Random thought on carbon wrapped barrels.

[std7mag]

So, talking about the advantages of carbon wrapped barrels, the thought occured to me about expansion rates.

Typically a stainless steel "liner) is rifled and wrapped with carbon fibre and "proprietary" epoxy.
Would the diffferent expansion rates between the liner and the epoxy cause them to separate over time with repeated strings of shooting (heat cycles)?

 

[DaveTooley]

Separate might not be the best way to say it but if you're talking about the bond between the CF and the steel, I'm sure it does. If anyone has clamped on the CF to install a barrel, I guarantee you the bond is broken.

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Which poses the question from me; Do they thread and chamber before he wrap?

 

[std7mag]

The chamber area, and the end of the barrel have full diameter of steel. It is "thinned" for the carbon fibre in the rifling area.

So when you clamp the barrel, it is done on the steel of the chamber area.

 

[butchlambert]

Remember the CF barrels retain heat at a greater rate than a steel barrel. Now, If shooting off hand, the LW barrel works like stirring soup. Hard to hold steady.

 

[DaveTooley]

Which poses the question from me; Do they thread and chamber before he wrap?

no
Just got done packing up a Proof barrel in 300 PRC on a Defiance action for shipment.

 

[338 dude]

Which poses the question from me; Do they thread and chamber before he wrap?

No I use proof carbon barrels I buy a blank and have it chambered just like any other barrel

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

Forgive me for being stupid here but are the carbon fiber barrels still a good choice. John turned 18 at Christmas and had his eye on a gun. He shoots remfire, but all he had was a Ruger American bolt action. He is a lefty so he had to cycle over the gun. He was still able to be on the podium, but with a semi the need to come out of position to cycle over was eliminated. So me and his dad broke our no combined gift rule to afford thr Ruger semi. Apparently someone ordered it with the carbon fiber barrel and some other stuff I don't understand from Rutgers custom shop, but the gun store just wanted to get rid of it so the price was right. Now you all got me worried his gun will have problems. John got it on his birthday, his first gun he officially owns. Please don't tell me it's going to peal like a banana or something.


Paula

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Itll be fine. They work well

 

[338 dude]

Forgive me for being stupid here but are the carbon fiber barrels still a good choice. John turned 18 at Christmas and had his eye on a gun. He shoots remfire, but all he had was a Ruger American bolt action. He is a lefty so he had to cycle over the gun. He was still able to be on the podium, but with a semi the need to come out of position to cycle over was eliminated. So me and his dad broke our no combined gift rule to afford thr Ruger semi. Apparently someone ordered it with the carbon fiber barrel and some other stuff I don't understand from Rutgers custom shop, but the gun store just wanted to get rid of it so the price was right. Now you all got me worried his gun will have problems. John got it on his birthday, his first gun he officially owns. Please don't tell me it's going to peal like a banana or something.


Paula

I’ve had three proof research carbon fiber barrels they shoot fine you should have no problems whatsoever

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I dont see any advantage of a cf barrel at all. I have had more issues with them than steel barrels, and we still dont use them on real utralight sheep rifles. Guys burn them out at much higher rates too because they dont feel hot. They are not lighter or stiffer. They do look cool and theres nothing wrong with that. What I see more and more in this industry is parts being pushed by builders that have the highest profit margins. Seems like the "best" choice for you is usually the one the seller makes the most money on.

 

[Zero333]

Alex stirring things up a little.. hehehehe, I like it.

For a rimfire, a carbon wrapped barrel should have no disadvantages.

 

[GNERGY]

I just threaded and chambered one for a friend and was really careful with the whole process, then I saw this video.

Tarey

 

[Drewel]

That guy plays golf like I do......

 

[wwbrown]

I wonder what the guy's swing looks like when he is splitting wood?

 

[DirtySteve]

I wonder what the guy's swing looks like when he is splitting wood?

Like a gold swing maybe.. ???? lol

 

[dgeesaman]

So, talking about the advantages of carbon wrapped barrels, the thought occured to me about expansion rates.

Typically a stainless steel "liner) is rifled and wrapped with carbon fibre and "proprietary" epoxy.
Would the diffferent expansion rates between the liner and the epoxy cause them to separate over time with repeated strings of shooting (heat cycles)?

Yes that’s one of the fundamental reasons why combining composites and metals is so difficult. Well at least to make a stronger, lighter component.

David

 

[divingin]

Would the diffferent expansion rates between the liner and the epoxy cause them to separate over time with repeated strings of shooting (heat cycles)?

Caveat: Not a structural or mechanical engineer. Nor have I shelled out for a carbon fiber wrapped barrel.

The strength (bad choice of word - maybe "asset" would be better?) of a carbon wrapped barrel is in the rigidity of the carbon tube. That tube is located front and back by the shoulders of the steel barrel profile, so it wouldn't have play to move fore and aft (except perhaps a very small amount due to thermal lengthening of the steel.) I would assume that steel has a higher expansion rate than the carbon fiber/resin material, so that's not likely to cause a problem, as it is contained within the tube. Even if the bond between steel and carbon is lost (and I wonder about the strength of the bond in the first place), the overall structure remains largely the same. At least, that's my take on it.

 

[butchlambert]

So, what is the advantage? For real, not what a guy at the gunrange told you.

 

[DangerRanger]

So, what is the advantage? For real, not what a guy at the gunrange told you.

looks cool, doesn’t look like a push pop when you have a can on the end of a sporter barrel.