Thanks for your response. Will the free floating barrel have a better chance of being accurate? My sense was that the barrel band is just providing an attachment point to ensure that the barrelled action is fixed to the stock at two points. If I leave the band off the barrel, is there no other point that holds the action and barrel into the forestock?
The barrel deterioration has been relatively sudden, with no warning that the barrel was becoming defective in some way. Why can the power plant be eliminated as a possible culprit? Frustration is a very good word and it describes my lack of understanding... perfectly. Thanks for the good luck wishes.