Green Mountain barrel WARNING / RECALL!!!!!!

[44magfan]

Green Mountain has issued a recall on some of there drop-in replacement barrels. Don't know if this has been posted already, but it is worth posting again.

From there website:

Notice to owners of our Black Powder "Drop-In" barrels: There is a possibility that the nipple on your rifle is defective. Metric threaded nipples were inadvertently installed in some barrels instead of the proper 1/4-28 threaded nipples. The serial number range in question if for percussion barrels # 030672 - 031352. Do not fire this rifle. Please contact us at 603-447-1095 x18 or [email protected] to arrange return shipping. The barrels will be inspected and if found compliant returned. If they are discrepant the breach plugs will need to be replaced so bear with us as this may take a while to complete. We apologize for the inconvenience.

 

[Mad Professor]

I'm glad they decided to do the right thing. :thumbsup:

I hope it was not forced on them by their lawyers fearing lawsuits for potential injuries. :shake:

 

[ryoung14]

The .54 Slow-Twist drop-in barrel for my Renegade that just arrived from TOTW falls in that range.

Unscrewed the nipple and looked at the threads. No sign of any distortion or interference; heck, the barrel threads were still nicely blued. Held the nipple alongside a 1/4-28 nipple from TC and the threads dovetailed perfectly. I don't think it's worth shipping this thing back. What y'all think?
Bob

 

[roundball]

I don't think it's worth shipping this thing back. What y'all think?

Are you really being serious?

 

[ryoung14]

Yes, I'm serious. If the barrel threads look fine and the nipple threads are the right size, what's the point of returning it? Wasn't the problem a nipple mixup at GM where some barrels got 6x.75mm nipples?

I'll check 'em again; will even compare the nipple to Lyman nipple. But if it's clearly got a 1/4-28 nipple, why ship?

My calculations show that 1/4-28 has a thread pitch of .03571" while 6x.75 has a .02953" pitch. Comparing over 4 threads, there should be a .025" difference. Should be easy to see.
Bob

 

[Musketeer]

If you're absolutely sure the correct nipple was installed and there's no damage to the threads, I don't see a need to send it back. If you wanted to be extra safe, you could always pick up a 1/4-28 nut and bolt at the hardware store and thread the nipple into the nut to make sure it threads in nice and smooth. Do the same with the nipple hole in the breechplug by threading the bolt into it. If everything goes together without any hangups, you're fine. :thumbsup:

P.S. On the other hand, if these barrels come with a warranty, they might not honor it if you don't send the barrel back. I really don't know. :hmm:

 

[roundball]

Well, FWIW, IMO if a company issues a an official safety recall on a product that fits a S/N range I happen to own, and they do so based upon using their manufacturing measuring equipment, it's a no brainer to me...if for no other reasons that there might be other related quality issues that they haven't even discovered yet, and/or are not being very forthcoming about. I'd simply call Kerri, ask for the pre-paid shipping label, and have THEM give it a clean bill of health.

They had a similar problem on the threads of some barrels when I bought a .58cal Flint barrel 4 years ago...they announced a recall just like this, sent me a shipping label, installed a new breechplug and reblued the whole thing, sent it back to me at no cost.

IMO, life has enough difficulties and risk in it without trying to second guess a company's official safety recall notice...but maybe that's just me.

 

[ryoung14]

:v

 

[Musketeer]

IMO, life has enough difficulties and risk in it without trying to second guess a company's official safety recall notice...but maybe that's just me.

No. It's not just you. I hadn't considered the possibility of some other as yet undiscovered or unmentioned problem arising. :thumbsup:

Short Start, please disregard my previous response. It wasn't as well thought out as it could have been. Roundball offers sound advice. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

short_start
When a factory finds an error in production, they never can be exactly sure when it started or when it ended.
For this reason, they usually recall numbers outside the suspected problem range to make sure they have covered all possibilities.

If the threads on the nipple that was supplied are indeed 1/4-28 pitch and there is no appearent damage to the breech plugs or the nipples threads your barrel very likely fell outside the actual range of the problem parts.
Sending your barrel back would only make the delivery service richer.

 

[Kelhammer]

As I recall, 3 to 4 threads is about the min amount of thread needed to see any difference in the threads, of the nipples mentioned. They are so close I am not sure I would trust just mateing them up with each other. Your nipple should be checked with the correct size thread gauge. If you do not have access to said thread gauge, stop by a local tool and die shop, they could prolly help you out for free with the check. If you put the nipple in the barrel with about 3 turns (not bottomed out) it should not wiggle side to side or pump up and down at all. If it does, I would error on the side of caution, and send it back.

 

[ryoung14]

That's about what I figured, Zonie. Thanks. My S/N is toward the low end of the range and they're probably being extra conservative with the recall.

Kelhammer, I dug out a new-in-the-package Lyman 6x.75mm nipple last night. Held next to the TC 1/4x28, the difference isn't hard to see. The Lyman thread is both finer and shallower. Won't say you could tell the difference from across the room; but side by side at arm's length, it's obvious.

It's good that GM's doing this. If the nipple in the barrel had looked like the Lyman nipple, it would be on its way back. But, after finding nothing wrong on inspection, shipping it to GM, and having it handled, inspected, nipple re-installed, repacked and shipped back would only increase the probability of creating a problem. Remember, GM's the entity that's been screwing up lately. My record (as far as you guys know ) is clean.
Bob

 

[Rat Trapper]

I have to agree with roundball and Zonie on this one. Plus when I sent the barrel back I would ask them to put the proper amount of screws in the rear sight. We had a thread here a while ago where it was said Green MT was only using one screw on the rear sight as the 2nd hold did not line up with the hole that was drilled?? You might want to check that too and advise us.

 

[D Sanders]

You are correct about the thread pitch between the two threads. If you have access to a 1" outside micrometer you can check the diameters of the two threads. The 1/4-28 is going to be about .250 thousandths in diameter. The 6*.75mm is going to be about .236 thousandths in diameter.(.014 thousandths difference!) You will get the metric nipple to go into the standard American threaded hole, but it will be very sloppy. If the threaded hole is a 6mm diameter, the 1/4-28 thread will not even start. If I understand the recall correctly, the barrels were shipped with the wrong nipple. (metric) This seems to be where the problem lies.

Hawken Hunter (tool and die maker)