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barrel types and their differences

3K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  TheF***ingNewGuy 
#1 ·
Would like to know some main differences in different type of barrels and what do they have to offer.

Would like to know what is hammer forge advantage/disadvantage over cold forged? What is difference in stainless steel and previous mentioned barrel? What doese floated mean and chrome lined? What type of barrel has the best proven durability and acruacy when properly taken care of and used?
 
#2 ·
In all the years I've been shooting, I've yet to see irrefutable empirical data that shows one type of barrel outperforming another. Many years ago I used to be hung up on cut rifling as being superior to button rifled barrels. Yet the smallest groups I've ever shot have been out of Benchmark barrels recently, and they are button rifled. Some barrels start off as awesome blanks, but are chambered and crowned by an idiot. If someone gets one of those, and it's got "X" configuration, and the next one they get shoots awesome but is "Y" configuration... they will tell everyone that "X" style barrels are ****, and "Y" style is superior. Tiny sample size and complete lack of experience rarely enters the equation.

So very truly, my only concern with a barrel is but one question: Does it shoot? If yes, I'm happy. Its material, rifling, treatment, or anything else doesn't matter one lick to me as long as it shoots. I've seen all types produce excellent performance, from a great many different barrel makers. This isn't to say that configuration options shouldn't be considered. However, sweeping generalizations should be avoided unless you have a very wide sample size and expert-level experience to quantify it all. Things like twist rate, barrel length, and chamber choice are far more important than the barrel material in most cases. However, if you're barreling a machine gun, obviously that choice will carry some weight as well.

We are truly blessed to live in a time where we have so many different companies producing such exceptional products. They key is to weigh the options for the given application you have in mind, and make the correct choice based on expert experience.
 
#10 ·
Doesn't four groove and 3 groove barrels help with pressure and groove to land ratio? I heard that they don't help accuracy but I've just heard through hearsay that they help the other things.
 
#3 ·
^^^^ what he said^^! I could not even tell you what "kind" of barrel is on my best shooting rifle. As much as I hate to say it, I think it comes down to luck. I have a $300 H&R heavy barrel that can complete with all most anything and seen big money rifles on here that are junk. GOOD LUCK
 
#4 ·
It bears mentioning that some of the top scoring benchrest competitors buy 6-12-30 barrels at a time. I had one guy tell me that he has bought 20 barrels each, from several of the best barrel manufacturers in the world, and out of those 20 barrels, he would only have 3 or 4, maybe a half dozen, that were true winners.
 
#5 ·
That's a big question, and honestly one that sounds like it's coming from somebody who didn't look around the forums first.

In general, any action, and any method of barrel production can be made to produce extreme accuracy.

In general, good cut rifled or broached barrels will shoot well for longer than other types.

And it is not entirely luck. Paying for a premium barrel blank DOES assure you of a greater probability of getting an excellent barrel. With some makers, it is almost a given that yours will be "a good one".

-Nate
 
#7 · (Edited)
Never had a bad Anschutz barrel - That would be unheard of! A German manufacturer letting a bad barrel get fitted to one of its rifles? They'd never allow it... and it's reflected in the testing and price. Anschutz use the button method.

That being said - New barrels are not as good as old barrels, so I have heard. The quality of metal (raw state) has reduced over the years, so a good barrel now won't last as long as a good barrel from, say 1980. I know of several competition guys who source low life older barrels due to this. My take on that though is the metal hardening over time, which explains much better why an old good barrel will out last a new good barrel.

When working in material testing we used to source billets that had sat for years in the corners of warehouses, scrap yards etc, as they had aged hardened in a much more uniform way than any induced age hardening.

If having a barrel made, try to ensure that the raw stock has sat for a good twenty years or so before even touching a machine. You'll get a better life out of it.

Out of interest, here's a YouTube video on barrel manufacturing: [video=youtube;HrmWN0igJY0http]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrmWN0igJY0http://"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrmWN0igJY0http://[/video]
 
#8 ·
A Bench Rest record holder told me on day that "a barrel is a crapshoot". You can buy the same barrel as the "winners" and yet be outshot by a factory barrel.

As for hammer forged barrels they have two main benefits. The process of hammer forging has it's roots in Nazi Germany's need for durable machine gun barrels. Conventional barrels didn't hold up so they developed a method of forming a barrel over a mandrel that included both chamber and rifling. By "Hammering" a blank with a hole drilled in it down on the mandrel the forging strengthens the metal structure and gives a desired bore size and perfectly aligned chamber. Hammer forged barrels have bores that are as smooth as the surface of the mandrel and do not require lapping to prevent copper fouling.

Cut rifling is just that. Metal is cut out with a tool and requires lapping to smooth. The quality of this finish is often the key to fouling, or not.

Button cut rifling is a hybrid of cut rifling and hammer forging. The button "pushes" metal out of the way to form the rifling. Cut and Button cut barrels then have chambers cut in them and the quality of their alignments is in the hands of the Gunsmith and his lathe.


Hammer forged barrels are popular today among large manufacturers (Remington and Sako are a couple) because a barrel can be created in appoximately 20 minutes. Cut rifling is the slowest to produce with button cut faster but not as fast as hammer forged.

Equipment costs also play into the choices used by the barrel makers. Not many smaller barrel makers want to invest nearly a $Million to buy hammer forged barrels and those who built their reputations on cut rifling often started our on WWII surplus rifling "machines".

I am currently shooting a Benchmark button cut 5-C barrel (.308) and the accuracy it produces in a "practical/tactical" rifle is awesome. It replaced a factory hammer forged barrel that was almost as good and lasted over 10K rounds.

If I was in the market for barrels today I'd lean to not just accuracy but barrel life. The advantage, in my opinion, is the Button Cut as it's a tough barrel, doesn't seem to get "shot out" as quick as the cut rifling. With cut and button cut, the choice of chambers is a little broader as they are cut with reamers. Many hammer forged have the chamber formed with the mandrel so you could be limited in choices.

I'm a major fan of Benchmark but that doesn't mean the other barrels out there aren't very capable.
 
#9 ·
I too look for longevity in a barrel and for that reason Gary Schneider will get my business from now on. I have had the pleasure of talking to some former 2112's that work here on base and one was part of the barrel qualifications back in the day. He said they shot 25k rounds through one of Gary's barrels and it still held MOA out to 1000 yards. Another said they would take "shot out" M40A3 barrels and turn them into M1A barrels and they would shoot like new. My only caveat to this is it is for the 308 round which is pretty easy on barrels but still. The less I have to worry about getting a rifle rebarreled the better :).
 
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