Bar-Sto VS Storm Lake/PG Barrels

[nateroach]

I am considering getting a match grade barrel for my .45 tac and I am looking for some opinions. I know that Bar-Sto has made good barrels for quite a while, while Storm Lake is some what of a new comer to the barrel industry. My question is: Is the Bar-Sto barrel that much better than the Storm Lake/PG barrel to justify the nearly $100 increase and 10-12 week lead time?
I'm sure that some of you guys have one or the other and could give their thoughts. Also if you get a match grade barrel, how much of an accuracy gain are you getting?

Thanks
nateroach

[UnderMyShirt]

I guess I would look at it at this angle. Are you shooting in competition, or just wanting a match grade barrel to say you have a match grade barrel? Practice with any gun,with any barrel makes ALL of the difference. We have a monthly IDPA shoot locally here. I can't hit the broad side of Rosie O's ass.....but I practice every time I get $30 for a box of hund' from WalMart.....(future reloader in the making by the way). Point is, my father, and his father.....etc.....didn't have any of the "nicey" products of today.....but if he and his brother's could see it.....they could damn well hit it.......because they were ALWAYS shooting.....fast forward to present....ammo is expensive.....but.....technology far exceeds our (most of) our skills.......if you have the $$$ to spend on the barrel....why not.....if a budget is in play......practice, as much as the ammo lets you......good luck.

[nateroach]

Originally Posted by UnderMyShirt

I guess I would look at it at this angle. Are you shooting in competition, or just wanting a match grade barrel to say you have a match grade barrel? Practice with any gun,with any barrel makes ALL of the difference. We have a monthly IDPA shoot locally here. I can't hit the broad side of Rosie O's ass.....but I practice every time I get $30 for a box of hund' from WalMart.....(future reloader in the making by the way). Point is, my father, and his father.....etc.....didn't have any of the "nicey" products of today.....but if he and his brother's could see it.....they could damn well hit it.......because they were ALWAYS shooting.....fast forward to present....ammo is expensive.....but.....technology far exceeds our (most of) our skills.......if you have the $$$ to spend on the barrel....why not.....if a budget is in play......practice, as much as the ammo lets you......good luck.

UnderMyShirt,
While I appreciate the suggestion to simply shoot more, I am looking more for reviews on the barrels, not how to practice. I shoot about every 2-3 weekends and go through about 200-300 rounds each time (2-3k rounds per year) . I'm sure that the technology exceeds my skills, but what technology doesn't? computers, cars,guns,TV?


I am just looking for some opinions/reviews/comparisons on these 2 barrels and the accuracy benefits, if any.

thanks
nateroach

[UnderMyShirt]

after asking around at the idpa shoot last satuday.....i asked a bunch of shooters about barrel difs.....a couple had 9mm with barsto....like them a great deal....but seemed to me they liked the bling effect of the upgraded barrel more than perfomance.....no one had an XD45 with upgraded barrel....plenty of 1911's though, but that really don't help your question.....i will def keep an eye out to get more specf for your question.

[nateroach]

Originally Posted by UnderMyShirt

after asking around at the idpa shoot last satuday.....i asked a bunch of shooters about barrel difs.....a couple had 9mm with barsto....like them a great deal....but seemed to me they liked the bling effect of the upgraded barrel more than perfomance.....no one had an XD45 with upgraded barrel....plenty of 1911's though, but that really don't help your question.....i will def keep an eye out to get more specf for your question.

Thanks for the help!!

[Charlesdht]

No, Storm Lake's barrels are just as good if not better. My favorite local custom shop told me so and i believe them. I am ordering a match storm lake off PISTOLGEAR | YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR ALL THINGS PISTOL for my upcoming suppressor adventure.

Originally Posted by nateroach

I am considering getting a match grade barrel for my .45 tac and I am looking for some opinions. I know that Bar-Sto has made good barrels for quite a while, while Storm Lake is some what of a new comer to the barrel industry. My question is: Is the Bar-Sto barrel that much better than the Storm Lake/PG barrel to justify the nearly $100 increase and 10-12 week lead time?
I'm sure that some of you guys have one or the other and could give their thoughts. Also if you get a match grade barrel, how much of an accuracy gain are you getting?

Thanks
nateroach

[TG13]

you might want to get a pistolsmith to hand fit your stock barrel, rather than spend the money for a match barrel.. unless you specifically *need* a match barrel..

[powder river]

Having worked for Bar-Sto, my opinion may be slanted. I think that
Bar-Sto makes the best barrels on the market period. While I worked there I had more than one XD come across my bench with a storm lake or a fire-dragon barrel already in them. The owners were not pleased with the accuracy and were having them replaced with Bar-Sto M/T barrels.

P.S I put a Bar-Sto barrel in every pistol that I own, if they make it for that model.

[Jim B]

So at this point, we know that Barsto's are excellent barrels, and so are Storm Lake's.....furthermore that practice improves performance. But I don't see an answer to the question other than conjecture.

Please forgive my opinion for a moment and indulge me....recently at the range, an old guy walked by picking up brass. He questioned me why I was 'shooting my pistol from so far back at paper plates' (25 yds)....I just continued to shoot....then he said, 'most people can't hit a target like that from this far back...some can tho', I just continued to shoot and then entered into small talk with him....kinda funny, he drifted onto talking about all the .45 brass he'd found when the snow melted....I told him I'd been out at the station he mentioned a couple weeks prior, and I'd reached the point where my fingers were freezing picking them up out of the snow and just abandoned them.

My point is this.....there are some who might be able to do the shooting that others try for.....we use the techniques we've been taught.....acquisition/front sight focus/trigger control/follow through...and practice it often. The old guy, might not......but that doesn't mean that we start telling people that ask a question to go to school to get the answer.

I am curious about fitted match barrels as well. Buy my question is more abstract.

If my 45XD Tactical will shoot a group that measures 4"x4" (ignoring flyers)at 25 yards....what size or percentage reduction should I expect from a fitted match barrel.....whether from Barsto or another manufacturer at that distance.

I've also read that just having a factory barrel fitted by a gunsmith can make improvement, and I wouldn't be surprised.....but how much of an improvement should be typical, that's what I'm curious about before I send mine out.

Thanks for letting me vent a abit......

J

[TG13]

i would think that depending on the type of load you use with a match barrel would determine the actual accuracy from that barrel..

and with that said.. i would love to have a hand-fitted Barsto barrel in my XD45..