The things that you must keep in mind is that once the barrel is hardened that's where it will stay. It will not change afterward. So another limiting factor for me was that I would have to get a new barrel, get all the machine work done on it, install it, break it in, remove it, ship it off, wait for it to come back and then re-install it. I guess that's not too much a price to pay for what you get out of it but it's definitely a consideration.

The above statement is not exactly true. As anyone who follows Long Range shooting can say, Joel Kendrick is one of the top shooters in the world. Does anyone know how long he has been working and promoting the Japanese company called MMI in Arkansas?

Many Many years ago family relations split from the original H&M Nitriding business and started up their own business. For whatever reason they sold out to the Japanese.

I have done the nitriding both ways. Shot barrel and never been shot barrel. If you wish to make sure a barrel shoots prior to the hard process then it is a good idea to make sure prior to spending the extra money. If you trust your barrel maker as I do then just have the treatment and enjoy.

I have factory barrels that have been cut and crown Having been shot 1 to several hundred times. As long as the checking and cracking haven't started I think the process is a good investment.

The #1 difference in the Nitriding process that I can see is the finish. One and only one company that I see and have been told hand polishes somewhere during the process. The finish on my barrels reminds me of a 3-$400. blueing job. The other guys do not hand polish.

SInce we a speaking on a Savage website I am going to presume that others on here are like me. Pretty easy to change a barrel regardless. I actually have more than one barrel in the same caliber. SO during that wait of a couple weeks for the hardening process, I am not at a lose for something to shoot.
Phone: 9am - 6pm M-F (EST) 1-740-363-8437 Where I send my barrels!



Neal