GR Douglas Barrel Question

[jafo20]

Hello,

Are barrels marked GR Douglas Quality barrels? I know Douglas has a good name but I have read some topics about them in the search area and it seems some question there quality(like the guy with no hand) ....but would you build a rifle with one today??

Thanks

[whitebear]

I still own and shoot a 13/16 X .36 cal Douglas that I built into a southern rifle in late 1976.  So yes I would not hesitate to build around another Douglas barrel.

[jafo20]

Thanks for the reply....Kinda a poll question for the everyone. This is probably the best place to ask this question.

[Darrell Maxwell]

i have a rifle built by lee terrell 13/16  45cal douglas xx wish i had anouther barrel like the 45 hope this helps Darrell

[alyce-james]

Hello; I have been shooting a .50 caliber Douglas barrel since 1977. This barrel still is capable of winning a match or two, with old over the hill eyes, with plastic magnifiers. I have an old .40 caliber Sharon that is one h#** of a shooter. AJ.

[Birddog6]

In their day, they were the best of the best, IMHO. That being said, I would not hesitate & do not hesitate to use them. Never had a building or shooting issue from any of them & I have used several of them. I am building a Tenn. with one right now & gonna build another one for me with one.

If I remember correctly..... the issue with Douglas is someone uses Modern Smokless powder in a ML barrel & blew the barrel. The people sued Douglas. The defense attorney costs & etc. involved in defending the claim, (even tho Douglas was found to be NOT at fault), was such that it outweighed the profit margin & liability costs of future ML barrels. So they made no more ML barrels & went on with modern barrels.

Keith Lisle

[eddillon]

The Douglas XX barrels were the best back in the 70s.  I built several Hawkens on them.  All .54s and 1" to 1 1/8" across.  Never a problem with some pretty heavy FFg charges.  I don't like to admit but I got away with firing a ball seated flush with the muzzle on a 1 1/8 XX barrel!!  Pay attention to what you are doing.  God was looking after this Irishman.

[JCKelly]

I was one of two metallurgists that helped the guy with 2/5 of a right hand get a decent settlement from Douglas in 1985. He was using black, no one claimed otherwise. The barrel had pre-existing cracks. The riflemaker had proofed it, for what that's worth.

Lots of people do use smokeless & sue T/C or Douglas for loss of hands & eyes. In this 1985 situation, that was not the case. 

[Curt J]

I have three rifles with Douglas barrels. Two are .45 cal., one is a .54 cal.  All three shoot very well, the accuracy being limited only by the capability of the guy looking through the sights.