Dave DeLaurant
Member
Just for fun, here's a video of an intentional barrel burnout (or blowout) on an AK74 at just under 600 rounds of full auto:
The cost of burning up a barrel
- Thread starter Newtosavage
- Start date
- Status
Jim Watson
Member
Mr Browning demonstrated the 1917 machine gun by holding down the trigger for 48 minutes. 21,000+ rounds. He said he wanted to shoot for an hour but that was all the ammo still on hand, he had previously shot 20,000. Twice.
Water cooled machine guns don't have the problems air cooled ones do.
My first rifle was a Remington 700 VS in .25-06 that I bought in 1978. I burnt that barrel up in 2004, 26 years later. I did a lot of hunting with that rifle over those years and enjoyed it. In 2004 I replaced that barrel with a new Krieger in the same cartridge, probably one of the best things I ever did. Think it cost me $450 to have it done by Kelbly's not far from where I live. They did a fantastic job building that rifle.
If I burn this one up I'll certainly replace it again, and in the same cartridge.
If I burn this one up I'll certainly replace it again, and in the same cartridge.
JFrank
Member
My math will not be exact But consider the length of time the bullet actually travels through the barrel times the potential 5000 round count if a 308
your barrel is toast in 10 minutes
your barrel is toast in 10 minutes
My math will not be exact But consider the length of time the bullet actually travels through the barrel times the potential 5000 round count if a 308
your barrel is toast in 10 minutes
10 minutes? Try less than 10 seconds. Someone did the math. https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/facts-about-barrel-life/
Hokkmike
Member
Personally, I have never met a shooter who has burned up his/her barrel. But then, most people I know are casual shooters - maybe 4 - 5 times a summer and 1 - 2 during winter to the range.
Last edited:
My main prairie dog rifle is a 26" barreled AR-15 in 204 Ruger. I have around 2000 plus rounds through the barrel and accuracy is beginning to diminish. I've not treated the barrel well, with an AR-15, frequent and fast follow shots are too easy. I probably overheated the barrel too frequently. But it was fun as prairie dogs usually stay put if they are not sprayed with dirt.
I ordered a replacement barrel and a new stripped upper to replace the barrel. Cost was something around $800 or so if I remember correctly. I have a side pull bolt for the rifle so the upper is special. I'm concerned that that I will not be able to remove the old barrel from the old upper so I bought the new upper "just-in-case". I'll re-use all the other parts.
I ordered a replacement barrel and a new stripped upper to replace the barrel. Cost was something around $800 or so if I remember correctly. I have a side pull bolt for the rifle so the upper is special. I'm concerned that that I will not be able to remove the old barrel from the old upper so I bought the new upper "just-in-case". I'll re-use all the other parts.
greyling22
Member
I have a rifle I bought used, then used more, and the barrel is now shot out. The barrel is expensive, but doable. The problem is the gunsmithing costs added on top of the barrel.
Varminterror
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
- Messages
- 14,958
God forbid American craftsmen (often local too) be compensated for their labor and equipment use to provide such services.
When we buy a barrel, we’re paying $250-400 for about $30 worth of steel. The majority of the cost is paying the gunsmith - the barrel maker - for labor and equipment costs for drilling and rifling the barrel. Can’t really complain about paying the guy who hangs your drywall if you didn’t complain about paying the guy who framed your house.
Iraqveteran8888 did a similar test with a Vepr conversion. Round count was 692 before the barrel failed. The Vepr has a heavier barrel so maybe that helped.
I figure that isn't the same barrel burnout most people are thinking of.
Varminterror
Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2016
- Messages
- 14,958
Run that out a bit logically and it falls apart. Run a copper/lead solvent and thoroughly clean the bore and it falls apart. Run a land check for bullet jump and it falls apart. Run a borescope to empirically confirm bore condition and it falls apart.
Fouling might increase group size, but it also typically increases velocity because we’re increasing pressure by filling gaps and worse, constricting the cross-sectional bore area. When barrels are wearing out, we observe velocity loss.
Not lead/copper fouling.When we strip copper/lead from a worn out barrel, accuracy doesn’t improve and velocities don’t come back to their starting point.
Not lead/copper fouling.When we measure BTO for our chamber and we find considerable and measurable throat erosion.
Not lead/copper fouling.When we scope the bore, we see a washed leade and firecracked surface in the early bore.
Not lead/copper fouling.I can tell you, however, there are far, far more people who will defend their barrel is NOT worn out when it really is, because it still shoots small groups at 100yrds, than there are people who throw away good barrels because they mistakenly identified a problem as a worn out barrel. In any “barrel life discussion, even this thread, guys will jump in and brag that their rifle has a high round count and still shoots sub-MOA groups - citing round counts with known cartridges which assuredly line up with significant velocity loss and even up to 1/10th of an inch in throat erosion. Shooting sub-MOA isn’t so difficult, and a well tuned load with a forgiving bullet might still shoot small groups at short range. If that’s the only task for the rifle - say, shooting coyotes to 200yrds, a completely smoked barrel might still do the job. Alternatively, the data at longer ranges will be continually changing, and the groups which appear as round clusters at 100yrds will start opening up into vertical strings.
Bald tires will still hold air pressure. But how aggressively you want to drive is on a bald tire is likely different than how you’d be willing to drive on a new tire.
- Status
