Skout Why I Changed my Epoch Barrel.

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Tricky-Dicky

Tricky-Dicky

Member
Nov 5, 2023
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UK
If you were wondering why I went to the trouble of fitting a new LW barrel to my Epoch here is why, I thought I would take some close up pics, there is practically no definition of any rifling and what is visible is uneven in both width and depth there is also a pic I found of a borescope that someone put down a barrel, and you can see the moon crater finish, but it looks better than the ones I have even so, there is also one pic of a LW barrel guess which one!


HBVWgu4.jpg



XJnmR1D.jpg



hrDUS3l.jpg



ErXWaSf.jpg



VDCd93D.jpg




d1UGUn6.jpg
 
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Tricky-Dicky said:
If you were wondering why I went to the trouble of fitting a new LW barrel to my Epoch here is why, I thought I would take some close up pics, there is practically no definition of any rifling and what is visible is uneven in both width and depth there is also a pic I found of a borescope that someone put down a barrel, and you can see the moon crater finish, but it looks better than the ones I have even so, there is also one pic of a LW barrel guess which one!


HBVWgu4.jpg



XJnmR1D.jpg



hrDUS3l.jpg



ErXWaSf.jpg



VDCd93D.jpg




d1UGUn6.jpg
Click to expand...
Perhaps the next time you have a barrel machined for a gun, it would be a good idea not to have the work done by a Stone Mason! 😂
 
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JoeWillie said:
Perhaps the next time you have a barrel machined for a gun, it would be a good idea not to have the work done by a Stone Mason! 😂
Click to expand...

The photo presented shows crisp definition at the ends of the rifling, which is the part that matters.

The facing cut isn’t pretty but it contributes nothing to, and detracts nothing from the barrel’s capacity to be accurate. Granted, it may call into question the quality of the other machining operations but we would be speculating.
 
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nervoustrig said:
The photo presented shows crisp definition at the ends of the rifling, which is the part that matters.

The facing cut isn’t pretty but it contributes nothing to, and detracts nothing from the barrel’s capacity to be accurate. Granted, it may call into question the quality of the other machining operations but we would be speculating.
Click to expand...
You may very well be speculating, I however understand EXACTLY what I.’m seeing. Good luck to the user is all I can say at this point.
 
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When I got my gold Skout Epoch in October 2023, it had the factory .25 cal 25 inch barrel, and it was the aluminum liner coated with the hard inner coating.

I think the Aluminum is fine. It’s Nickel Teflon coated. About twice as thick as an FX barrel liner, plus it has a 2mm thick CF tube bonded to the aluminum. The assembly is very stiff and fits in another CF tube about 1 inch diameter. I get NO flex on mine when installed in the gun.
The inner coating is well bonded, I brass brushed mine (you’re not supposed to do that), and nothing came off and it put no additional scratches in the coating.

Accuracy was very good, comparable to the FX Superior 1:24 pellet liner that I had for it and compared to it. Yes, the inside looks “lumpy” and a bit uneven, but it didn’t affect accuracy. At 100Y it was a “mid 220s” barrel at an EBR target at 100Y.
I shifted to .30 caliber because of the BC of the new AEA 50.5 pellets and also because 225 doesn’t cut it anymore at RMAC/PAC/EBR.
 
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JoeWillie said:
Perhaps the next time you have a barrel machined for a gun, it would be a good idea not to have the work done by a Stone Mason! 😂
Click to expand...
nervoustrig said:
The photo presented shows crisp definition at the ends of the rifling, which is the part that matters.

The facing cut isn’t pretty but it contributes nothing to, and detracts nothing from the barrel’s capacity to be accurate. Granted, it may call into question the quality of the other machining operations but we would be speculating.
Click to expand...

First off I am the stonemason, second high resolution close-ups show a lot of detail, try it sometime on one of your barrels that you think is perfect.;)

@nervoustrig you seem to be a man who knows what he is talking about, as for how it's done in the UK you cannot get barrel blanks for air rifle of more than 615mm and the Skout liners are 630mm, so I had to make up a spacer.

