Rifle Barrel Length?

[Bobson]

Is there a standard point at the rear end of a barrel that manufacturers use to measure the actual length of the barrel? I mean, is it from muzzle all the way to the end of the rear threads?

How long is the barrel on this (pictured) Savage 110? This is the factory barrel, and the end of the tape measure is hooked (flat) onto the muzzle. Looks like 22"? Seemed shorter than what I expected on a factory-barreled 30-06, so I figured I'd make sure.

 

[markallen]

Close the bolt on the EMPTY rifle. Drop a wooden dowel,or cleaning rod down the barrel, from the muzzle till it bottoms on the bolt face.
Make a mark at the muzzle on the dowel, or rod.
Remove said dowel, or rod and measure from the end of the rod to the mark you placed there.

That will be your barrel length.

 

[MrCleanOK]

ATF measures from the breech face. Manufacturers probably measure the same way.

 

[Bobson]

So breech face... Is that the point at which the closed bolt "interacts" with the barrel? Sorta like described by markallen? Or are you saying it's done differently?

Sorry if it's a stupid question.

And thanks, markallen, for your reply. I'll do that tonight.

 

[jmr40]

It SHOULD be done the same on all of them as described above. It isn't really a problem until you start getting close to the legal minimum. There have been people prosecuted for cutting shotgun barrels down below the minimum legal length. In some cases they didn't understand the correct way and thought they were legal. Most manufacturers leave an extra 1/4-1/2" just to prevent problems.

I've seen examples where manufacturers advertised a barrel at a certain length and it in fact was 1/2" or so longer or shorter than advertised. This is very common with Remington shotgun barrels with vent ribs. I'm just guessing, but it appears they manufacture all of their barrels to one long length and cut them shorter at the closest rib post to make shorter barrels. Every barrel that I've actually measured that was advertised as 23",26", or 28" was in fact off by 1/2". Not that that is a problem.

Your barrel is 22", or at least close enough to be advertised as such. For that caliber 22" is the most common length. Some manufacturers offer 24" barrels and there have been some carbines made with 20", or even 18" barrels. Some custom guns built for long range shooting will have barrels as long as 28-30", but 22" or 24" are the most common for 30-06.

Preferred length is determined by looks, how the gun balances and how much speed you want. Longer barrels shoot the same ammo a little faster but you sacrifice portability. A difference of 2" isn't enough to matter as to bullet velocity. 22-24" is a good length for most 30-06 uses.

 

[Corn-Picker]

One consequence of the way that barrels are measured is that shorter actions/cartridges effectively have longer barrels for a given barrel length.

A 22" barreled 300 WSM has a barrel that is effectively 3/4" longer than a 22" barreled 300 H&H magnum. Because the WSM case is 3/4" shorter the bullet gets to travel 3/4" further before exiting the barrel.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Post two is all you need to know...

Here's why:

Barrel "length" includes the chamber - the chamber effectively ends at the bolt face and don't forget any "permanently" attached muzzle devices. Cartridge styles, lengths or calibers do not play into the legal length at all.

From the "horses mouth"; your ATF:

https://www.atf.gov/file/58196/download

Don't worry about the NFA aspect of the PDF, nor muzzle devices if you have none permanently attached, but merely the method of measuring the barrel length. If you measure say, an AR with a threaded on flash suppressor - just spin it off before measuring.

The ATF procedure for measuring barrel length is to measure from the closed bolt (or breech-face) to the furthermost end of the barrel or permanently attached muzzle device. Permanent methods of attachment include full-fusion gas or electric steel-seam welding, high-temperature (1100°F) silver soldering, or blind pinning with the pin head welded over. Barrels are measured by inserting a dowel rod into the barrel until the rod stops against the bolt or breech-face. The rod is then marked at the furthermost end of the barrel or permanently attached muzzle device, withdrawn from the barrel, and measured.

Todd.

 

[Bart B.]

SAAMI specs and the industry standard is barrel length is from the breech/bolt face to the muzzle on all firearms except revolvers. Wheel gun barrel length is the barrel itself not including the cylinder.

