barnfrog
Member
Yet another question about the difference between rifles and handguns. Rifle accuracy buffs insist the barrel has to cool between shots and groups. Does barrel temp affect POI and/or group size much in handguns?
Barrel cooling question
- Thread starter barnfrog
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reloaded_in_pa
Member
After I work up a load I'll shoot several hundred rounds through a pistol without really letting it cool between groups. I've never noticed any real degrade in accuracy.
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barnfrog
Member
Thanks. Good to know.
WisBorn
Contributing Member
I had a S&W model 10 with a 4" tapered barrel that would heat up and groups would open up after a few cylinders of shooting. I would let it cool down for 20 minutes or so while shooting something else. The groups would come back in line.
wiscoaster
Member
Hmmm .... I usually like to fire off a couple shots into the berm for the sole purpose of warming up the barrel before shooting my rifles for accuracy. But, yes, for rifles anyway, barrel temp affects accuracy, and when and how much is very dependent on a whole host of variables that are different for every rifle. But I haven't noticed barrel temp to affect handguns much in any way. But then I seldom fire enough consecutive rounds through a pistol to really heat it up that much, so that probably doesn't mean much.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
I have never noticed a change in accuracy with handguns in regards to heating or cooling of the barrels.
Crud buildup and leading? Yes.
Hot & Cold? No.
Crud buildup and leading? Yes.
Hot & Cold? No.
In most common handguns, there are usually other variables that affect accuracy far more than barrel temperature. That's not to say it has no effect at all, or that there aren't types of handguns, or maybe specific examples of particular handguns where it does have a significant effect, just that in most typical handguns, it's not worth worrying about.
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barnfrog
Member
Thanks, all. I'll focus my efforts on other factors affecting accuracy.
bangswitch
Member
Yesterday at the range, I had the barrel of my .22rimfire uncomfortable to the touch (M41) and didn't notice any difference in accuracy at 25 yards. When I shoot rifles, my first shot (cold shot) is out of the group from the rest of my shots in that sequence, so a cold barrel does make a difference from a warm one, and that's at 300+ yards, usually. But I never let my barrels get too hot to wrap my hand around them. Once it gets uncomfortable to hold it at the muzzle, they get a cool down. FWIW, I've had a shotgun barrel so hot I couldn't touch it, from a round of clays on a hot day. I couldn't tell any difference in patterning.
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