That is actually a second barrel I was sent, the first was worse!


8dXmZC2.jpg


vLbrp8k.jpg
 
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I have yet to come across an unbiased review of their new Hybrid and Traditional "Bull" barrels, borescope video and other techniques to determine consistency of manufacture. The Hybrid says it is made of "Alloy" which is actually not saying anything, it no longer says they are coated with some coatings as they described at the beginning of their production. It would be good if the Skout company was a little more precise in this information.
 
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Tricky-Dicky said:
Having talked to Skout about the barrels I was told that they are an alloy (not aluminium) but not given the makeup and that they are impregnated with Teflon and have a coating but nothing more given, and I suspect not even known, I strongly suspect third party made.
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"Alloy" is a broad term, I would like it to be stainless steel but I doubt it. I think it's an aluminum alloy and that can be seen in some photos and videos, and if they don't want to say what metal it's made of, then you can find out what it's made of by weighing and calculating the volume of the barrel.
 
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I too have gone round and round with Skout over the barrels, if you push test any one of the three most pellets will just fall right through, and yes the inside does look like the surface of the moon. Been looking to machine a barrel to fit as I think the rest of the gun has tremendous promise, however the ECR or MOA barrels appear to be unavailable to us previous (and should say original gamblers) on the Skout experience. I took bore scope pics and sent to them, and while accomodating they never admit the problem is the barrels and even their factory shooters are using outsourced barrels, from what I UNDERSTAND even fitted with FX barrels. Having shot it at Pyramid and other events I have come to the conclusion that I cannot waste anymore time one the gun as most I know are EBR with Red Panda or FX. Any one interested in buying let me know.
 
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Friction said:
I too have gone round and round with Skout over the barrels, if you push test any one of the three most pellets will just fall right through, and yes the inside does look like the surface of the moon. Been looking to machine a barrel to fit as I think the rest of the gun has tremendous promise, however the ECR or MOA barrels appear to be unavailable to us previous (and should say original gamblers) on the Skout experience. I took bore scope pics and sent to them, and while accomodating they never admit the problem is the barrels and even their factory shooters are using outsourced barrels, from what I UNDERSTAND even fitted with FX barrels. Having shot it at Pyramid and other events I have come to the conclusion that I cannot waste anymore time one the gun as most I know are EBR with Red Panda or FX. Any one interested in buying let me know.
Click to expand...
I had the opposite ALL pellets were very tight, and it was very difficult to rod any pellets through, but the barrels were small caliber.
 
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I believe that was a bore scope of my first gen barrel for my early EPOCH it was a coating applied to there proprietary barrel alloy? It would still collect lead even when they claimed it wouldn’t. It shot decently but would throw flyers like most airgun barrels. “Mind you there’s alot going on with airguns effecting accuracy than just the barrel itself”
As far as the crown it needs to be perfectly square to the bore “land and grooves” and cut so there is no burrs or deformation against the land and grooves. As far as the outer barrel diameter crown It should be cut square as well but not sure about Finnish or style, convex, recessed, square etc. if that matters much?

If you look at RAW or Thomas they use a perfectly square barrel end finish and if there’s anybody that knows barrels it’s them!
 
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Maybe this relates to the old saying “Don’t fix what ain’t broken. “. Had an original epoch with 25 caliber barrel and that thing was money. Didn’t need a thing different then the company went off the barrel deep end testing 5 thousand different ones. Still can’t decide on one as you have multiple choices. Don’t they have a particular one (ecr) for .30 ? Sounds like an utter discombobulated mess. If I got another Skout I’d want the original barrel which is gone so I guess that means…..
 
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The one I have is fairly original ie. being purchased as soon as they were available, ill have to look up the serial number, It came with the + neutral - barrels and all performed the same way. All had the same borescope picture, I have tried about every possible combination and pellets with the same results it will throw flyers, I shoot with red panda and Pantera guys and their guns do not do this. RP having full cut rifling and the FX polygon all shoot better. However the push test on each one the pellets conact the barrel edges completely though and choke on the end. Skout not so much...
 
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