Barrel finishes and mirage

[JFrank]

The DA sanded finish with 80 grit is best in my book for mirage

Take a rasp and have go at it

 

[JMayo]

I've wondered why cooling fins aren't on a barrels above the throat area ...... Can't be a new idea so why no experimentation ?

 

[JRS]

I've wondered why cooling fins aren't on a barrels above the throat area ...... Can't be a new idea so why no experimentation ?

There's many reasons why that won't work. Think about it.

 

[Ned Ludd]

Let me guess,it's a production pic of a brush sander head? If not,thanks for posting...... heading towards shop,haha.

It's a section of pipe with cooling fins. I'd love to show up at a match with a barrel that looked like that, if only for the uncomprehending stares it would get.

As far as barrel cooling and mirage, IMO you're better off with a heavy contour barrel without flutes. No amount of fluting will ever release enough heat as compared to an unfluted barrel to prevent it from becoming hotter and hotter at a typical shooting cadence. If it did, a fluted barrel would never become hot, everyone would have one, and we wouldn't be reading this thread. The best the fluting can hope to do is to [possibly] slow the heating process ever so slightly, but more likely it will primarily act to speed the cooling process only after firing has been completed. In other words, the rate at which flutes dissipate heat is far outweighed by the rate at which the heat is generated during firing.

In contrast, a heavy contour unfluted barrel has much greater mass of steel and can absorb more heat before getting screaming hot. Yes, it will heat up, but it will do so at a slower rate, and one that might even be controlled a little better with close attention to the rate of fire. Neither one of these circumstances is ideal, but probably the best we can do in practice. Since the barrel is going to heat up no matter what you do, the cure for mirage is a good mirage band on the barrel, or possibly one of those little fan setups. Nothing else will keep the barrel heat/mirage out of the rifle scope because it's directly in between the scope and the target.

 

[4xforfun]

I haven't used a mirage shield in competition for over 4 seasons now. Use a battery powered Ryobi Fan

I will revise my stance.....shields are the SECOND BEST way to deal with BBL mirage!! I have just recently bought a fan, but haven't quite figured out a way to place it in JUST the right spot.....so...I revert back to the shade till I am better prepared!!

 

[Tim s]

The only decent way for a barrel to cool faster through surface area is fluting, which if not mistaken has been scientifically tested.