Is anyone familiar with the company Match Grade Machine Inc.? They make custom barrels for T/C Contenders and Encores. When money frees up a little I might need an Encore pistol...

Very familiar. Kerry Stratton is a stand up guy. I have four of their barrels and they are all you would expect. They are not cheap but you get a Shilen blank barrel with a chamber cut anyway you'd like. My .204 Ruger barrel is amazingly accurate to well past 400 yds. and knocks out pds quite nicely.

Mike, Ever since I saw a friends Virgin Valley Gun Works TC I’ve wanted one !!! (they’re no longer in business)
Between him and his brother they had 5 rifles built.
If this company is anything like VVGW you won’t be disappointed.
I wish I could offer you more on the company, sorry !!!

Mike,
I would go to a tried and true bunch for a barrel, were it me. You have a lot of good folks to choose from with great reputations, like Virgin, Bullbury, SSK, Brown, etc. So, no harm intended to Machine, but why would you want to go with a new bunch?

Besides and also, resale is going to be x times the new guy for a old name barrel with a good reputation.
Best,
Ed

This is what I recall of it. At one time there was Virgin Valley Custom Guns made up of Steve, Kerry and Jeff Stratton. They did excellent work on TCs stuff/barrels and I have had a few of theirs as well. Place went of out biz for whatever reason.
Steve Stratton started Stratton Custom which makes some small TC parts. Jeff and Kerry started MGM and are doing well with that. Mostly TC barrels I believe.
One other side note, at one time they all worked for Fred Smith of Bullberry Barrel words. This makes them not a "new bunch" at all. Most definitely tried and true. My last Bullberry barrel took over nine months to have made. My last MGM was 4 weeks out. Tried true.

I have MGM barrels in .204 Ruger, 6mm 30-30 AI, .221 and .357 max and everyone of them is very accurate.

SKB,
It is odd that neither their site, nor their company profile contain the information you relate. The on site company profile states that their machinists worked for Virgin and that they have a combined experience of 30 years. Now if one guy that is good, but if 6 guys, not so good. :-)

Frankly, I have more experience with TC than they have combined, so I am not impressed. I started buying, shooting and working on TCs in 1971. I have also had extensive dealings with TC's head shed over the years for various reasons.

If Machine has no name recognition at this time, the same applies as noted before; the resale value is just not the same as say even Virgin who is out of business. Were it me I would still look at another maker, before I bought a Machine barrel. But, that is just an opinion; your opinion might be quite different and every bit as valid.
Best,
Ed

I thought I heard those names before!!!

Mike, I did know that someone from VV went on to open shop, I guess this is it !!!

I am impressed with the product. Even if these guys started yesterday, which they did not I still like what they do. I believe they have been in business as MGM for about 5 years.

My MGM .204 Ruger carbine barrel makes a legitimate 400 yd. prairie dog rifle out of a Contender.
I can assure you that MGM has quite a following on sites like Specialty Pistols and Graybeards.

Thanks all for the info and opinions! I've got plenty of time to research this because I won't be buying anything any time soon. I've picked up a .22 Hornet pistol barrel for my Encore and haven't had time to play with it yet. Next I'd like something suitable for deer. I was thinking something along the lines of a .357/.358, like a .357 Maximum or .35 Rem. Odds are that I'll pick up another receiver first and keep it a handgun, rather than swapping stocks/grips all the time. Of course this is all in the "I wish..." catagory at the moment.