Polygonal rifling, pros, cons, and anything else...?

The only two things I can tell you is don't shoot 'bare' lead bullets through it, and it's easier to clean.

HAHA ! So that's what polygonal rifling looks like ! I am suddenly glad I don't own an uberpistole...............

my kahr mk9 is very accurate and it has polygonal rifling.

polygonal is supposed to give a tiny increase in velocity due to a better seal between the barrel and bullet. it is easier to clean, that's for sure.

you'll be hard pressed to find a barrel maker that will do it. H&K used to do some of their rifles with polygonal rifling, but they haven't in quite a while. i don't know of any others that do it, but then again, i haven't looked either.

Bobby

Pac-nor or Noveske if you have an AR and they ain't cheap. I have a Noveske on my AR10, it's a tack driver and easy to clean; there doesn't seem to be a lot of copper build up with this type of rifling.

My Desert Eagle and HK rifle has polygonal rifling.....wish everyone offered it. Easy to clean and accurate.

the pic on the left started life as a loc-washer

The little CZ surplus has it...CZ82? I think Glocks have it don't they?

The only two things I can tell you is don't shoot 'bare' lead bullets through it, and it's easier to clean.

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I put a little over 3500 rds of cast lead through my K-9 Khar Polygonal barrel. Very accurate and no leading or pressure problems while duplicating jacketed ballistics.

Taliv, that picture is from the Wikipedia article on rifling. I don't where the original source.

While not polygonal per say, Broughton makes some of the finest rifle barrels one can get. They call it a "canted" land and their track record cannot be disputed.

The above is cut and pasted from my reply in a thread on .us

Noveske makes stainless polygonal rifled barrels that add 20-40fps to the bullet. And they are very accurate.

The only polygonal rifled barrel I personally own is in my Glock.

Yes, 5C is what I was refering to. I know several high power shooters that like the .243 but don't care for the short barrel life a .243 has. The Broughton barrels give higher velocities and when used with moly, barrel life is extended 1000 to 1200 more rounds than with naked bullets.

I could be totally off base here, but when you have a hammer forged barrel, wouldn't it be easier to use polygonal rifling? Or is that what they do anyway?

I don't know if I'd hang the *best* tag on any particular barrel, rifling method or profile. All the big boy tube carvers have plenty of accolades for their respective barrels. I guess its a good thing that there are so many good barrel makes out there because 2 or 3 couldn't keep up with demand.

I think what is refered to as polygonal rifling is more like the picture you posted. Very gradual transition from the lands to grooves. The rifling is more pronounced with 5C.

It is easier to make by hammer forging; less pressure is needed since the barrel steel doesn't have to be forced into sharp corners.

In theory, it should be less effective as a bullet guide, but in practice there seems to be little difference in accuracy, both barrels being of equal quality.

Jim

I find it very interesting and telling that the top European rifle barrel manufacturers don't use hammer forging. Grunig-Elmiger, Anschutz, Lothar Walther and Border all use or only make cut or button rifled barrels. American companies follow suit.

I thought that the Sako/Tikka barrels were hammer forged, and highly thought of....

??

I thought that the Sako/Tikka barrels were hammer forged, and highly thought of....

??

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I guess that depends on the thinker and what they are doing with it. Has anything ever been won using a hammer forged barrel? Here are three of the top rifle builders for the F-Class shooters in the UK; RG Rifles, HPS, Osprey. Not a single one of them uses hammer forged barrels. Not to mention Grunig-Elmiger, Anschutz, Lothar Walther, FWB.

I am not saying hammer forged barrels don't have their place but winning matches ain't it.

Why can't you use bare lead bullets in polygonal rifled barrels?

I am not saying hammer forged barrels don't have their place but winning matches ain't it.

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i am absolutly sure that Tanner is useing cold hammer forged barrels made by SAN for his rifle and those are among the very very best you can get for ISSF or CISM competition.

the problem with cold hammer forging is that you need a machine that costs a couple millions, something most small gunsmiths will never be able to afford.