick

 

[Birddog6]

The are both good barrels & both top notch performers.......

Rice has a better finish, smoother inside & outside & the lead time is about 4-6 weeks.

Getz barrel are well known to be good barrels, OK finish & inside is usually very good. Problem is you will wait 6 mo to a year for one... (if you get it at all) I like Don & John Getz, but I & many others are just tired of being put off over & over. Waited 5 mo. on a barrel, by the time I got the barrel, I had used another one, built the rifle & sold it 3 mo before Getz barrel arrived. To me that is more trouble than it is worth.

Too many good barrel makers out ther to fool with that manure.

:results:

 

[Darkhorse]

Another good reason to go with the Rice is they have roundbottomed rifling AND!!! They fit their barrels with a breechplug only .550 long. This makes it much easier to properly install a vent liner without cutting a big notch in your plug.

 

[Birddog6]

Getz & Colerain both have round bottom rifling avail. also. Don't know about the breechplug lengths on the Getz but I have have Colerains with 1/2" breechplugs & also 9/16" breechplugs, as I have 2 .32 cal. "A" Colerain barrels here & they have different depth breechplugs, but look the same on the outside.. :results:
I have a Orion barrel here with a 3/4" x 3/4" breechplug ! Man, it is a whopper of a breechplug ! (.72 cal barrel)