Why A heavy Barrel?

[possum]

I have my own theory about what the pluses are about having one but maybe I am not right really i am trying to check my self, and to better my understanding. So if you guys could help me out and give me your opinions and any facts about heavy barrels and why they are better over a standard barrel and the reasons; I would much appreciate it. What real reason would a person need a heavy barreled rifle for. Thanks!

 

[dakotasin]

first, they aren't necessarily better than a 'standard' barrel (aka sporter contours). a sporter can shoot just as well as a heavy barrel... and, depending on the application (hunting, mobility), a heavy barrel may be highly undesireable.

however... i do believe it is easier to get a heavy barrel to shoot well than it is a light one.

heavy barrels:
handle heat dissipation a little better.
are less finicky about floating/bedding.
absorb felt recoil better.
tend to be installed on application specific guns, which tend to be semi-custom or modified receivers.

 

[possum]

handle heat dissipation a little better.
are less finicky about floating/bedding.
absorb felt recoil better

Well thanks that answers my question i was right in my original thinking, about the disapation of heat, and absorbing the recoil better I was making sure i wasn't way out in left field and there was a play happening at home plate. Thank you very much and I guess I ain't as dumb as i look!

 

[USSR]

What real reason would a person need a heavy barreled rifle for.

Long Range Precision Shooting.

Don

 

[Zundfolge]

And here I thought it was just to save the cost of machining down the barrel to a thinner profile.

 

[Father Knows Best]

heavy barrels:
handle heat dissipation a little better.
are less finicky about floating/bedding.
absorb felt recoil better.
tend to be installed on application specific guns, which tend to be semi-custom or modified receivers.

Heavy barrels do not dissipate heat faster. To the contrary, they dissipate it much slower that lightweight barrels. Whether that's "better" or not depends on the circumstances.

The primary advantage of a heavier barrel is that, all else being equal, the heavier barrel will be stiffer. That makes it less prone to changes in impact when pressure is applied from things like the stock, a sling, etc. Thus, as dakotasin points out, the heavier barrel will tend to be a lot less finicky about floating/bedding. If you have two identical AR's (neither free-floated) except one has a lighter barrel and the other has a heavier barrel, the lighter barrel will be more prone to changes in point of impact resulting from different amounts of pressure on the forearm, sling, etc., or even different hand positions along the forearm.

Another significant advantage of a heavier barrel is that it will heat up more slowly, and cool down more slowly, and in the process will tend to change point of impact less (again, this assumes that all else is equal, such as the specific steel, heat treating, etc.). As a barrel heats up, point of impact will change. So by slowing the rate of temperature change, you can reduce the amount by which your point of impact will shift over the course of a string of fire. Light contour barrels are famous for vertical stringing of groups, which is caused by the rapid change of temperature of the barrel. Since the heavier barrel has more mass, its temperature will change much more gradually, and stringing will be much less severe.

 

[dakotasin]

i said they handle it better - not they got rid of it better. more steel, more heat it holds, more evenly heat is held.

 

[SJG26]

USSR-----shame on you....................

Don't even think of running off before you ID that purdy rifle and scope setup.

Details man....we want details!!

 

[mustanger98]

I recall they had a brief segment on the heavy barrel debate on Guns&Ammo TV. I forget who told it, but they said the heavy barrel does disipate heat better than a lighter barrel because of the increase in surface area. However, they also said you can take a fluted barrel, and it'll do the same thing with less weight to have to carry around.

 

[f4t9r]

Why A heavy Barrel?
like lifting weights Makes you stronger carring that heavy thing around

 

[USSR]

USSR-----shame on you....................
Don't even think of running off before you ID that purdy rifle and scope setup.

Details man....we want details!!

SJG26,

LOL, Sorry to leave you hanging. Here you go:

Winchester pushfeed action
Krieger fluted 26" SS MTU contour barrel
McMillan A2 Stock
Jewell Trigger
Williams Steel one-piece bottom metal
Tubb's Speed Lock firing pin and spring
Badger 20MOA base and rings
Leupold 6.5-20x50LR M1 mildot

Built by Jack Krieger. I had him set the chamber and throat up specifically to shoot the 190gr Sierra MatchKing in Lapua brass. He also pillar bedded the rifle in the McMillan stock. Seems to shoot pretty good.

Don

 

[berettashotgun]

I feel the gunsmith charges coming on..

 

[bogie]

This is why...

10 shots, 200 yards. 12 minutes, competition, moving and stationary backers.

0.356 inches.

 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Barrels flex and bend slightly when fired. Thicker barrels tend to be stiffer and flex less, making them nominally more accurate. Other factors affect accuracy more. But if you want a super accurate rifle, you'll have to eliminate each and every one of those factors, including barrel flex.

http://www.frfrogspad.com/loaddev.htm

Heavy barrels dissipate heat a wee little bit faster than thinner ones. But more importantly, the thicker barrels absorb more heat than thinner barrels. This means you can fire more rounds before the barrel gets "hot". This is sometimes useful in matches where you have to fire a short string without pausing to let the barrel cool down again.

Heavy barrels also tend to dampen vibrations. The extra mass sort of soaks up those little muscle twitches and shakes. But I tend to find that heavy rifles fatigue my muscles more, which in turn causes me to shake more. But maybe I'm just weird.