Brux Barrels, based in Lodi, Wisconsin, has earned a reputation for producing great-shooting tubes. Brux-made barrels have won their fair share of matches, and set some notable records in the process. A few years back, Rodney Wagner shot the smallest five-shot, 600-yard group (0.336″) in the history of rifle competition, using a Brux barrel chambered for the 6mm Dasher. Brux barrels are used by top shooters nationwide, and finish at the top consistently.

Owner Norman Brux has been in the world of machines since he built his first rifle at 14. He was trade-school trained as a tool, die and mold maker,  earning his apprenticeship at E. A. Schmid, and honed his mold-making skills at F. J. Sipos.

Norm move to Wisconsin and started KNB Tool Company in 1986, and founded Brux Barrels in 2006. His parents were German immigrants and his father Klaus purchased rifle-making machinery, aware that vintage equipment was the key to quality machining. Norm rebuilt and re-engineered these machines to provide the tolerances necessary for efficient, flexible barrel fabrication.

His love for the work and the sport make Brux the barrel of choice for many of the world's finest competition shooters.

Owner Ken Clemens is a native of Wisconsin, working on the family farm before beginning a career with Marshall Erdman's Techline company that spanned 30 years. Ken worked at Techline for many  years with Ken Liebetrau, who left to begin making barrels at Brux. Ken followed him to Brux, and after Liebetrau's retirement recently, partnered with Norm as co-owner of Brux Barrels LLC.

Ken's manufacturing experience, dedication to quality craftmanship and customer service guarantee that the name Brux represents the very best custom rifle barrels available.

What's the Secret?

Folks often ask why Brux barrels shoot so well. “What’s the secret?”.  To make a cut-rifled barrel you have to start off with the proper ingredients: the best steel available, the best tools in the industry, skill, and experience. Since there are really only two main suppliers of barrel-quality steel, the skill and experience is what really makes a barrel maker stand out. Here is how Norman Brux explains all the procedures involved in making a Brux cut-rifled barrel:

Creating the Masterpiece - Step By Step

Step One
Material Selection

We start out with either 4150 chromemoly or 416R stainless steel double stress-relieved  stock. The  stock starts out at 1-9/32″ in diameter and 20-24 feet long   We cut  to custom lengths per customer specifications.

Step Two
Barrel Contouring

The outside of the barrel is turned on a lathe and prepared for drilling. As in each of the following steps, the barrel is carefully cleaned after the process.

Step Three
Drilling

The cutter bit has holes through which oil or coolant is injected under pressure to allow the evacuation of chips formed during the cutting process. This is called “oil-through” or “coolant-through”. The combination of a 3600 rpm turning speed and good flushing allows us to drill a beautifully straight and centered hole .005” under “land” diameter. Cleaning is done again.

Step Four
Outside Contouring

The barrel is now sent back to the lathe for final contouring of the exterior. Brux offers a variety of configurations and the barrel is turned to exacting specifications and finished to near perfection. A Monarch vintage lathe provides the high quality of exterior turning, and our expert machinists ensure that each customer's specs are met exactly. The barrel is cleaned and prepared for reaming.

Step Five
Reaming

The blank is then sent to the Pratt and Whitney reamer in which an “oil through” reaming tool is used to cut away the extra .005” left in the drilling process. The reamer makes an extremely accurate bore size ensuring a better surface finish and  the proper “land” diameter.

Step Six
Hand Lapping

We hand lap each barrel to remove any slight tool marks that may have been left by the reamer and inspect every barrel with a bore scope. If the barrel doesn’t meet our standards for surface finish and tolerance it is discarded. Lapping is a finishing process for the interior of the barrel. We hand lap, as we believe in taking the time and care to achieve the utmost mirror shine and smoothness of the barrel. The barrel is cleaned again.

Step Seven
Rifling

The rifling machine is responsible for cutting the all so familiar grooves in the bore. A caliber/land configuration-specific rifling head is used to progressively shave away small amounts of steel to form the rifling grooves. This is accomplished by simultaneously pulling the rifling head through the reamed blank as the blank is spun at a controlled rate. This is the heart of the barrel-making process, requiring decades of experience and dedication to the craft.

Step Eight
Final Hand Lapping

Lastly, the barrel is hand-lapped again (to ensure a smooth bore) as the final interior finishing process. This time-consuming and precision procedure ensures the ultimately smooth inner surfaces. A final inspection is performed with the bore scope, then your custom BRUX Barrel is carefully packed and prepared for shipping. Brux never takes shortcuts. Every barrel is fabricated in this proven method, and many critical elements are closely guarded trade secrets, unique to BRUX.