My Teludyne Straightjacket article is out

[GunsAmerica Fan]

Hi guys. I promised that I would come back and let you know when this article came out. It is an unbelievable piece of technology that is going to change competition shooting and possibly even the gun industry forever. The "science" we subjected it to was crude. The two rifles were only shot at 100 yards, not 500 yards before the Straightjacket, and we did have an impressive optic for the 500 yard tests, a Vortex Razor HD, so it isn't apples and apples, but if anyone thinks that a $300 Savage can shoot into .86" at 500 yards or a Sako A7 can shoot into 1.1" at 500 yards, I guess you can just discount it and move on.

The link is here:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/extreme-accuracy-makeover-the-teludyne-tti-tech-straightjacket/

The testing of the two rifles before the SJ is at another article in GunsAmerica Magazine this month, Out of the Box MOA, which is here:
http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/minute-of-angle-moa-accuracy-out-of-the-box/

Here is the test target for the Savage Axis:


And here is a quote from the beginning:

When I first heard about the Teludyne Tech (TTI) “Straightjacket,” I was extremely skeptical. I have seen literally dozens of products come and go over the years that claimed to increase accuracy by “reducing barrel harmonics.” I thought that the Straightjacket, if I bothered to waste my time on it, would turn out to be just something else to throw on the pile with all of the bore treatments, weights, stocks, stock beddings, even something resembling electrical tape, that have crossed my path over the years. Nothing, in my opinion, could make a big difference in long range accuracy beyond what we knew up until now. If you want a rifle that would reliably shoot sub-MOA, you had to work up loads, build your own consistent match ammo, bed or free float the action, get the best trigger, the best stock, and especially the best and most expensive barrel. Teludyne wasn’t going to convince me that match grade accuracy would come out of a regular stock rifle with their “new technology.”

The most absurd about thing about the Teludyne story is what they want you to do with your gun. This is no “try it and see if you like it” product. They want you to send them your rifle, after which they will take it apart, press fit (at something like 50,000 pounds of pressure) a steel sleeve around your barrel, then they fill that sleeve with a proprietary compound, filling in all around your barrel. Then they weld a permanent cap on top, grind and sand your stock down to fit the new inch and a quarter thickness of your new “Straightjacket”ed barrel, then put the whole works back together and send it back to you.

Who in their right mind would send a perfectly fine but maybe not as accurate as I’d like it to be rifle out to be modified to such a degree, with experimental technology? This is a permanent deal. Love it or hate it, your rifle will never be the same.

 

[Sky]

Not cheap but maybe worth it for the few. Interesting article, thanks for posting.

 

[Jim Watson]

A guy on "the other road" has been plugging the StraightJacket for some time now.

Q: What if you started out with a relatively heavy barrel such that there would be less room for their patent heatsink filling? I have a rifle that did not shoot as well as its Internet Reputation led me to expect and it took a new barrel to get it competitive. It is now good but not great with a .840" muzzle.

 

[taliv]

i had the exact same question, Jim

makes me wonder why i don't see tensioned barrels etc in benchrest matches.

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

It's funny I wondered that myself. I saw what they did with the AR-50 and I have a .50 myself, but it is already an inch thick. I don't see the point in it.

It is a decent amount of money but I feel there is urgency to it if you want an existing rifle done. I think Freedom Group is looking at them. They my just buy them up to keep Savage and FN from buying them. FN makes 85% of the GI M-4s and own Winchester and Browning. I think it's a race to who buys them. I mentioned Freedom Group to one of the guy and he clammed right up.

 

[Jim Watson]

makes me wonder why i don't see tensioned barrels etc in benchrest matches

Well, for one thing, it is a new product* and benchresters take kind of an incremental approach to improvements. Take a brave or extravagant man to SJ a Hart and go to matches with it. If it catches on, it will likely be through the tackytickle crowd who seem to be more gadget oriented.

*New if you don't count the guy who, in the 1950s, sleeved over the barrel of a surplus Springfield and filled the annulus with then-new epoxy resin. I am sure SJ has better installation and a better heat sink compound, but the old timer had the idea. Said it kept him shooting competitively against people with new national match rifles.

 

[taliv]

jim, filling it might be new, but tensioned barrels have been around for years. i bought one (volquartsen) at least 4 years ago

 

[JohnBT]

Precision Shooting magazine is always looking for new writers with solid, well researched articles. Are you up to the challenge?

www.precisionshooting.com

 

[BrocLuno]

Thanks, always fun to read about this stuff I wonder if they can do a Ruger Mini-14?

