What is BlackStar, and what services do you offer the
 shooter?

 BlackStar is a division of Delstar Metal Finishing, Inc.  Delstar is a national
 leader in high-performance metal finishing for semiconductor,
 pharmaceutical, aerospace and nuclear applications.  BlackStar was
 created in 1992 to offer a performance-boosting bore polishing
 technology to shooters.


 I heard BlackStar also offers its own premium rifle barrel.
 What can you tell me about it?

 In addition to providing factory barrel bore polishing, BlackStar proudly offers a
 unique, tapered-bore stainless steel rifle barrel called the AccuMax II.
 There is no other barrel like an AccuMax II.


 What prompted BlackStar to create its own line of rifle
 barrels?

 BlackStar has known for some time that the natural course for our
 company was to produce a state-of-the-art, tapered-bore rifle barrel.
 We wanted more control over the quality of the barrel itself,
 particularly with regard to dimensions.  We have spent years
 learning as much as possible about the rifling process.  The result is our
 AccuMax II premium barrel, featuring the exclusive electropolished and
 tapered bore.


 Can you explain BlackStar's tapered-bore concept?

 The idea of tapering a bore to improve accuracy and velocity is not a
 new concept. The German Army designed its famous 88mm cannon
 with the tapered bores in order to gain the super-high velocities that
 made them such infamous tank killers. In the United States, the old
 Springfield Armory also conducted substantial R&D on taper-bored
 weapons with positive performance results. In fact, the research
 published since the 1940's has consistently identified a tapered bore
 as the ideal bore configuration for both accuracy and power.

 BlackStar's tapered bore improves accuracy primarily by
 transforming the bullet into a self-sealing projectile, ensuring a
 positive gas seal with minimum distortion. This is because the
 BlackStar taper is linear, beginning at the throat and progressing
 towards the muzzle.


 Can BlackStar Barrels compete with the other barrels?

 The majority of BlackStar competition barrels agg
 in the  .100's and low .200's. Our high power barrels typically
 shoot between .250" and .400". A number of well-known
 benchrest, high power and Palma shooters have done very well
 with our barrels, including several new world records in various
 types of rimfire and centerfire benchrest competition.


 I'd like to send you my own barrel to be processed. Can I do
 this?

 Absolutely. We offer bore polishing on all barrels.


 Can you explain BlackStar's bore polishing process?

 BlackStar's process is a patented, electrochemical bore
 polishing procedure that improves a barrel's inherent accuracy,
 anti-fouling potential, and cleanability. The process simultaneously
 micro-polishes and deburrs the surface while electrochemically
 micro-machining the bore dimensions. It is completely non-abrasive.


 Do you remove steel from the bore diameter?

 Normally, a maximum of .0005" is removed from the land and
 groove diameters.


 Let's talk about BlackStar's accuracy improvements.

 There are two major reasons why BlackStar improves a barrel's
 accuracy: (1) our ultra-smooth electropolished bore surface and
 (2) our revolutionary tapered bore. Typically, BlackStar will improve
 accuracy from 25-50 percent--sometimes more. For example, IR 50-50
 champion Steve Arnold sent BlackStar a custom rimfire barrel in late
 1995 that was not shooting as competitively as he desired. After the barrel
 was BlackStar Accurized, it shot so accurately that Steve dominated IR 50-50 in
 1996, setting several new world records with the barrel and finishing
 the season as 1996 IR 50/50 Shooter of the Year.
 

What other testing has been done to prove Blackstar's
accuracy improvements?

 After ten years of serving our customers, BlackStar's bore
 polishing treatment has been thoroughly evaluated and endorsed
 by many shooters, including benchrest and high-power
 competitors, varmint and big game hunters, gun writers and
 various military and OEM clients. Obviously, each of the types of
 customer has a different level of testing and a different definition of
 accuracy. But if you're not satisfied with "other people's tests," we
 invite you to send us your barrel, or try one of our AccuMax II barrels.
 

How does BlackStar's bore polishing reduce fouling?

 Micro-burrs and other mechanically produced surface problems
 --common to all other barrels-- are the major cause of fouling problems.
 BlackStar virtually eliminates the bore surface characteristics that attract
 metallic and powder fouling, thus dramatically reducing the rate and
 degree of fouling accumulation.
 

Why is your polishing process more effective than lapping?
 
Most custom barrel makers hand-lap their barrels to improve them.
 This has worked well, but it has not solved the problem fully.
 Fundamentally, lapping tears the microscopic metal surface and
 fails to remove all but the largest burrs on the bore surface. These
 burrs are the reason why shooters feel they must "break in" even
 a new custom barrel. In contrast, BlackStar's non-abrasive
 polishing produces a microscopically ultra-slick surface with dramatically
 less fouling potential. The bore surface is deburred and
 the grain boundaries are sealed.


 Do you inspect the bore before processing it?

 Absolutely. In addition to inspecting the throat and bore visually
 with a video borescope, the bore is gaged to .0001 inch and
 recorded. BlackStar will decline a barrel as a result of an eroded
 throat, significantly over-sized bore dimensions, a very pitted bore
 surface, or if the bore is chrome-plated. We will not accept your
 money unless we are reasonably sure we can improve your
 barrel's performance.


 Can I send a barrel to BlackStar that has been fired?

 Yes, to a point. We will not process it if we have any reason to
 believe that its performance will not be improved. During the
 inspection of your barrel, our technicians pay close attention to
 the throat area. If we believe that the throat is too far gone, we will
 decline the barrel and return it to you. BlackStar cannot
 "resurrect" a barrel that's lost its accuracy due to heavy erosion.


 Will a tapered bore change my loads?

 With a tapered bore, it is often possible to tailor the powder charge
 incrementally in order to achieve higher velocities without
 increasing pressures. You may want to experiment with seating
 your bullet out a little farther. Remember, a firearm and its
 ammunition are lethal products, and BlackStar encourages you to
 exercise great care in their use. Do not rely solely on traditional
 pressure indicators such as case head expansion, primer condition
 and ease of extraction to identify a safe load. BlackStar cannot
 recommend specific load adjustments for any firearm.
 

What do you think about using moly-coated bullets with
 BlackStar products?

 Moly-coated bullets produce excellent results, particularly when used
 with BlackStar bore polishing. However, excellent results have been
 seen with or without moly-coated bullets.