Post by GLSHOOTER on Jul 15, 2014 13:33:39 GMT -8
Black Hole barrels are produced in an effort to bring the highest quality barrels to the shooting public at a reasonable price. With the use of their polygonal rifling lending performance of unquestionable levels and the ability to offer a myriad of profiling and finishing combinations the purchaser can have a truly custom barrel. Match grade accuracy is the goal of every barrel produced by their efforts.
Black Hole produces barrels for both the AR10, AR15 and various bolt action platforms. Commonly sought chamberings are offered along with other less popular but sought after niche cartridges. Their ability to add chamberings quickly in concert with the ability to produce those in a quality controlled environment defines Black Hole as one of the most customer responsive companies in the field.
Black Hole is a complete barrel manufacturer going from the raw steel blank through the process of rifling, contouring and finishing. Everything is done in-house with barrels being produced on an as ordered basis as opposed to many companies that run XXX chambering and profile at one time. Should a customer order from those companies wanting a non-stocked profile/chambering that is not on the shelf the customer may wait as much as a year or more to obtain that one item that truly is the heart and soul of every quality firearm. Wait times are reasonable level for a customer specified barrel and with that happening many more shooters are enjoying their choices in a much shortened time frame.
Black Hole has taken a unique approach to their product and development. They have chosen to be non-proprietary in their cartridge designs and have chosen to make their chamberings open source so that a builder desiring to try the chamber out in a non-BHW barrel can obtain a reamer easily and without difficulty form the BHW supplier. All BHW designed chamberings undergo exhaustive testing prior to marketing. Support for those new offerings is available through the efforts of the Black Hole Staff.
Black Hole has teamed with Tactical Ammunition to produce factory ammunition of match grade quality at a reasonable price. Their relationship has allowed for the marketing of one of the BHW wildcat designs and more will be offered in the near future. Their ammunition has been developed through range testing by selected individuals and is backed by pressure testing assuring both a well functioning and safe offering for the consumer. Components used are readily available to the shooting public and no special blends of powder or limited run bullets are used.
Black Hole has lead the industry in the production of new wildcat chamberings and support from the first non-standard chamberings they have offered. The process is arduous as it involves much more effort and thought than merely thinking, "This ought 'a work" or "It will hold more powder so let's just pour it in" .
Cartridge development usually starts with a perceived goal of providing a platform to accomplish XXX task. Realistically the cartridge should be one that is made up of readily available components and with a minimal amount of custom tooling i.e. dies. It should perform better than current offerings or provide an alternative method for reaching currently available performance levels. This could be driven by a large supply of casings, bullets, barrels or, at times, a combination of all three.
Wildcatting at this level is unique in that the goal is never a one off but is approached with a potential for large adaptation by the shooting public. As mentioned earlier niche chamberings are designed and while the number sold may not be large nationally the impact and innovations brought forth can be far reaching. Nothing breeds innovation like a fresh concept or approach to solve a problem or fill a want or need. The Black Hole concept of development is an attempt to fulfil these goals.
Once a need or want is identified by the Black Hole staff a parent cartridge is selected. It will be one that is being used across the country in one form or another but will allow quantities to be obtained as a base. The cartridge must be usable in a format that is popular and will present few challenges to the end user in adaptation.
Caliber choice will be one that can be produced with available tooling so that costs will not be prohibitive for production. The ability to ream new chamber designs and make up pressure testing barrels is one of the benefits of having a true total barrel manufacturing facility. Boring sizes are of the most common type and generally accepted twists applicable to them.
Once a review of current offerings on the market, or loadings being produced historically, has been done the case is selected and the first case forming takes place. Dies are selected that are readily available to the public and in combination with previously acquired experience the process is at the first step. The goal may be to have a non-fire formed case that maintains most of the parents measurements or it may well be one that is designed with the knowledge that advanced loading techniques may well be needed by the end user including fire forming, neck turning or reaming.
Historically BHW has sought to design cartridges that are no-turn and non-fire forming. They have offered some that are bit more esoteric in production but these are clearly noted for anyone interested in using them. Simple performance with a minimal effort is the goal in most cases.
