Barrel Fluting
- Thread starter El Bucho
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Zak Smith
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Two barrels of the same mass: the fluted one will be stiffer.
Two barrel of the same diameter: the non-fluted one will be stiffer.
Two barrel of the same diameter: the non-fluted one will be stiffer.
USSR
Member
El Bucho,
The only real benefit of fluting a barrel is to reduce the weight out front to better balance a rifle when having a heavy contour barrel installed. I have both a Krieger and an Obermeyer MTU contour barrel that are fluted to reduce barrel weight. While it can be argued that they dissipate heat better, in my opinion the effect is minimal and not a viable reason to flute a barrel.
Don
The only real benefit of fluting a barrel is to reduce the weight out front to better balance a rifle when having a heavy contour barrel installed. I have both a Krieger and an Obermeyer MTU contour barrel that are fluted to reduce barrel weight. While it can be argued that they dissipate heat better, in my opinion the effect is minimal and not a viable reason to flute a barrel.
Don
Fluted barrel - what Zak said plus possibly disturbing the uniformity of the bore by changing the stress on the outside of the bore by removing metal.
If done prior to finish lapping, ala ordered from the custom barrel maker fluted, then you'll have a much better chance of having a good barrel. Done later = crapshoot, and a damn poor waste of coin on a factory tomato stake if you ask me.
If done prior to finish lapping, ala ordered from the custom barrel maker fluted, then you'll have a much better chance of having a good barrel. Done later = crapshoot, and a damn poor waste of coin on a factory tomato stake if you ask me.
Bartholomew Roberts
Member
The argument that fluting will help cool a barrel better is based on a fluted barrel having slightly more surface area. However, based on what the engineers in my family have told me, the increase in surface area (and thus cooling) is pretty negligible.
USSR
Member
Also, I should add, I would only have fluting done on a cut-rifled barrel prior to having it reamed and rifled. Having it done on a button-rifled barrel or a factory barrel creates stresses that are likely to result in a wandering zero as the barrel heats up.
Don
Don
nyresq
Member
direct quote from Shilens web site:
"Fluting is a service we neither offer nor recommend. If you have a Shilen barrel fluted, the warranty is void. Fluting a barrel can induce unrecoverable stresses that will encourage warping when heated and can also swell the bore dimensions, causing loose spots in the bore. A solid (un-fluted) barrel is more rigid than a fluted barrel of equal diameter. A fluted barrel is more rigid than a solid barrel of equal weight. All rifle barrels flex when fired. Accuracy requires that they simply flex the same and return the same each time they are fired, hence the requirement for a pillar bedded action and free floating barrel. The unrecoverable stresses that fluting can induce will cause the barrel to flex differently or not return from the flexing without cooling down a major amount. This is usually longer than a shooter has to wait for the next shot. The claim of the flutes helping to wick heat away faster is true, but the benefit of the flutes is not recognizable in this regard until the barrel is already too hot. "
it would seem to me to be a novelty type of thing... looks neat, has a high tacticool factor, but really doesn't improve anything.
I had a fluted rem 700 varmint and the whole "cools faster" thing didn't seem to work any faster then a friends unfluted barrel after firing the same number of rounds in the same time.
none of the military sniper rifles like the M-24 or the M40, or any of the long range bench rest guys are using fluted tubes, so if it realy made a difference don't ya think they would be using it?
"Fluting is a service we neither offer nor recommend. If you have a Shilen barrel fluted, the warranty is void. Fluting a barrel can induce unrecoverable stresses that will encourage warping when heated and can also swell the bore dimensions, causing loose spots in the bore. A solid (un-fluted) barrel is more rigid than a fluted barrel of equal diameter. A fluted barrel is more rigid than a solid barrel of equal weight. All rifle barrels flex when fired. Accuracy requires that they simply flex the same and return the same each time they are fired, hence the requirement for a pillar bedded action and free floating barrel. The unrecoverable stresses that fluting can induce will cause the barrel to flex differently or not return from the flexing without cooling down a major amount. This is usually longer than a shooter has to wait for the next shot. The claim of the flutes helping to wick heat away faster is true, but the benefit of the flutes is not recognizable in this regard until the barrel is already too hot. "
it would seem to me to be a novelty type of thing... looks neat, has a high tacticool factor, but really doesn't improve anything.
I had a fluted rem 700 varmint and the whole "cools faster" thing didn't seem to work any faster then a friends unfluted barrel after firing the same number of rounds in the same time.
none of the military sniper rifles like the M-24 or the M40, or any of the long range bench rest guys are using fluted tubes, so if it realy made a difference don't ya think they would be using it?
USSR
Member
nyresq,
Shilen barrels are button rifled. With button rifled barrels, fluting must be done after the bore is rifled, thereby inducing stresses and bore dimension variations to go along with the stresses imparted in the barrel by the button rifling procedure itself. Cut rifled barrels, on the other hand, are fluted PRIOR to reaming and rifling, and the cut rifling procedure does not induce metal stresses. So, if you've got a Krieger, Obermeyer, Border, or Mike Rock barrel, fluting will not cause you problems. Anything other than that, I would avoid it.
Don
Shilen barrels are button rifled. With button rifled barrels, fluting must be done after the bore is rifled, thereby inducing stresses and bore dimension variations to go along with the stresses imparted in the barrel by the button rifling procedure itself. Cut rifled barrels, on the other hand, are fluted PRIOR to reaming and rifling, and the cut rifling procedure does not induce metal stresses. So, if you've got a Krieger, Obermeyer, Border, or Mike Rock barrel, fluting will not cause you problems. Anything other than that, I would avoid it.
Don
Zak Smith
Member
The M24 and M40 both have 24" barrels, which aren't very heavy even with a thick profile. When you start talking about a 26-28" barrel that you actually have to carry around (ie, vs. a bench gun), it might make sense. The AI-AWSM 338LM, issued to a bunch of militaries, has a 27" cut rifled barrel, fluted to reduce weight.
-z
bogie
Member
I've shot fluted and I've shot unfluted. Fluted will give you a little extra length for the weight, but doesn't really do much else. Doesn't cool perceptively faster enough to matter.
I'd go unfluted.
FWIW, if fluting improved accuracy, benchresters would be shooting a lot of 'em - I'd guess than less than 1/20 at big matches are fluted. And _none_ of 'em in the heavy classes...
I'd go unfluted.
FWIW, if fluting improved accuracy, benchresters would be shooting a lot of 'em - I'd guess than less than 1/20 at big matches are fluted. And _none_ of 'em in the heavy classes...
1 old 0311
member
Hey! No one mentioned that they look REALLY NEAT
Kevin
Kevin
MachIVshooter
Member
I have a Remington 700 LVSF in .17 rem. It is fluted, and I can see no advantage over a traditional medium contour barrel. However, in a .17 Rem. factory rifle you have 2 choices, and the other is a standard 700 BDL. So I opted for the LVSF. But I would have much rather it been a non-fluted heavy barrel.
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