I have both. The Kidd, which is the super light, hands down outshoots the Volquartsen. If I didn’t have the Kidd, I’d be happy with the Volquartsen.

 

funny..any of my 4 Volquartsen's (carbon THM's) outshoot my KIDD (ULW) handily..just goes to show how each barrel is different

 

Well imho you cant beat a Kidd anything. But they dont make a standard taper barrel. So how are you gonna fit it into a carbine stock with out butchering it, making a return to original impossible. I can’t tell you about VQ barrels as I don’t have one, but they seem a bit pricey to me.
I do have a couple of Green Mountain Standard tapers that I am very happy with. And they dropped into a standard stock just fine.
Heres a source

http://www.rimfiresports.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RSC&Product_Code=901777&Category_Code=R1A

 

keep the '69 as is, and just get the parts you want to build a second rifle...you'll end up infinitely happier this way, believe me

Home - S&P Outfitters, LLC

Family-run Ruger 10/22 & 22 Charger specialists we offer new OEM receivers, parts, magazines, and free shipping on receivers/firearms.

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and don't forget to put RFC, in the discount box at checkout..

 

The Kidd and Volquartsen barrels are so close, it is a comparison of each individual barrel. Order which one you like cosmetically because the more accurate barrel is luck of the draw.

 

yeah 100%, it's like when guys always ask what ammo they should shoot for best results..the answer is always the same..it all depends on what your rifle likes..they're all different

now I'm sure, if I had ordered my recently purchases KIDD barrel, on a different day of the week, there's a good chance that the results would have been different..just luck of the draw, as you say

and like I've been saying for awhile now, given the Volquartsen prices nowadays, if I were building up my rifles these days (instead of 20-30 years ago), I wouldn't have the Volquartsen barrels, I would have saved money by going KIDD..(or Summit, for my carbon wrapped barrel fix)

 

I

The Kidd and Volquartsen barrels are so close, it is a comparison of each individual barrel. Order which one you like cosmetically because the more accurate barrel is luck of the draw.

funny..any of my 4 Volquartsen's (carbon THM's) outshoot my KIDD (ULW) handily..just goes to show how each barrel is different

And none of those barrels will drop into a carbine stock without serious irreversible alterations.
The OP wants to update a Carbine not build an Ultimate. He could buy a Federson Contoured Barrels Archives - F.J. Feddersen or Shaw Shaw Barrels Ruger 10/22 Prefit Barrel 22 Long Rifle 18 Stainless Bull note the link is goofy but it gets him to the std taper page if he didnt want fluting

 

@Toomany22s the OP already has a Kidd bull barrel build. So I assume they know a 0.920 doesn't fit in a 1969 stock and decided their replacement stock was not pertinent information to the "Kidd or VQ" question.

@crackedcornish I prefer the clean VQ barrel over the muzzle ring of Kidd, it's not a marriage proposal. Keeping an eye open for sales and non-fluted VQ barrels can be had for $200 or a little less.

 

@Toomany22s the OP already has a Kidd bull barrel build. So I assume they know a 0.920 doesn't fit in a 1969 stock and decided their replacement stock was not pertinent information to the "Kidd or VQ" question.

@crackedcornish I prefer the clean VQ barrel over the muzzle ring of Kidd, it's not a marriage proposal. Keeping an eye open for sales and non-fluted VQ barrels can be had for $200 or a little less.

on a fixed income now, so I much prefer to do bang for the buck builds,,,so in most, if not all, cases, when looking at comparable barrels, as much as it pains me, Volquartsen usually looses merely based on price alone...my choice is monetary, and has nothing to do with their looks, or their accuracy, which I always have found to be topnotch

I just picked up a new KIDD ULW for $169 a month or so ago, from optics planet

 

@RCGuy50 from Post #1



Seems to be a disconnect between the 2 paragraphs, until you read the last sentence.
VQs are all 920 bulls, and the most Tapered Kidd goes from .920 to . 70 on a 20 inch barrel , which is was to large for that Carbine Channel let alone a barrel band.

 

I have a 1969 10/22 with the metal TG and barrel band I originally wanted to keep stock. I decided to add a new barrel and upgrade the trigger. I will keep the original parts in case I want to put them back on at a later time.

I’ve been looking at both Kidd and Volquartsen barrels. I have a Kidd SS bull barrel on one of my 10/22’s. I’ve been looking at the Kidd SS fluted 18” match barrels. I’m not really familiar with Volquartsen but they are quality barrels. The Kidd fluted is what I’m leaning towards. This will be my last (probably lol) build. I’ve been out of the loop on Kidd barrels for a while.

