What's the consensus on carbon fiber barrels?

[okie]

I'm having a hard time understanding how it could improve anything but trying to keep an open mind.

[markm]

A buddy just got one for his LMT MWS. I guess weight savings is a positive.

[bamashooter]

Simple stuff but, costly. Lighter, stronger, cooler. Any improved accuracy remains with the shooter.

[okie]

Simple stuff but, costly. Lighter, stronger, cooler. Any improved accuracy remains with the shooter.

When people say "cooler" I can only imagine they're talking about the carbon fiber insulating the barrel, but that has to be the most counterproductive thing you could do for accuracy. It sounds like they're literally wrapping the barrels in a highly insulative material thereby preventing the barrel from dissipating heat. I see how that would stiffen the barrel which could be good for very low volume (like a hunting rifle where you only take one shot), but how it could be productive for an AR barrel I just don't understand.

[VIP3R 237]

When people say "cooler" I can only imagine they're talking about the carbon fiber insulating the barrel, but that has to be the most counterproductive thing you could do for accuracy. It sounds like they're literally wrapping the barrels in a highly insulative material thereby preventing the barrel from dissipating heat. I see how that would stiffen the barrel which could be good for very low volume (like a hunting rifle where you only take one shot), but how it could be productive for an AR barrel I just don't understand.

Carbon fiber by itself is a conductive material, but not nearly as efficient as metal so there’s a misconception that it’s an insulator. That being said I completely torched a proof research barrel on my AR a couple of years ago during a competition season, and I absolutely agree it should be limited to low volume of fire situations.

[okie]

Carbon fiber by itself is a conductive material, but not nearly as efficient as metal so there’s a misconception that it’s an insulator. That being said I absolutely torched a proof research barrel on my AR a couple of years ago during a competition season, and I absolutely agree it should be limited to low volume of fire situations.

I'm mostly just not understanding how the carbon fiber is helping anything on any barrel meant to fire more than one shot consecutively (i.e. anything but a hunting rifle). Seems like it would do nothing but make the bore get hotter faster and make it dissipate that heat slower. I can't think of any reason that it's functionally any different from taking a pencil barrel and wrapping it in insulation.

[lysander]

I'm mostly just not understanding how the carbon fiber is helping anything on any barrel meant to fire more than one shot consecutively (i.e. anything but a hunting rifle). Seems like it would do nothing but make the bore get hotter faster and make it dissipate that heat slower. I can't think of any reason that it's functionally any different from taking a pencil barrel and wrapping it in insulation.

Very, very stiff insulation.

[1168]

This is news to me, and probably everyone else reading this read.

I thought that initially, but I think both are considerations that some people might weight differently. If I’m using a heavy profile barrel, its for precision reasons; if I’m using a medium profile barrel, its partly for heat, and partly for performance. If I’m using a pencil, its because I’m lazy. I’ve been curious about carbon wrap barrels for some time, and I might try one on a bolt one day.

Do carbon wrapped AR barrels tension/pull traction on the underlying steel?

[1168]

I'm not saying it doesn't matter, I'm just saying that a pencil barrel can shoot sub MOA with a cold bore. It's heat expansion from volume that kills AR accuracy, not lack of stiffness or any such thing.

I’ve been trending toward the idea that they aren’t optimal for repeatable precision and accuracy. It seems a little easier to work up a decent load or grab whatever’s on the shelf, and reach your accuracy goals, repeatably. A 3-shot group with 69gr FGMM, sure. Most any barrel can shoot that acceptably. But I’ve got an older Noveske stainless thats thicc and shoots anything pretty well.

My sample size has limits, and I don’t PRS or Benchrest, so I have to defer to the experts. But in my sampling, its been easier to get excellent results with a chubby barrel than a skinny one, at their extremes.

[DG23]

I’ve been trending toward the idea that they aren’t optimal for repeatable precision and accuracy. It seems a little easier to work up a decent load or grab whatever’s on the shelf, and reach your accuracy goals, repeatably. A 3-shot group with 69gr FGMM, sure. Most any barrel can shoot that acceptably. But I’ve got an older Noveske stainless thats thicc and shoots anything pretty well.

My sample size has limits, and I don’t PRS or Benchrest, so I have to defer to the experts. But in my sampling, its been easier to get excellent results with a chubby barrel than a skinny one, at their extremes.

Stick with what you you know here brother because you would be correct...