Carbon Barrels

[HarcyPervin]

I was watching the boobtube last night and came across a show sponsored by Christensen Arms. http://www.christensenarms.com/
Since these rifles are waaaay out of my price range, I'm not thinking about buying one, but the idea intrigued me. Has anyone shot one of these rifles, or used a barrel similar to theirs? What advantages do they offer? I know that carbon fiber is stronger, more rigid, and lighter than steel, but how do they perform? Do they dissapate heat faster as well? Barrel life? Accuracy?

Pictures are great too if you have any, pretty cool looking guns IMHO.

 

[GCBurner]

I remember Armalite experimented with a composite barrel for the AR rifles a long time ago. I don't think it was carbon fiber, though, probably Kevlar. Those never got out of the experimental phase, because they didn't hold up under the heat of extended automatic fire. Probably not as much of an issue with a bolt-action hunting rifle.

 

[Ithaca37]

They are carbon fiber composite around a metal liner that has the rifling in it. The biggest advantage they offer is weight savings. They may dissipate heat faster if they have incorporated pitch based carbon fibers into the barrel wrap. There was some work done a while back and the CF barrel wraps they developed led to a significantly increased cooling rate. However, for most hunting rifles this is hardly and issue because they are not fired rapidly enough for heat dissipation to matter. Nor are they fired often enough for any increase in barrel life to be noticed.

 

[taliv]

i have a couple carbon fiber wrapped barrels. they are very lightweight and dissipate heat MUCH faster than my standard barrels.

i don't have any experience with christiansen, BUT DO NOT EVER DO BUSINESS WITH ABS (advanced barrel systems)

 

[HarcyPervin]

sounds like there was a bad experience there...I was wondering if they've come into competition shooting at all where rapid cooling might come into play if they're trying to consistently make cold bore/cool bore shots...or if thats really an issue at all...Looked like a pretty cool idea, just haven't heard of much application of them

 

[BrocLuno]

There are aftermarket bull barrels built from carbon wraps on steel liners. Very stiff and light at the same time. Usually, they are so expensive only rich folks or die hard competition shooters can afford them.

But, as the price of this technology comes down, I suspect that they will eventually become the norm? Why not, reduce the weight penalty and build a stiffer barrel - jeez, what part of that equation aren't most gun owners looking for?

 

[taliv]

the price won't come down until the patent runs out. also, the cost of the barrel from ABS is the price of a regular high-end cut rifle barrel PLUS the cost for wrapping in CF. that can't ever be as cheap as a regular bbl. and regular bbls won't get cheaper as long as there is a 6mo wait for a decent one

 

[BrocLuno]

Sorry, by eventually I meant the Ruger or someone would start making hammered barrel liners and build an automated wrapping system to crank out barrels for their higher end rifle lines. As that takes off, they will slowly move the model down the line. I was not talking about next year - maybe 5~10 years we'll see many more carbon barrels

 

[trstafford]

Remington

Remington offered a composite barrel several years ago, guess it is on the shelf along side of their electronic firing system.