SGW 7791362 7-82 Barrel info

9942 Views 20 Replies 6 Participants Last post by 2336USMC, May 31, 2015

SniperBait

Discussion Starter · Oct 12, 2004

Someone bought this barrel on E-bay. It is my understanding that the barrel is USGI reject / recalled due to massive failures. Does anyone have an info they can share?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2264980584&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

Bill Ricca

· #2 · Oct 12, 2004

Yes, there were reports years ago that the barrels were rejected. When I was at the OGCA gunshow in the mid 1980's the barrels were very cheap and available in large quantities. The word was going around the show about a government lawsuit of the barrel.

Reasons for rejection were non compliance with many of drawings' requirements, but I do not know about any failures. I have no first hand knowledge of the contract, but that was the word within the industry.

A few years ago former USMC gunsmith Gus Fisher mentioned on the Culver board about the problems he had when he encountered the SGW barrel.

SniperBait

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 13, 2004

Thanks Bill:
It comes down to an "OLY" proof mark. If its got it. It has been tested and is supposed to be safe.
It just aggravates me, these greedy people on E-bay. They would sell a hand grenade with out the pin :evil:

SniperBait

Discussion Starter · #4 · Oct 14, 2004

Hi Bill
The owner can not find the OLY proof mark.

Different

· #5 · Oct 14, 2004 (Edited)

I've been given the straight scoop on this subject but I've agreed to not discuss some of the details. Bottom line, SGW was the good guy in all of this. They were required by the government contract to use the steel bar stock supplied to them. Some of the vendor supplied bars were too soft. Walt Kuleck across the street at Brian's place posted some hardness test results from a SGW barrel. IIRC, the result was around 12 HRC. Commercial rifle barrels are typically 25 to 32 HRC. Again, SGW was not to blame. A SGW barrel marked OLY was tested by SGW and found to be of the proper hardness.

SniperBait

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 14, 2004

I assume the proof mark OLY would be easy to see, in an obvious location?

SniperBait

Discussion Starter · #7 · Nov 5, 2004

Just so that you guys know. The Barrel was not proof marked. The owner contacted Olympic Arms. For $35 Olympic Rockwell tested the barrel. It was just within spec.
If nothing else. We now know that these barrels are out there. Be careful.

2336USMC

· #8 · Apr 14, 2007

OLY proof mark

Digging deep into the old posts, trying to learn more than I know, which isn't hard...MCORPS1
Just to clarify, what exactly is the OLY proof mark? I have a USGI Harris Graphics NM barrel with this mark. Does this indicate that Olympic Arms bought these barrels, did their own proof testing and then distributed them?
Thanks!

garandguy10

· #9 · Apr 14, 2007

I have a SGW M14 "NM"marked standard weight barrel,it appears to never have been installed.it must be a reject as the chamber has a very bad off center reaming finish and the bore looks very pitted and ruff.I do not recall any "OLY" marks on the barrel but it does a have a DAS stamp and I believe that it has a proof"P" mark. a junk barrel for sure.....

Different

· #10 · Apr 15, 2007

The USGI M14 barrel (part number 7791362) is supposed to be hardened to 30 to 35 HRC. Reference: SA-SIP-7790476 Rifle, U.S. 7.62-MM, M14 National Match.

From the 04/14/07 draft of the Third Edition of M14 Rifle History and Development:

"Dates of production observed for SGW lightweight match barrels extend from July 1982 through January 1983. More than 1,200 of these barrels were produced. Its government contract required SGW to use steel from a particular vendor. SGW manufactured the barrels and delivered them to Rock Island Arsenal for assembly on M14 NM and M21 rifles. At that point, Rock Island Arsenal found the properties of this lot of steel to be inconsistent. This was the fault of the steel supplier and not SGW. The U. S. government canceled the contract and returned the barrels to SGW around 1984. SGW then tested all the barrels for proper hardness. Those that passed testing were remarked OLY and sold. These OLY marked broach cut match grade barrels give excellent accuracy and service. WARNING: At least one of the SGW barrels that did not pass testing was tested for hardness at three positions on the exterior. The result varied from 10 to 14 HRC. This is too soft for a rifle barrel and unsafe to use. If a SGW M14 barrel is encountered it should be tested for hardness and evaluated by a reputable M14 gunsmith. The author observed an SGW M14 barrel for sale at a gun show in Phoenix, AZ in December 2003. Beware!"

