FLUTED BARRELS - GOOD OR BAD

[Lefty223]

Sorry, this is incorrect.

... and yet you provide soooooooooooooooo much detail in response, that you should run for public office.

[ScottsBad]

First, an un-fluted round barrel is stronger before it is fluted.

There is a slight improvement in cooling for a fluted barrel simply because it presents more surface to the air.

A fluted barrel will be lighter by the amount of material removed.

That's it.

But there are other things to consider:

1. How does the fluting process affect the surrounding remaining material?
2. How does the heating and cooling of a fluted barrel impact accuracy? Does expansion and contraction happen evenly given different thicknesses of material?
3. How does radical (Glamor) fluting impact accuracy Vs. straight fluting? Intuitively, spiral fluting would seem to be one of the worst for ensuring even expansion and contraction, but I could be wrong.

I just purchased my first fluted barrel. A Faxon "Match Series" Heavy Barrel with "Flame" fluting and a Wylde chamber. I'm looking forward to see how well it shoots as it heats up.

[markm]

Remember that barrel dimpling nonsense from several years ago?

[gunnerblue]

Personally, I've never noticed any appreciable difference in weight reduction or heat transfer/cooling between barrels with flutes and those without. I think it's mostly a cosmetic issue. I do find fluting attractive so I don't mind if a gun comes with them, but wouldn't pay as an extra option.

[tom12.7]

As simple of a question that the OP asked, the answers can be more complex for some. With an end goal of maintaining a precision requirement, this can be lengthy when done in detail. There's a lot going on for possibilities, with the base premise of the position of the muzzle end of the bore maintaining a more consistent location during the exit of the projectile from the bore within the line of sight used for the purposes of aiming. Other caveats can enter in for actual usage, other than what is used by a decent design team, as outside variables have been known to add in there own variables, pro's and con's. It's not the concept that heavy or light round barrels are good or bad, nor fluted or not, nor the mentioned dimples or not, nor the location of referencing of that barrel as a standard. There's more than that, but the base premise remains a preferred choice or choices for an application that suits the end user for a satisfactory result.

[MegademiC]

Op, all things being equal, with 2 barrels of the same weight, a fluted barrel will be more accurate and keep its accuracy to a higher temperature, assuming a quality barrel maker.

That said, the impact is going to be small.

[MegademiC]

Sorry, this is incorrect.

If you are talking about strength to weight ratio, then no, he is correct.
Same weight and length, a hollow tube offers higher strength than a solid one.
Also, flutes offer better cooling due to increased surface area and higher temp exposed to air for radiation (bottom of flutes), compared to a barrel of equal mass.

[MegademiC]

Remember that barrel dimpling nonsense from several years ago?

KAC did it. I would call it cost prohibitive. Cost aside, it makes sense.

Edit- sorry, meat to combine posts, not post a trifecta.

[AKDoug]

Never mind.

[tom12.7]

Op, all things being equal, with 2 barrels of the same weight, a fluted barrel will be more accurate and keep its accuracy to a higher temperature, assuming a quality barrel maker.

That said, the impact is going to be small.

This assumes some "givens, that are not "givens".