Fluting Barrels

[snert]

it lightens the wallet

 

[butchlambert]

it lightens the wallet

Only if you have to pay for it.

 

[snert]

Yes, good point. If you charge for it I guess it makes your wallet heavier...

 

[Cloudrepair]

One thing i know is stress is in everthing and hard to get out so that needs to be considered
Why i cut one rotate 180 cut and so on.
Now i flutted one once and it shot them all into one hole sideways after but that is another story. I think there is value in flutting and the apeal but i cant find time to test half of my experiments let alone one more.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

If the strips of metal removed by fluting were bonded back on the barrel between the flutes, what would that do to how stiff the barrel is?

Marine tex or jb weld?

 

[Bart B.]

Marine tex or jb weld?

Neither. Chips from fluting would be turned into welding rods. You can figure out what happens next. Much better bond than epoxies.

 

[Cloudrepair]

Neither. Chips from fluting would be turned into welding rods. You can figure out what happens next. Much better bond than epoxies.

I would like to see that done right
That would take some skill there (without inducing more stress then it had when it was cut) like cutting a z shaped angle out of a bar of 303-316

 

[Brians356]

It’s my understanding that fluting needs to happen before final lapping. Tim North of Broughton Barrels requires this along with double heat stress relief. If a barrel is finished and shipped to you, and then you get it fluted I can see where a company wouldn’t want that. Tim contours the barrel then sends it out for fluting. Then he double heat treats for any stress and final laps. I had been very happy with Broughton barrels that are fluted. They are hunting rifles.

Gordy Gritters' essay on slugging and lapping barrels mentions encountering fluted barrels having significantly expanded bore diameter under the fluted section.
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[Bart B.]

Gordy Gritters' essay on slugging and lapping barrels mentions encountering fluted barrels having significantly expanded bore diameter under the fluted section.
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Some learned that profiling a hammer forged bull barrel resulted in bore diameters smaller in some areas.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Some learned that profiling a hammer forged bull barrel resulted in bore diameters smaller in some areas.

Ive learned to not even inspect or otherwise waste time with a hammer forged barrel period much less waste time testing anything on there. Ive never had an issue with fluted barrels but ive always done my own

 

[corning]

By the way, Bart B., I can understand why some prefer to remain anonymous by not using their full name...

Bart is his real name, and he is a long time competitive shooter. I met him back in the 1980's at Camp Perry. I'll let him convey his last name.

Merry Christmas!

John

 

[jamesdmock]

Needed to post this of Skip's group with his fluted Shilen barrel.

That is a great group, but it was not shot by Skip. It was shot at St. Louis by the late Tom Libby. The fingers shown holding the target belong to Ron Hoehn's daughter, who was helping George Kelbly, Jr. score that day. The reason that I know this is that I took that picture. Good shooting....James PS- Skip shot a "zero" at 200 yards at Phoenix with a fluted Shilen and I believe his was the first 200 yard "zero" in registered competition.

 

[butchlambert]

That is a great group, but it was not shot by Skip. It was shot at St. Louis by the late Tom Libby. The fingers shown holding the target belong to Ron Hoehn's daughter, who was helping George Kelbly, Jr. score that day. The reason that I know this is that I took that picture. Good shooting....James PS- Skip shot a "zero" at 200 yards at Phoenix with a fluted Shilen and I believe his was the first 200 yard "zero" in registered competition.

Sorry James, guess I got it mixed up. The one below is Skip's group. Not as pretty as Tom's, but still a record at the time.

 

[boltfluter]

Sorry James, guess I got it mixed up. The one below is Skip's group. Not as pretty as Tom's, but still a record at the time.

That is an amazing group! I would be happy to just shoot one like that in my lifetime!

Paul

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Sorry James, guess I got it mixed up. The one below is Skip's group. Not as pretty as Tom's, but still a record at the time.

The wind deniers need to take a look at that sighter target and see what wind does at 200yds and see the skill it took to shoot that group

 

[butchlambert]

The wind deniers need to take a look at that sighter target and see what wind does at 200yds and see the skill it took to shoot that group

Dusty, I really studied his sighter and wondered WTF!

 

[jamesdmock]

I really miss the argum…., err discussions I had with Skip. Once he found something that worked for him, he stuck to it. He shot only Shilen barrels, Panda actions, 15 twist barrels that were fluted by himself. He even fluted his unlimited barrels. Also, he shot only sporter and unlimited rifles. Another one of his quirks was that he shot only green rifles. Skip was a "I would rather do it myself" type of person. He was a great machinist and a great ambassador for Benchrest shooting.

 

[Ccrider]

No definitive answer. Any other way to shave 5 to 6 ounces off of a rifle?

 

[sdean]

Just cut some off the end!!

 

[jamesdmock]

It seems that we have gone to comparing apples to oranges, tangerines or ?? When talking about stiffness, we venture off into sag of a cantilever devise. Let me propose this scenario, a 1/2 inch plastic straw, 24 inches long will "sag" less than a 1/2 inch steel rod, 24 inches long. Is the straw "stiffer" than the steel rod? This threads brings back those fond memories of Skip. Good shooting....James