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

No M-14 pattern at all. It's like the only gun they won't even talk about. They feel the design is valuable as a piece of antiquity and that is all. Considering that M-14s won every major service rifle competition up until the new generation of AR, I don't get it personally. The gas tube apparently is the issue, but they do AKs, garbage guns. It makes no sense. Maybe because of the op rod?? Could be I guess.

I am honored John but I'm in the same position you are, looking for writers who can write and have something to say. We have a subscriber base of 500k, so I have enough responsibility as it is lol.

 

[Jaws]

FN makes M16A2 and M16A4. They never made M4's.

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

Oh lol, I'm not an AR guy I thought they were all called that now.

 

[dogmush]

FWIW, My rifle saw a 25%-30% increase in accuraccy with a StrightJacket. All other variables held equal.

 

[Offfhand]

Quoted from earlier post:

"Precision Shooting magazine is always looking for new writers with solid, well researched articles. Are you up to the challenge?"

Challenge? The real question is if they up to the challenge of paying what a good article is worth?

 

[Offfhand]

Quoted from earlier post;

"makes me wonder why i don't see tensioned barrels etc in benchrest matches."

Makes me wonder too, bench shooters are always on cutting edge of accuracy developments. Seems if it really worked they would be on top of it like gravy on biscuits. I know a couple of bench shooters, will call them today and ask what they know about it.

 

[coug]

how much does this cost?

 

[BrocLuno]

If it works for more folks it will catch on with the bench rest crowd. But I don't think it's for them? I think the concept is designed to take a mediocre rifle with a sporting barrel contour and turn it into a dampened bull barrel performer without the weight of a full bull barrel? That is, take guns that are not competitive and make them so. Bench resters guns are all ready competitive with other technology. It's maybe going to be applied more in the "modified stock" shooting category?

 

[HKGuns]

Nice article and write up. I'll pass on the product.

 

[M-Cameron]

so it is a metal sleeve that surrounds the barrel, essentially turning it into a super bull barrel?

 

[unwise11]

coug, it costs 349 for the basic deal..
I want..

BADD..

 

[WNTFW]

(as fas as I can tell)
It is a sleeve around the barrel with the addition of a compound in between. I assume that compound is what is regulating the harmonics.

 

[BrocLuno]

As far as I can tell (and I did a fair bit of looking based on the talk on the old .US board), it's a thermal set epoxy good to 400+* that has decent "thermal wicking" properties. Seems to carry heat well (away from the barrel) and has a pencil hardness better the 4H.

I ASSUME is is an aluminum particle/epoxy matrix or titanium/epoxy matrix, but they are not saying. I did not find a suitable product on the shelves here in the USA, but did find one in Great Britain that the Brits use to bed electric fire machine gun receivers in aviation sub-assemblies (dissimilar metals bonded at better that 18K psi and resistant to all fire arms cleaning products). These guys worked in aero-space over here, so I'm also assuming they had access to similar high tech epoxies and that's what got them started?

 

[BrocLuno]

I did some more digging and I came across an epoxy that will likely work on a home-built straight jacket - see below:

Epoxy.com Product #647 Heat Resistant Epoxy is a two component highly cross-linked novolac epoxy resin system. Epoxy.com Product #647 is especially formulated to be used as a high temperature potting or laminating resin. It is used to protect parts from high temperatures and corrosion. Epoxy.com Product #647 is 100% solids and has a convenient 2:1 by volume mix ratio and is easy to apply.
ADVANTAGES:

* Stable up to 400°F
* High chemical resistance to acids, alkalies and other chemicals
* Low viscosity allows penetration into fiberglass fabric to make high temperature composites
* Low viscosity allows filler loading for high temp epoxy potting

USES:

* Steel and Concrete Protective Surface where high temperatures are encountered
* Chemical processing plants and equipment
* Food and dairy processing plants
* Utility plants
* Plant maintenance coating
* Pipe coating
* Tank coating

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Color Black /Standard
Pot Life 50 minutes @ 75°F
Mixing Ratio 2Part"A"to1Part"B" By Volume
Tack Free 12 hours @ 72°F
Full Cure 7 days@ 72°F
Force Cure 4 hours @ 220°F
Recommended Film Thickness 2 Coats @ 10-15 mils each
Flash Point 200°F
CURED CHEMICAL RESISTANCE:

Acids, alkalies, alcohols, ketones, aromatics and other solvents.
SURFACE PREPARATION:

Remove dirt, loose particles and oil contaminants by scarification, sandblasting, etc See Epoxy.com Surface Preparation Guide for more details.
MIXING:

Mix 2 parts "A" Component with 1 part "B" Component using a low-speed, 1/2" Epoxy.com - Mixing Paddle for 3-5 minutes. Apply immediately. High temperatures will shorten pot life.
APPLICATION:

Epoxy.com Product #647 can be applied by brush, roller, pour or spray.