Once the case forming operations are identified and streamlined for a case close to the desired end specifications reamer designs are discussed. Limitation to overall cartridge length, case head diameters and bullet weights have all been considered as the process has occurred. Discussions with the reamer manufacturer have been ongoing and reamer design prints have gone back and forth. Often a new approach is attempted or adaptation of an old approach from a different shooting discipline is incorporated into the design of the final chambering reamers.
Reamers are ordered and shipped to BHW for an initial chambering of several barrels. The pressure testing barrels are produced and, if it is to be used on an AR platform, several AR barrels are made up for parallel testing. All told a minimum of three barrels are produced. These are shot for pressure and accuracy. Bullets chosen and powders used are selected for environmental and field application allowing for the end user to have workable combinations available to him.
If the pressures are reasonable with selected components and the accuracy has been demonstrated a testing period of several months is usually instituted. This is to establish that the performance is consistent and that reliability is present in feeding etc. Case life, barrel fouling and loading quirks are evaluated. Case forming is always studied closely for streamlining and assessment of how the use of different components enter into the final performance equation.
As data is developed and the loading process is defined the cartridge is evaluated for weakness and strength. A weakness might be the inability to use some bullets of accuracy may be less than acceptable. At this point alternate reamers may be designed and tested or, when practical, even a change in twist rate. The selection of powders may also enter in but this is not really a major stumbling block thanks to all the products on the market. The evaluation process slows delivery of the final design to some degree. One particular wildcat required four different reamers before finalization.
Once everything is finalized and the BHW staff and testers have used it for a period of time in application on the target range, field usage or the competition arena a decision to release the chambering is made and announced. At this point announcements are made on various forums and websites are, hopefully, updated.
Customer feedback, either positive or negative, is solicited and concerns or accolades are addressed. Not everything is sweetness and light and some thorns are found as in any new product brought to market. Minor production changes and choices of options have been made and if the public requests a certain profile or possible twist availability if they are doable than those are addressed.
The process is not easy and the amount of dollars spent on development along with the hours of thought and hands on testing are large in number. Testing by four or five shooters independently gives a spectrum of experience and opinion. The sum total of these are what you see offered. Support in any of the chamberings is always available from the testing sources and every effort is made to make the shooters.
Black Hole is innovative, responsive and supportive of the shooting public. Quality is never fast and performance is always the goal.
Black Hole produces barrels for both the AR10, AR15 and various bolt action platforms. Commonly sought chamberings are offered along with other less popular but sought after niche cartridges. Their ability to add chamberings quickly in concert with the ability to produce those in a quality controlled environment defines Black Hole as one of the most customer responsive companies in the field.
Black Hole is a complete barrel manufacturer going from the raw steel blank through the process of rifling, contouring and finishing. Everything is done in-house with barrels being produced on an as ordered basis as opposed to many companies that run XXX chambering and profile at one time. Should a customer order from those companies wanting a non-stocked profile/chambering that is not on the shelf the customer may wait as much as a year or more to obtain that one item that truly is the heart and soul of every quality firearm. Wait times are reasonable level for a customer specified barrel and with that happening many more shooters are enjoying their choices in a much shortened time frame.
Black Hole has taken a unique approach to their product and development. They have chosen to be non-proprietary in their cartridge designs and have chosen to make their chamberings open source so that a builder desiring to try the chamber out in a non-BHW barrel can obtain a reamer easily and without difficulty form the BHW supplier. All BHW designed chamberings undergo exhaustive testing prior to marketing. Support for those new offerings is available through the efforts of the Black Hole Staff.
Black Hole has teamed with Tactical Ammunition to produce factory ammunition of match grade quality at a reasonable price. Their relationship has allowed for the marketing of one of the BHW wildcat designs and more will be offered in the near future. Their ammunition has been developed through range testing by selected individuals and is backed by pressure testing assuring both a well functioning and safe offering for the consumer. Components used are readily available to the shooting public and no special blends of powder or limited run bullets are used.
Black Hole has lead the industry in the production of new wildcat chamberings and support from the first non-standard chamberings they have offered. The process is arduous as it involves much more effort and thought than merely thinking, "This ought 'a work" or "It will hold more powder so let's just pour it in" .
