Dont laugh at this question.

[4ked Horn]

This may be a silly question and I considered adding it to the end of my .280 ackley topic to hide it but I thought that just maybe someone else out there could benifit from the answers here too.

OK, Here goes. When the people here speak of having a 26" or 28" barrel ar they measuring it in the same way as the gun catalogs measure them. That being the total length of the barrel as if it were unscrewed from the rifle and sitting on the table? Or are they speaking of the length of the bore in front of the chamber?

I know the answer is probably overall length but just wanted to be absolutely certain.

[Nighthawk]

Ha ha ha ha [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Just kidding, actually I have always wondered that myself, but have yet to find out the answer.

[Brent]

Not a stupid question at all. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

It's measured from the muzzle to the boltface.

Effective barrel length is measured from the muzzle to the base of the bullet as it is seated in the chambered cartridge.

[james_ogburn]

Drop a cleaning rod down your barrel until it contacts your closed bolt face. Mark the rod at the muzzle, pull it out, and measure it. That's your length! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[JR]

Yeah,

Generally if a customer orders a 28" barrel from us, it will finish at 28" from the back of the chamber to the face of the muzzle..Not 28" of rifling, unless that is specified..

JR

[Brent]

When you order a barrel, you'll be telling them the finish length (boltface to muzzle) you want, they're not concerned with your effective length (bullet base to muzzle).

The barrel will come in about an inch, inch and a half longer than specified so it can be finished at, or slightly longer than the specified length.

Effective length is also rarely refered to, chamber face to muzzle is. In other words, if someone tells you they have a 30" effective barrel length, and they're refering its overall length, boltface to muzzle, that would be highly unlikely, also inaccurate.

For comparisons and such, 99.999% of people are offering barrel length numbers based on muzzle to boltface, or muzzle to receiver face.

Muzzle to boltface is however the correct OAL, but about 1" longer than muzzle to receiver face, which is really a not too much of an issue.

Effective barrel length is most often used to determine the percentage of propellent burned, pressure at the muzzle, barrel time, load efficiency and such.

[Nighthawk]

Maybe I missed something here, but lets say I buy a 36" barrel, how much of that will b threaded into the action?