Ah, I see where we are reading it differently. All of the Kidd "match" barrels are 0.920 straight barrels.

Match Heavy Barrels

 

I’m sorry I forgot to add I have a DSP stock from my Kidd barrel, CPC tune up I have on a Titan stock. I have no problem reaming the DSP stock or purchasing another stock. I want to keep the carbine stock as is also. The trigger isn’t too bad on it now for an OEM trigger but I’ll look into that later.

Thank You all for the information and advice !! I’m really happy with my Kidd barrel but it’s a few years old and it’s pretty heavy. I really like the Kidd stainless fluted. As far as Volquartsen, I’ve read very little negatives about their barrels but they are a little more cost than a Kidd. It’s all luck of the draw on the barrels but the chances are pretty good I would get a good one with either. But everything being equal I’m not sure Volquartsen is $100 better.

 

I once went on a date with a girl , who at the end , on her front porch ,said “ gee I had such a nice time , would you like to come in ……….
and meet my husband and kids?”

This feels a lot worse. 🤢

 

Surprise Surprise lol 😂. I will probably keep the DSP stock and get a replacement stock for it. I did modify a carbine stock to fit the Kidd barrel and cut the barrel band end off, but eventually went with a Titan stock. I haven’t really looked at stocks yet or decided what I’m going to do with the trigger.

I was going to purchase another carbine to build up (they were recently on sale at a LGS for $199) but I’m trying hard to stop accumulating any more firearms. This carbine has no sentimental value to me and I couldn’t pass it up at the time I purchased it. No one in my family would value it anymore than any of my other of my 10/22’s. I already gave my SIL one of my favorite and first 10/22 I sent off to CPC for a full tuneup and modified the carbine stock with.

 

Both companies use barrels from Lothar Walther. The only difference is how they lap the barrels, cut the chambers and cut the extractor slots. It’s 50/50 as to which barrel shoots better. Have had good ones from each company and some I didn’t think were up to the cost.

 

Both manufacturers produce top notch stuff. For helping with budget, I have purchased from Volquartsen's eBay store (VFSTORE), or the clearance section of their normal store site. They have high standards, so if they say there is an imperfection, you may never find it. As for Kidd, products will be equal or better than anything else. In short, there is no wrong answer here.

 

I prefer KIDD for 10/22 stuff and Volquartsen for Mark IV stuff. That seems to be their individual niches IME.

 

Way back in the late 80s, while I was managing a gun store, I went to the SHOT Show in Vegas and saw my first heavy barrel 10-22 conversion rifle---it was a complete Volquartsen kit, stainless barrel with comp, synthetic stock painted like wood, internal action parts... I thought this set-up was really neat and I bought the whole kit, even upgrading the barrel to a fluted barrel. I took the kit back to our store and pulled a brand new stainless 10-22 rifle off the rack and preceded to carefully install the kit. Being a former motor racing mechanic in an earlier life, I've always worked on guns too, so it took me about two hours working slowly as I'd never taken a 10-22 down to pieces before. The new conversion went together nicely and I was amazed how good the trigger became... I had a used Leupold 6.5-20X AO scope I'd bought from a stranger at the local range for a real good price and I mounted it using a set of 1" rings. I gathered up a bunch of different 22 standard velocity and match ammo and went to the range for a test drive. People at the range we're fascinated by the rifle as they had never seen a heavy barrel 10-22 rifle like this before... Well I must say, everything worked PERFECT right from the get-go! I dialed in the scope at 50 yards and the rifle (and my much younger eyes) produced 10 shot groups consistently of one ragged hole! I never had seen such small groups from a 22 rifle, but I'd never had a match rifle before either... I still have this rifle and scope, but rarely shoot it much as it is just so boringly accurate that there is no real challenge to it anymore, and yes, it still shoots tiny groups the same as always... A couple times a year, I'll take it out just to prove to myself that it is REALLY that accurate and has been completely reliable too...

 

Kidd is probably a bit more affordable and aesthetically more appealing, but I doubt there is any difference in precision or quality. having owned many examples of both.

 

I’m a huge fan of the Volquartsen trigger kits for the Ruger pistols, but they do not offer anything the equal of the KIDD 2-stage trigger for the 10/22. Judging from the barrels in my Mamba LLV uppers, I assume their rifle barrels are high quality also, but I do not have any experience with them.