Cartridge development usually starts with a perceived goal of providing a platform to accomplish XXX task. Realistically the cartridge should be one that is made up of readily available components and with a minimal amount of custom tooling i.e. dies. It should perform better than current offerings or provide an alternative method for reaching currently available performance levels. This could be driven by a large supply of casings, bullets, barrels or, at times, a combination of all three.
Wildcatting at this level is unique in that the goal is never a one off but is approached with a potential for large adaptation by the shooting public. As mentioned earlier niche chamberings are designed and while the number sold may not be large nationally the impact and innovations brought forth can be far reaching. Nothing breeds innovation like a fresh concept or approach to solve a problem or fill a want or need. The Black Hole concept of development is an attempt to fulfil these goals.
Once a need or want is identified by the Black Hole staff a parent cartridge is selected. It will be one that is being used across the country in one form or another but will allow quantities to be obtained as a base. The cartridge must be usable in a format that is popular and will present few challenges to the end user in adaptation.
Caliber choice will be one that can be produced with available tooling so that costs will not be prohibitive for production. The ability to ream new chamber designs and make up pressure testing barrels is one of the benefits of having a true total barrel manufacturing facility. Boring sizes are of the most common type and generally accepted twists applicable to them.
Once a review of current offerings on the market, or loadings being produced historically, has been done the case is selected and the first case forming takes place. Dies are selected that are readily available to the public and in combination with previously acquired experience the process is at the first step. The goal may be to have a non-fire formed case that maintains most of the parents measurements or it may well be one that is designed with the knowledge that advanced loading techniques may well be needed by the end user including fire forming, neck turning or reaming.
Historically BHW has sought to design cartridges that are no-turn and non-fire forming. They have offered some that are bit more esoteric in production but these are clearly noted for anyone interested in using them. Simple performance with a minimal effort is the goal in most cases.
Once the case forming operations are identified and streamlined for a case close to the desired end specifications reamer designs are discussed. Limitation to overall cartridge length, case head diameters and bullet weights have all been considered as the process has occurred. Discussions with the reamer manufacturer have been ongoing and reamer design prints have gone back and forth. Often a new approach is attempted or adaptation of an old approach from a different shooting discipline is incorporated into the design of the final chambering reamers.
Reamers are ordered and shipped to BHW for an initial chambering of several barrels. The pressure testing barrels are produced and, if it is to be used on an AR platform, several AR barrels are made up for parallel testing. All told a minimum of three barrels are produced. These are shot for pressure and accuracy. Bullets chosen and powders used are selected for environmental and field application allowing for the end user to have workable combinations available to him.
If the pressures are reasonable with selected components and the accuracy has been demonstrated a testing period of several months is usually instituted. This is to establish that the performance is consistent and that reliability is present in feeding etc. Case life, barrel fouling and loading quirks are evaluated. Case forming is always studied closely for streamlining and assessment of how the use of different components enter into the final performance equation.
As data is developed and the loading process is defined the cartridge is evaluated for weakness and strength. A weakness might be the inability to use some bullets of accuracy may be less than acceptable. At this point alternate reamers may be designed and tested or, when practical, even a change in twist rate. The selection of powders may also enter in but this is not really a major stumbling block thanks to all the products on the market. The evaluation process slows delivery of the final design to some degree. One particular wildcat required four different reamers before finalization.
Once everything is finalized and the BHW staff and testers have used it for a period of time in application on the target range, field usage or the competition arena a decision to release the chambering is made and announced. At this point announcements are made on various forums and websites are, hopefully, updated.
Customer feedback, either positive or negative, is solicited and concerns or accolades are addressed. Not everything is sweetness and light and some thorns are found as in any new product brought to market. Minor production changes and choices of options have been made and if the public requests a certain profile or possible twist availability if they are doable than those are addressed.
The process is not easy and the amount of dollars spent on development along with the hours of thought and hands on testing are large in number. Testing by four or five shooters independently gives a spectrum of experience and opinion. The sum total of these are what you see offered. Support in any of the chamberings is always available from the testing sources and every effort is made to make the shooters.
Black Hole is innovative, responsive and supportive of the shooting public. Quality is never fast and performance is always the goal.