Of these things, what causes the most heat in a barrel?
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JesseL
Member
I'm pretty sure most of the heat is from the burning powder.
In gas operated guns, the gas system gets hot pretty quick without ever touching the bullet, and firing rounds that should have relatively little bore friction (ie sabots) still tends to heat up the barrel too.
In gas operated guns, the gas system gets hot pretty quick without ever touching the bullet, and firing rounds that should have relatively little bore friction (ie sabots) still tends to heat up the barrel too.
Slugless
Member
The scientific way to look into this would be to fire a round that contains no powder and note any difference in barrel temp. Fortunately, the Aquila Colibri .22 rimfire is such a round. It contains only primer, and a shoots a 20grain bullet at around 350fps*, so with an appropriate backstop, you can practice with your revolver in your garage. Anyway, after shooting a cylinder full of these out of my S&W, the empty cases, let alone the barrel, aren't even warm, so I'm gonna go with the burning of the powder as responsible for the heat.
*yeah, yeah - before I get flamed - I know - the slower bullet also produces less heat-producing friction, so I'm changing 2 variables.
*yeah, yeah - before I get flamed - I know - the slower bullet also produces less heat-producing friction, so I'm changing 2 variables.
duck911
Member
By leaps and bounds, the powder.
jpwilly
Member
burning powder = heat = air pressure/expansion...
Outlaws
Member
Powder. If you put more powder (220Swift) down the same diameter hole (223REM) you will burn out the barrel faster. Its not the speed of the bullet.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Source = Hatcher's Notebook
Army ordinance tests of a 30-06 in a BAR found that only 29 1/4% of the powders energy is transfered to the bullet.
The other 70 3/4% is heat loss.
Broken down:
Heat to brass case = 131.0 calories.
Kinetic energy to bullet = 885.3 calories.
Kinetic energy to gases = 569.1 calories.
Heat to gun barrel = 679.9 calories.
Heat in exhausted gases = 598.6 calories.
Total from powder charge & primer = 2,864.0 calories.
Additional heat generated by bullet friction = 212.0 calories.
Total of one shot of 30-06 ammo = 3,076 calories.
rcmodel
Army ordinance tests of a 30-06 in a BAR found that only 29 1/4% of the powders energy is transfered to the bullet.
The other 70 3/4% is heat loss.
Broken down:
Heat to brass case = 131.0 calories.
Kinetic energy to bullet = 885.3 calories.
Kinetic energy to gases = 569.1 calories.
Heat to gun barrel = 679.9 calories.
Heat in exhausted gases = 598.6 calories.
Total from powder charge & primer = 2,864.0 calories.
Additional heat generated by bullet friction = 212.0 calories.
Total of one shot of 30-06 ammo = 3,076 calories.
rcmodel
benEzra
Moderator Emeritus
The gas behind the bullet (assuming a rifle bullet here) starts out in excess of 1000 degrees and 50,000 psi. A lot of that heat will end up transferred to the barrel.
jpwilly
Member
Sounds like we need more energy efficient rifles...we'll have to put some genius to work on this.
JesseL
Member
We know how to make them more efficient, but who wants a rifle with a 6-foot barrel?
Really though, this is one of the reasons for the newer generation of short cartridges. Smaller charges of faster power in small cases and higher pressures=a little better efficiency for a given barrel length.
kymarkh
Member
With all those burnt calories I should be skinnier than olive oyl...
jacobhh
Member
Any barell material that is an insulator such as fiber, ceramic etc.
and not a huge metal heat sink would be more efficient as long as
it lasted but a shorter lifespan and higher initial energy expended
equals a net loss. Ongoing research.
Sure will make for some interesting load data.
and not a huge metal heat sink would be more efficient as long as
it lasted but a shorter lifespan and higher initial energy expended
equals a net loss. Ongoing research.
Sure will make for some interesting load data.
Hunter0924
Member
From my understanding the bullet friction to the bore is what is responsible for most of the heat.
Think about how much time the deflagrating powder spends in the bore compared to the amount of friction of swagging copper into the rifling.
Think about how much time the deflagrating powder spends in the bore compared to the amount of friction of swagging copper into the rifling.
P-32
Member
Hunter, next time you go shooting, stand next to your buddy and catch a piece of brass fired out of an auto loader go down your shirt. Then report back on where the heat comes from.
rangerruck
Member
powder all the way. Look at the new custom shop 5-35c cart, made up with Savage. They use a superfat cart, with concave shoulders, and a long neck, also uses proprietary powder mix. this round uses about 20 % less powder than a 223, and yet moves a 35 grain bullet about 4800 fps. with it's super long neck, the powder plug, as it moves, is rebounded into by pressure, then moves up the blast column of the case, gets hotter, and hotter. As it begins to get into the shoulder/neck area, it us superhot, but the plug is almost completely burned up. By the time it gets into the neck of the cart., it is now burning out, and the brass of the neck swallows up the excess heat rapidly, then displaces it. this cart., shows excellent throat wear/ bbl life.
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