Re: Threading a barrel without can
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wnroscoe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Wow Chad, 6 posts in and you’re already taking shots at someone that’s only giving the facts.
Check the thread fit of multiple suppressors and get back to us on your findings. I don’t need a $65k CNC Center to know the thread fit varies from suppressor to suppressor. That’s the problem, programs and programmers vary, Ring & Thread Gauges don’t.
I've yet to have a loose suppressor or baffle strike. </div></div>
Oky doke Rosco. We talked on the phone so I'll summarize here.
1. Personally, I don't care what anyone else does as it doesn't affect how I do things. What I mean by that is nothing I said/say should be taken as a personal attack. If I have an issue with anyone I will address them directly. I think my history on other high volume gun forums demonstrates this as I tend to stick to the side of good ol common sense and fact.
Ok, now that we've gotten that out the way.
Gauges are references and I can appreciate wanting to offer a broader range of options for a customer. The problem with the gun world is we are all chest beating Alpha males with our own ideas on what works best. There aren't many standards to reference to.
As discussed on the phone and this is what I'd like everyone to take from this dissertation:
A gun is a pressure vessel. Pressure applies a force at a right angle to whatever it contacts. It also takes the path of least resistance. When the trigger gets pulled and the boiler room starts cooking the path of least resistance is pushing that bullet forward. Duh, we know this.
The last half inch of a barrel is where I get concerned. I've installed more muzzle brakes than I can count. I've made hundreds of the dumb things too. I generally only install an aftermarket brake from one manufacturer; Vaise. The reason is they will turn/single point the threads on the brake to whatever pitch I ask from them. (Great guys!)
There's a reason for this. I want the maximum wall thickness from the major ID of the barrel to the root diameter of the external thread I'm going to be putting on the barrel. The reason for this is I personally feel (and as covered in the phone call, I have no scientific data, it's an opinion I've developed over the course of installing a bunch of these things) that over time the pressure from shooting will begin to bellmouth the bore and lead to a progressive deterioration in accuracy. It's been long stated that muzzle braked guns don't shoot as well as ones w/o brakes. I don't personally think it's all the brake's fault. I think it may just have to do with the thinner wall thickness.
To further emphasize this. I once worked in a competitive high performance automotive machine shop that contracted to a successful NHRA Competition Eliminator dragster team. At the compression ratios those engines ran we would see the bore distort over time around TDC. We began to use taller deck blocks with very heavy deck thicknesses and the problem went away, engines made more power, and we won more races.
An ultra high compression (to the order of 18.6:1) engine develops around 10Kpsi of cylinder pressure on the power stroke. A rifle barrel is exponentially higher. So, what I'm proposing seems pretty reasonable to me.
I support the idea of minimizing the gap between the external pitch diameter of the barrel threads and the internal pitch diameter of whatever is being attached to the end of the barrel because I personally feel it will aid in mitigating any possible expansion of the bore.
Blue sky high minded crap? Certainly possible. I will confess that as being possible since it's a personal opinion.
Temper it though with knowing that for three years I personally either barreled, or supervised the barreling, every single rifle that went out the doors of Nesika Bay Precision and Dakota Arms, Inc. (around 40+ barreled actions a week) A good portion of these rifles were chambered in some of the highest performance cartridges that anyone dares to shoot from a shoulder. I'd like to think I learned something from that experience.
That's my opinion on the matter. Sorry if I offended anyone, it certainly wasn't intended.
All the best,
Chad
