View Full Version : Recountouring / fluting a barrel : Stainless vs CMV/Chrome Moly
Can a STAINLESS barrel be aggressively recountoured into government profile?
I have a Stainless SPR-type profile barrel that I intend to reprofile or flute in order to save weight. I've been reading that this type of jobs might affect the barrel accuracy, although I'm not really a sub-MOA kind of shooter. I just want a acceptable-accuracy of 1-2 MOA at 200 yards.
I've done this before on a C/Moly HBAR and I really loved that barrel.
I've heard good results from re-profiling at http://www.ar15barrels.com/services.shtml among others. However my limited research on fluting showed that this is not a good idea after a certain point in the barrel making process. Sorry I can't back that up, but you can probably google it.
AR15barrels
09-21-10, 19:03
No problem to contour to an A1 profile on a stainless 5.56 barrel, but I would not go any thinner.
Contouring will reduce MUCH more weight than simply fluting.
I suggest a compromise contour of around 0.650" to 0.700" under the handguards and then leaving the front of the barrel from the gas block seat forward alone.
This will remove a significant amount of weight from your SPR profile barrel.
Do you have their contact info?
Thanks
Can a STAINLESS barrel be aggressively recountoured into government profile?
I have a Stainless SPR-type profile barrel that I intend to reprofile or flute in order to save weight. I've been reading that this type of jobs might affect the barrel accuracy, although I'm not really a sub-MOA kind of shooter. I just want a acceptable-accuracy of 1-2 MOA at 200 yards.
I've done this before on a C/Moly HBAR and I really loved that barrel.
Would a decent compromise be recontouring the barrel forward of the gas block and fluting the barrel behind the gas block? The fluting would help maintain rigidity and still remove a bit of weight, and the forward recontouring would shave more weight from the front.
-B
Go 0.650 under the HG and add this: http://www.jprifles.com/1.4.5_hs.php
El Pistolero
01-05-11, 22:14
How does that heat sink affect accuracy in regards to a free-floated barrel? Seems like hanging a heat sink off a barrel would be detrimental to accuracy but I've never seen that before so I can only speculate.
I don't have one, so I am speculating...If you were "hanging it off" the barrel and exerting sling/bipod pressure against the end of the barrel, then yeah. But it appears the 2 halves are screwed around the barrel along its length, and you'd carefully choose a FF HG which doesn't touch it, so I don't see any issue. I don't think JP is selling snake oil, however you'd have to decide if it makes sense for you, and if not it looks easy enough to uninstall.
El Pistolero
01-05-11, 22:58
Interesting piece nonetheless. Probably not something I would put on a fighting rifle but on a varmint or competition rig I can see the benefit.
I just posted that as a curiosity. What I'd really do is call Randall.
Here is what I went thru :
My BCM Midlength 16" 1/8 NM 410 ST stripped barrel originally weighed 33.2oz (940.0 gms).
Initially, I just had it fluted six below the handguard and forward of the gas block. New weight was 31.0oz (880.0 gms).
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii202/akula_88/long/aq/800_IMG_2752.jpg
After I started this thread and got convinced, I had the under the handguard re-contoured to .675". It's current weight is now 27.4oz (780gms).
I really felt that I handle target-to-target movement better with a lighter barrel. No significant changes on the accuracy as far as 100 yards is concerned.
How much did losing those 6 ounces cost?
I just saw that now Noveske is selling a lightweight profile stainless steel barrel in 18". I sent them an email asking if they were going to do a 16".
Click click boom (http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?item_id=16nst-556&cat=147&page=1&search=&since=&status=).
Separate barrels will probably be available in time.
-B
Click click boom (http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?item_id=16nst-556&cat=147&page=1&search=&since=&status=).
Separate barrels will probably be available in time.
-B
Yeah, not sure why N doesn't offer all of their barrels they make, stripped, to the general consumer - it's probably a good thing for my wallet. :sarcastic:
http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?item_id=b-16lw-556&cat=147&page=1&search=&since=&status=
It seems the lightweight 16" barrels are all under the NST section of the site.
http://noveskerifleworks.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?item_id=b-16lw-556&cat=147&page=1&search=&since=&status=
It seems the lightweight 16" barrels are all under the NST section of the site.
WHOA!!!!!!! They JUST posted their lightweight NST 16" barrel on their sight TODAY!
CRAP my wife is going to kill me. "Honey it's called an addiction. Brand new Noveske barrels are the only cure." WHAM!
Lightweight Reece build here I come. Now, which 1-4x should I go with? Is the MK4 true 1x?
I sent them, Noveske, and email asking if there was any accuracy difference between the lightweight and medium barrels. But the lightweight is a good 6 ounces lighter.
A bit off topic, but I hated the MK4. The Trijicon TR24G was much nicer. There are several threads about the TR24 in the optics forum, and I'm sure you'll come across why post on why I hate the MK4.
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