"Bore length" was sometimes used to define rifle and shotgun barrel length from chamber mouth to muzzle; the part of the barrel bullets, slugs and pellets go through when fired. I've not seen that used for some time.

 

[Sunray]

It's exactly as described by markallen.

 

[lysanderxiii]

SAAMI specs and the industry standard is barrel length is from the breech/bolt face to the muzzle on all firearms except revolvers. Wheel gun barrel length is the barrel itself not including the cylinder.

"Bore length" was sometimes used to define rifle and shotgun barrel length from chamber mouth to muzzle; the part of the barrel bullets, slugs and pellets go through when fired. I've not seen that used for some time.

Bore length (bullet travel) is usually only used in internal ballistic calculations.

 

[Bobson]

Thanks guys

 

[jmr40]

A 22" barreled 300 WSM has a barrel that is effectively 3/4" longer than a 22" barreled 300 H&H magnum. Because the WSM case is 3/4" shorter the bullet gets to travel 3/4" further before exiting the barrel.

NO!

The overall length of the short action rifles is shorter because of the action length. If the barrels are the same length the they are the same length and the bullet will travel the same distance before exiting the barrel.

It is possible to build a short action with a longer barrel than a long action and have the same overall length. But I don't know of any factory rifles that do this. Wouldn't be hard to do if working on a custom.

 

[Frostbite]

NO!

The overall length of the short action rifles is shorter because of the action length. If the barrels are the same length the they are the same length and the bullet will travel the same distance before exiting the barrel.

It is possible to build a short action with a longer barrel than a long action and have the same overall length. But I don't know of any factory rifles that do this. Wouldn't be hard to do if working on a custom.

The Browning X-Bolt listed barrel length is 22" for a .270 Win., and 23" for a .270 WSM.

 

[cfullgraf]

The overall length of the short action rifles is shorter because of the action length. If the barrels are the same length the they are the same length and the bullet will travel the same distance before exiting the barrel.

If the barrel length is measured from the breech face...

1. It would not matter how long the action is.

2. For the same length barrel as measured from the breech face, a bullet from a longer cartridge would have a shorter travel length to exit the barrel.

Yes/No?

 

[Corn-Picker]

NO!

The overall length of the short action rifles is shorter because of the action length. If the barrels are the same length the they are the same length and the bullet will travel the same distance before exiting the barrel.

It is possible to build a short action with a longer barrel than a long action and have the same overall length. But I don't know of any factory rifles that do this. Wouldn't be hard to do if working on a custom.

Draw it out on a piece of paper, it'll be obvious then. I used the 300 H&H magnum and 300 WSM as examples because they are about the same in terms of energy, but very different in terms of case length.

 

[No4Mk1*]

The short action gets to save space twice, once by adding 1/2 or 3/4 of rifling for the same barrel length, and again by subtracting that distance from the action.

 

[lysanderxiii]

A 22" barreled 300 WSM has a barrel that is effectively 3/4" longer than a 22" barreled 300 H&H magnum. Because the WSM case is 3/4" shorter the bullet gets to travel 3/4" further before exiting the barrel.

NO!

The overall length of the short action rifles is shorter because of the action length. If the barrels are the same length the they are the same length and the bullet will travel the same distance before exiting the barrel.

It is possible to build a short action with a longer barrel than a long action and have the same overall length. But I don't know of any factory rifles that do this. Wouldn't be hard to do if working on a custom.

I am afraid you're wrong.

Barrel length is measured to the breech face, if the chamber is shorter, for the same 'barrel length' the 'bore length' is longer.

 

[MCMXI]

One consequence of the way that barrels are measured is that shorter actions/cartridges effectively have longer barrels for a given barrel length.

A 22" barreled 300 WSM has a barrel that is effectively 3/4" longer than a 22" barreled 300 H&H magnum. Because the WSM case is 3/4" shorter the bullet gets to travel 3/4" further before exiting the barrel.

You're correct, but the standard barrel length for the 300 WSM is 24" compared to 26" for the .300 Win Mag so the Win Mag has 1-1/4" more barrel.... typically.