Epoxy.com Product #647 can be easily made into a heat resistant epoxy grout by adding from 1 to 3 parts by volume of Epoxy.com Product #76 Epoxy Extender to the mixed epoxy.
COVERAGE:
Coating

Epoxy.com Product #647 is designed to be applied in two (2) coats at approximately 150 SF/gallon per coat.
Grout

3 gallons Epoxy.com Product #647 + (3) 48 lb. bags Epoxy.com Product #76 = 2,246 cu. in. per unit

“A” Component contains epoxy resin. DANGER! “B” Component contains alkaline amines; strong sensitizer. May cause skin sensitization or other allergic responses. Use with good ventilation, particularly if material is heated or sprayed. Prevent all contact with skin or eyes. Wear protective clothing, goggles, gloves and/or barrier creams. Keep container closed when not in use. Wash thoroughly after handling.

FIRST AID: In case of skin contact, immediately wash with soap and water. In case of eye contact, flush eyes with copious amounts of water for at least fifteen (15) minutes. Remove contaminated clothing shoes. If irritation persists, seek medical attention. Wash clothing before reuse.

KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN

FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY

Proper mixing and installation is critical to the optimal success of all product. See Installation Tips, Techdata, & MSDS for more details on our products. Be sure to contact us with any questions and/or concerns that you have.

For more information please contact:
Epoxy.com
A Division of Epoxy Systems, Inc
20774 W. Pennsylvania Ave.
Dunnellon, Florida 34431
Over 350 products,
Since 1980
Florida & Vermont
USA

It seems that it's available in 1 pint test kits - just right for doing a few barrels

So I have a some old Arisaka's (mix-masters from junk drawers with eBay parts to fill in) and some pulled (used) barrels. I have a Type 38 barrel at my local machine shop being prepped for my first run at doing a minor test on this concept at home. The bore is dark'ish with rifling the full length, but somewhat worn - not super crisp. No big pits or anything, just getting long in the tooth. It's a "long barrel" with most of the wear near the muzzle, so I'm cutting it to 24" of actual rifled barrel. Adding the chamber will get overall length to something like 27 inches.

For those of you familiar with Arisaka barrels, they are sort of pencil barrels in the extreme. I'll post a picture of one when I can get the camera out to the shop. So I'm going to try to build something similar and see what happens

If you've seen you-tube or other depictions of shooting the Arisaka, you'll know they are mostly minute of man groupers - 2"~3" at a 100 yds. We'll see if we can improve on this? I have a fair bunch of these things, they all shoot about the same. So, if this one approaches MOA, we'll know we are doing something right

My plan is to wrap the roughened barrel (it's pitted on the outside anyway) with fiberglass cloth, slip the tube over the outside, JB Weld to the "seating groove" we're cutting (just a minor 0.030" cut at the front of the chamber "swell" to receive the tube), fill the space with aluminum powder slightly thicken epoxy and lock in place with a barrel nut. We're threading the end of the barrel to take a flash suppressor anyway. So the barrel nut will lock the tube and add a bit of compression plus become a seating face for the flash suppressor. Let it all cure for 7~10 days and install.

Milling out the barrel channel will likely take longer than the barrel build

I don't have any pre-data as the rifle is just going together over the next month or so. I'm not pretending this a definitive test, but maybe it will yield some insights

Here's a picture of what I call a pencil barrel - a la Arisaka

 

[BrocLuno]

By the way, the following is a quote from another article floating around the web, maybe from Teludyne's own site? Anyway, what I take away from this comment and many more i have read is that the jacket is trapping the heat, not dissipating it? 20 rounds down range and you can hold the barrel Basic thermodynamics says that heat needs a bit of time to transfer, so that heat is still in the system somewhere?

"Alan watched what I was doing and then grabbed a Remington 700 in .338 Rem. Ultra Mag. Going prone with it, he fired and reloaded as fast as he could go until he had emptied a full 20-round box. As soon as the last empty had hit the ground, he jumped to his feet, grabbed the rifle by its barrel and pressed it against his cheek. Normally this would result in a yelp and a burn. However, despite being force fed 20 rounds at a rapid rate, the big magnum was only mildly warm. You could easily hold onto any part of the barrel."


I'm adding aluminum powder to my matrix and the epoxy I quote above has a heat transfer spec, which the aluminum will enhance. Not sure where this is going, but it will be interesting

 

[Kush]

How much weight does it add? I'm really curious because they suggest military applications for it but it looks like it would add a lot of extra weight that people probably wouldn't want to carry.