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Different

· #11 · Apr 15, 2007 (Edited)

The proof mark is denoted by either a letter "P" except I have observed Winchester M41 barrels with P and W inside an oval for the proof marking. The proof marking is usually found on the barrel right hand side towards the rear end.

2336USMC

· #12 · Apr 15, 2007

2

Thanks Different

This one still doesn't seem to fit that situation:

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Different

· #13 · Apr 15, 2007

SGW M14 barrels were marked SGW. The markings on your barrel is new information to me. The manufacture date, June 1983, is also very late in the timeline of this situation.

Perhaps SGW did purchase some Harris Graphics M14 NM barrels. I'm not able to explain the OLY marking on a Harris Graphics barrel. The date of manufacture, June 1983, is consistent with other Harris Graphics barrels observed without an OLY marking.

Different

· #14 · Apr 15, 2007

2236USMC, thank you for the photographs. Your photo got me to thinking and checking. I dug into the records on government contracts. Between 1975 and 2003, Harris Graphics did not have any M14 parts contracts with a value of more than $10,000.00, if for any award amount at all. I did find that the U. S. government cancelled the M14 part (barrel) contract with SGW, Inc. in September 1983.

This leads me to believe to the opinion that Harris Graphics never did make M14 barrels. Your barrel above is likely a SGW barrel IMO.

2336USMC

· #15 · Apr 16, 2007 (Edited)

Hmmm, can o' worms...
Thanks for the reply.
FWIW, I got this barrel from Fulton in 1989. I was thinking about replacing it because of tooling marks in the chamber, and tooling marks visible on the surface of the lands, but it looks good otherwise, and headspace is tight, so I decided to shoot it for a while more to see what it can really do. If it's safe and groups well, why replace it?

Edit- I was wondering about the arrangement of the stamping. The 20084 at the end led me to assume harris graphics, but what's interesting is that at the start of the stamped marking where the maunufacturer would normally be indicated, there is a blank, followed by a dash, then the part number. Why follow a blank with a dash?

Maybe Harris Graphics got a small GI contract, then just kept the machinery running and wholesaled the extra barrels out (ie to Fulton), the blank space followed by the dash could have been for their wholesale buyers to fill in with their own stamped marking.

Just guessing, but I've never seen another case of a government contract part of anything with a blank space followed by a dash.

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2336USMC

· #16 · Apr 22, 2007

Markings removed

Upon closer examination, the original stamping at the start of the string was ground off this barrel. If you look closely at the photo in my post above, you can actually see it. I highlighted the markings with a wipe of talcum powder, and if you look in the area where the "OLY" is stamped, you can see that the original tooling marks from the lathe are gone- the talcum powder didn't stick in the machining marks there. The slight deperession in that area can be felt with a fingertip, and a straightedge also shows it.
So what did they grind off before the "OLY" stamping was added?
Is that where it would originally have been stamped "SGW", or something else?

Different

· #17 · Apr 22, 2007

Yes, that is where I have seen SGW stamped. The barrel drawing calls for a specific ordering of the data on the barrel, left to right: manufacturer's identification mark, part number, month and year of manufacture and the material lot number. IMO, you have a SGW barrel that was tested satisfactory and remarked OLY.

2336USMC

· #18 · Apr 22, 2007

Got it!

Thanks!

garandguy10

· #19 · Apr 22, 2007

I just went and dug out my SGW NM barrel it is marked:
P SGW-7791362-11-82-45346 with a "M" mark near the chamber. I was mistaken about the DAS stamp however the proof "P" is there. no "OLY" markings anywhere.
"NM" stamped top of barrel between gas cly. and flash hider mounts.

CactusCapt

· #20 · May 8, 2007

2336USMC said:
This one still doesn't seem to fit that situation:

I have a twin to this barrel with the exception of a 4-83 production date and more visible scrub of the original manufacturer. I have found this thread extremely interesting as I have been unable to find any info about these barrels. I bought mine some years ago from a reputable purveyor of parts who had acquired it in a batch of goods he purchased at auction. I was going to use it on an LRB receiver that's on the way but elected to go with one of their 18.5" barrels for a Bush configuration instead.

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