 

Like Toomany22's said; don't overlook Fedderson if you want a stock looking carbine barrel. I had a Fedderson that out shot both my Kidd, and Volquartsen rifles. Wish I still had that one! I've always wanted a Benchmark 22 barrel, but haven't got one (yet).

 

I’m leaning towards Kidd. I like the weight of the lightweight fluted barrels and the tapered barrels. I know that it’s a barrel lottery. I have it down to 2 Kidd barrels.

Of these 2 any information would be helpful. This will be used for mostly bench rest shooting.

1- Lightweight 762 18” fluted aluminum sleeve threaded barrel

2- Tapered bead blasted 20” threaded.

Thank You for any information !!!

 

I THINK, that the aluminum over stainless barrel you mentioned, is what they refer to as the Ultra Light Weight (as opposed to a different solid/fluted barrel they refer to as, Lightweight). I say this not to nitpick, but rather because the Lightweight has the 1/2" guarantee, while the Ultra Light Weight does not. Of course, your milage may vary.

 

Don't limit yourself to two barrel makers. Take a look at Clark. They have been around for a long time.👍🏽

 

This could be a good option. Clark uses Lothor Walther barrels and they do have a light weight version.

 

…The Lightweight has the accuracy guarantee while the ULW doesn't. With that said, there are a lot of anecdotal reports of the ULW being as accurate as the LW. The ULW is a few ounces lighter and is tapered from .920 to .870, while the LW is .920 the length of the barrel. Both are fluted.

I don’t have a Kidd LW barrel to compare it to, but my ULW is very accurate. The last twenty 5-shot groups averaged 0.64 moa at 50 yards, this out of a build weighing just 5.6 pounds. The ULW barrel is ten ounces lighter than the LW, I’d not call that a “few ounces lighter” as it’s over half a pound.

Is the LW more accurate? I’d not build a BR rifle with the ULW, but then neither would I choose the LW. How much accuracy does one need versus a lower weight to carry around? Only the builder can answer that.



.

 

KIDD……accept no substitute……………

 

Shilen makes a sporter barrel

 

Clark makes good stuff. They start with a lothar Walther barrel like kidd and vq. My 21.5" clark bull barrel shoots the same as the 20" kidd ss bull on my wifes rifle

 

I’ve read a few comments about some of the accuracy falling off with the Kidd threaded barrels as opposed to non threaded. I’m rethinking about going with a threaded barrel. I’m not as concerned about having it threaded for a can as opposed to accuracy.

Anyone with experience with a Kidd tapered 20” threaded or non threaded barrel ?

 

I have a 20" tapered non-threaded blued. It's my only Kidd barrel and it shoots pretty good. My only complaint (that probably shouldn't be a complaint) is that the chamber is a lot tighter that what Ruger does. Shooting CCI SV and every so often the round won't fully seat into the chamber. I just got some SK Rifle Match and just manually sliding those into the chamber shows they fit much better, haven't had a chance to shoot any yet.

Here's some groups, pretty much the 1/2" @ 50 they guarantee. This was CCI SV.

 

So I had 2 chromoly threaded 16.5 kidd bull barrels. The first one he replaced under warranty because it wouldn't shoot no matter what I fed it. The second one would only make the 1/2" at 50 guarantee with lapua midas. Ended up selling it to a guy who didn't care about group sizes. Something was wrong with both of those barrels. Because on his threaded barrels the crown is back bored like an anschutz. After a year or 2 I gave him another chance and ordered a 16.5 fluted, threaded stainless bull barrel. It shoots as well as the 20" kidd stainless non fluted, non threaded bull on my wifes rifle, as it should. Threading shouldn't be an excuse for a barrel that doesnt shoot. Especially a barrel that the crown is back bored on. My threaded feddersen is not back bored and shoots great as well though. Fwiw, my best 10/22 barrel (Which is tied for 2nd place for my best 22lr barrel with my cz 452 varmint) is a 16.5 ss kidd bull, no thread, no flutes. I got that barrel used of GB. That kidd barrel is 4th on the RFC ultimate quarter inch 25y challenge, after almost a decade.

 

I typically see the same or maybe a smidgen better groups suppressed with my cans. However, on some you have to have them spaced correctly. The only barrel I have that this is not the case is my t1x with my dead air mask. I can get everything else to shoot the same groups with that can vs w/o, but the t1x shoots a hair wider groups with it compared to unsuppressed. Interestingly, that barrel shoots as well as unsuppressed with both my SiCo sparrow and my optimus micro.