MtnCreek
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Why? Thanks!
Fluted Rifle Barrels
- Thread starter joed
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Because of the stresses introduced into the barrel during the fluting process, I believe. Having a barrel fluted after the rifling is cut may not affect the initial accuracy, but it could make the barrel act all funny once it starts to get hot.
I'm no barrel maker, I'm just parroting what I've been told. If you want a fluted barrel, it's best to get one that was fluted before the rifling is cut. First flute, then rifle, then stress relieve.
Personally, I think that flutes look cool, but on an overall, I think I've had better accuracy from non fluted barrels on an overall. To my way of thinking, getting a pipe to spit a projectile to the same point of impact every time is hard enough to do as it is; so why go complicating it with something that could have an adverse effect on accuracy.
I'm no barrel maker, I'm just parroting what I've been told. If you want a fluted barrel, it's best to get one that was fluted before the rifling is cut. First flute, then rifle, then stress relieve.
Personally, I think that flutes look cool, but on an overall, I think I've had better accuracy from non fluted barrels on an overall. To my way of thinking, getting a pipe to spit a projectile to the same point of impact every time is hard enough to do as it is; so why go complicating it with something that could have an adverse effect on accuracy.
TonyAngel said:
My F-Class (F-TR) rifle wouldn't make weight if the barrel wasn't fluted. The flutes on my two Krieger barrels removed more than 1/2lb from each barrel. As for the accuracy of fluted barrels, I have six rifles with fluted barrels and all of them are very accurate, so if done properly, they reduce weight but don't adversely affect accuracy. It's plausible that they improve accuracy for "high" rates of fire.
A few weeks back, I mounted a different scope on my F-Class rifle. After getting an approximate zero at 100 yards using Zak Smith's AI load which isn't optimized for my rifle, I shot 12 rounds of my match load prone with a bipod and rear bean bag. I made a final correction on the scope after the 5-shot group and both the 5-shot and 7-shot groups can be covered by a dime. All 12 shots were shot in just over 10 minutes. There's nothing wrong with fluted barrels.
Well, it just goes to show that there's no hard and fast rule. I guess that fact of the matter is that you could get a barrel that shoots and you may get a barrel that doesn't. Maybe you shouldn't expend too many brain cells on the issue. Just get what you want and get shootin'.
Maverick223
Member
I believe there is a well defined rule: If you purchase a barrel from one of the many notable barrel makers (Krieger, Lilja, Bartlein, Schneider, et al), you get a good barrel...if you don't order a barrel from a good manufacturer you don't know what you'll receive (whether it's fluted or not).
USSR
Member
Quote:
I would only have fluting on a barrel that was cut rifled, in which the fluting is done PRIOR to being reamed and rifled, which is not the case on button rifled barrels such as Savage uses.
From the following article: "When making fluted barrels, the fear is always there that putting, say, six flutes on the outside of the barrel will leave the bore shaped like a hexagon instead of round. (Like it should be!) With cut rifling, the barrel can be completely profiled and fluted after the drilling stage and then reamed and rifled. All the niggling doubts as to whether fluting the barrel will ruin it can be dispelled if it is done this way - but this manufacturing route in not available to you when you button rifle a barrel".
http://www.border-barrels.com/articles/bmart.htm
Don
I would only have fluting on a barrel that was cut rifled, in which the fluting is done PRIOR to being reamed and rifled, which is not the case on button rifled barrels such as Savage uses.
From the following article: "When making fluted barrels, the fear is always there that putting, say, six flutes on the outside of the barrel will leave the bore shaped like a hexagon instead of round. (Like it should be!) With cut rifling, the barrel can be completely profiled and fluted after the drilling stage and then reamed and rifled. All the niggling doubts as to whether fluting the barrel will ruin it can be dispelled if it is done this way - but this manufacturing route in not available to you when you button rifle a barrel".
http://www.border-barrels.com/articles/bmart.htm
Don
MtnCreek
Member
Don,
That was a really good read; I know a ton (or tonne) more about barrels than I did before reading the link.
Thanks!
That was a really good read; I know a ton (or tonne) more about barrels than I did before reading the link.
Thanks!
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