I have a Stiller Tac 300 Action with a 24" Krieger in the M24 contour I believe. It's about .950/.925 at the muzzle. I was wanting to know if the barrel could be fluted since it is already chambered in the 6.5-06 cartridge? The barrel is a beast, but I was wanting it fluted for dropping some weight and for the simple look that it gives the rifle. I have a GA Precision Rock fully custom with the same contour but has deep flutes.
Gunsmithing Barrel Fluting!
- Thread starter Willie Miller V
- Start date
I've had barrels fluted after final assembly and it's had any affects on accuracy. They have all been cut rifles barrels. There are a few guys in here that do it for a living that will let you know for sure how deep they can go though.
My 260 started life as an m40 taper at 27". It shot great but was too nose heavy with a can so I sent it out to get REALLY deep flutes. It shoots just as good now but is a lot nicer to shoot off hand when I want to also. YMMV
My 260 started life as an m40 taper at 27". It shot great but was too nose heavy with a can so I sent it out to get REALLY deep flutes. It shoots just as good now but is a lot nicer to shoot off hand when I want to also. YMMV
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You'll get mixed opinions of the subject. It can make a subtle difference in weight, balance. And yes they look good.
I fluted a bunch of my own barrels and there was no degradation of accuracy. I like it bc it looks cool. That said it serves no purpose. Kampfeld customs is the place to send it when and if you are ready.
It serves no purpose? I dropped about a pound of barrel weight. Better balance and handiness are good purposes aren't they?
But yeah, they look cool too
But yeah, they look cool too
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It serves no purpose? I dropped about a pound of barrel weight. Better balance and handiness are good purposes aren't they?
But yeah, they look cool too
I prefer to get the correct weight/contour barrel from the get go. I know, I know. I'm just strange that way.
I normally do to but sometimes you make due with what you have. The op said he already has a heavy m24 barrel. Why get rid of it and start over with a thinner or shorter barrel when he can flute this one?
I'm not saying everyone should run fluted barrels or everyone shouldn't. If flutes bother you, then don't get them. That's a pretty simple solution I would say.
I'm not saying everyone should run fluted barrels or everyone shouldn't. If flutes bother you, then don't get them. That's a pretty simple solution I would say.
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In May of last year we launched a Group Buy where fluting was/is an option.
Have done several hundred barrels. Staight, helical, skip, etc.
Not one has come back with an accuracy issue.
if it were as taboo as some claim, why do barrel makers offer it as a piece job service?
C.
Have done several hundred barrels. Staight, helical, skip, etc.
Not one has come back with an accuracy issue.
if it were as taboo as some claim, why do barrel makers offer it as a piece job service?
C.
There has been a belief that fluting will stress relieve those parts of the barrel (removing metal, reduces the barrel wall thickness) possibly changing the internal bore geometry and impacting accuracy. Theoretically that is true, but I suspect in practice any changes in the bore are so small to be negligible. Also typically the fluting stops a couple inches from the muzzle, so the bore geometry returns to "normal".
Also cut rifled barrels are perceived to take fluting better as there is less latent stress in the barrel, rather than button rifled barrels where the rifling is swaged into the bore with resulting more latent stress. The idea is fluting will stress relieve resulting in sub-optimal accuracy. Again from a quality barrel blank, I don't know how much is reality and how much is theoretical.
Can someone with more experience/empirical data with fluted and unfluted barrels chime in?
That said however, I am not a fan of barrel fluting.
Also cut rifled barrels are perceived to take fluting better as there is less latent stress in the barrel, rather than button rifled barrels where the rifling is swaged into the bore with resulting more latent stress. The idea is fluting will stress relieve resulting in sub-optimal accuracy. Again from a quality barrel blank, I don't know how much is reality and how much is theoretical.
Can someone with more experience/empirical data with fluted and unfluted barrels chime in?
That said however, I am not a fan of barrel fluting.
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hahaha got me thereIt serves no purpose? I dropped about a pound of barrel weight. Better balance and handiness are good purposes aren't they?
But yeah, they look cool too
Won't look near the same. I love flutes and heavier contoured barrels. I think we the fluters verses not fluters may just need to agree to disagree on this topic. It seems to come up a lot. It all comes down to personal preference.
I must be a closet fluter. I actually fluted my barrels myself. I probably did 8 or 9 and decided the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. That said, they do look cool.
I am always bum fuzzled by the old removing metal by fluting opens up the bore theory and then the same people will remove .250" of the diameter off the last inch of the barrel and thread it think that is perfectly fine. I have fluted a bunch of barrels and never seen any difference other than weight and looks. Same for any other operation done to the barrel.
Gary
Gary
Just my input, my Bartlien was cut,crowned, and chambered before fluting. It took 10 3/16" deep flutes and it produces 1/4 MOA at 100 and half MOA at 890. No complaints here
Add another couple hundred that I have done with not one complaint of accuracy issues. Many people need to take machining 101 when it comes to fluting.
Regards, Paul
Read this. Rifling Machines & Methods:Amazon:Books
Changes in bore demensions relating to the barrel profile (not fluting) are discussed in detail. That is probably where it comes from. I believe it is the only book on this subject matter. Basically the process by which the barrel was made determines if/how the bore will open or close. In most cases it's so small the majority of us wouldn't be able to detect it.
All my fluted barrels hammer
If you take the time to slug a barrel before fluting and then after..... esp.after final lapping......you will find bore size has changed...... usually getting bigger...... this will cause a barrel to lose it`s edge sooner.....
bill larson
I'll buy that the bore can open up by fluting. Since it's not fluted to the end wouldn't that act like a choke and either help or not change accuracy? 22lr barrel with the last bit just a little tighter, or choked, actually shoot very well.
I've been fluting barrels for almost 20 years. #2 contours and up, precision stress relieved cut and buttoned rifled barrels. Never had a problem.
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Do you chant whilst your eyes roll back into your head as you do it?
That with some burning incense and a voodoo queen sprinkling chicken blood on the barrel. Works every time.
I once watched a guy assembling a small block chevy head. He was putting the valve in it then sliding the O-ring seal onto the stem then installing the spring assembly. After he made a comment about how he didn't think those seals did any good, I asked him how long he had been installing them like that. He said about 30 years.
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