Carbon fiber barrel longevity?

[Bigeclipse]

I may save up for one but im concerned about longevity and not due to being shot out but rather that carbonfiber and the glue used to bind it degrades over time and this just speeds up in sunlight. Do we know how long these barrels would be good for? Thanks!

 

[Orange Dust]

I hope I don't ever find out that is an issue. My new rifle has a Proof carbon barrel screwed on it. I would say buy with confidence. It shoots really well.

 

[lancetkenyon]

If you are worried about that.....you aren't shooting enough!

In all seriousness, I highly doubt that will become an issue unless you have a "truck gun" that you leave in the rear window year round.

I have shot out a few barrels. Anywhere from 3 to 15 years depending on frequency of shooting and load.

I do know that I have REALLY come to like Proof barrels. I have 4 of my own now, and am getting parts together for my 5th. I have also shot about 20 others. Every one has been a tack driver.

 

[djfriesen]

Interesting question. That's not what I was expecting after reading the thread title. Hopefully someone with industry experience chimes in. I think of CF in the motorsports industry. I assume they see way more frequent sun exposure, and probably more drastic temp swings, than barrel wraps. Curious what kind of life spans they get out of those motorcycle exhaust shrouds or car hoods?

Maybe it's too much apples to oranges. I don't know enough about the materials science to know how similar they would be.

 

[Orange Dust]

Remember, barrels are a "consumable" Carbon barrels have some advantages, stiffness vs weight being the big one. You can build a rifle that shoots like a heavy barrel gun and save a pound. You can also shoot them a few more times before barrel heat causes mirage in the scope. They are not better or worse than a steel barrel of the same size and quality. They look cool. They are nearly twice the price for the same quality. If it seems worth it, buy one. I finally did.

 

[cohunt]

Cf is close to the same as fiberglass--- it's just a woven cloth used as a strengthening fiber mesh then impregnated with epoxy so it would be based more on what epoxy they use than the cloth.
Fiberglass corvettes from as early as 1953 have dealt with heat, cold, snow, rain, wind and sun and are still around today . Poor build qc could show delam issues but generally it should be a sound product for a long time. Impacts are the death of cloth/epoxy as it causes issues with the resins. If you are concerned about uv stabilization of the resin you can always add a paint or uv stabilizer clear coat over the resin.
If they use nano fibers and nano resins it increases the strength and quality and decreases the internal flaws and voids.
The resins are the key to strength and longevity, the fibers are just reinforcement like rebar in concrete. As long as their resins are capable of withstanding the heat generated by the barrel and some uv protection from the sun it should/could easily last a life time.
If anything, I would be concerned with the galvanic corosion/compatability of the resin and steel barrel. Early cf bike frames had cf tubes epoxied to aluminum joints and had galvanic corrosion compatibility issues between the epoxy and aluminum.

 

[Bigeclipse]

Remember, barrels are a "consumable" Carbon barrels have some advantages, stiffness vs weight being the big one. You can build a rifle that shoots like a heavy barrel gun and save a pound. You can also shoot them a few more times before barrel heat causes mirage in the scope. They are not better or worse than a steel barrel of the same size and quality. They look cool. They are nearly twice the price for the same quality. If it seems worth it, buy one. I finally did.

Id be buying one because I like thicker barrels but hate how much they weigh but I do not shoot enough to wear a barrel out. When I buy a barrel I personally do not think of it as consumable in the sense you do. I likely would not wear the barrel out for at least 15 years if not 20+ so I would want to know if the carbonfiber and resin bits would last that long.

 

[cohunt]

from 1960-1965 winchester sold the model 59 ultralight semi auto shotgun (hey, they are now 59 years old!)-- it had an ultra thin steel barrel wrapped in fiberglass/epoxy--its downfall was 3 fold--1st was that is was so light it was hard to shoot as it had considerable muzzle flip, 2nd was the myth that the barrels would blow up because they were just fiberglass, 3rd was that the aluminum receivers often cracked just behind the bolt handle from heavy loads--you can still buy them today, and if the receiver is not cracked you can still safely shoot them

I would bet that the steel liner in a CF barrel would be enough steel alone to be safe ( just look at the kimber 300wsm mtn ascent-- those tiny 7/16" threaded muzzles haven't split yet-- the CF makes them lighter and add stiffness to the ultra thin barrels and dampen the harmonic whip of steel--some manufactures claim they have heat dissipating properties, I'm not totally convinced of that sine both CF and most epoxies are actually insulators (though if manufactured correctly they can be conductors)

 

[Orange Dust]

from 1960-1965 winchester sold the model 59 ultralight semi auto shotgun (hey, they are now 59 years old!)-- it had an ultra thin steel barrel wrapped in fiberglass/epoxy--its downfall was 3 fold--1st was that is was so light it was hard to shoot as it had considerable muzzle flip, 2nd was the myth that the barrels would blow up because they were just fiberglass, 3rd was that the aluminum receivers often cracked just behind the bolt handle from heavy loads--you can still buy them today, and if the receiver is not cracked you can still safely shoot them

I would bet that the steel liner in a CF barrel would be enough steel alone to be safe ( just look at the kimber 300wsm mtn ascent-- those tiny 7/16" threaded muzzles haven't split yet-- the CF makes them lighter and add stiffness to the ultra thin barrels and dampen the harmonic whip of steel--some manufactures claim they have heat dissipating properties, I'm not totally convinced of that sine both CF and most epoxies are actually insulators (though if manufactured correctly they can be conductors)

I think I would go with "Insulator" from the little bit I've played with mine.

 

[Orange Dust]

Id be buying one because I like thicker barrels but hate how much they weigh but I do not shoot enough to wear a barrel out. When I buy a barrel I personally do not think of it as consumable in the sense you do. I likely would not wear the barrel out for at least 15 years if not 20+ so I would want to know if the carbonfiber and resin bits would last that long.

LOL They quickly became "Consumables" when I became addicted to stupidly overbore magnums.

 

[cohunt]

I think I would go with "Insulator" from the little bit I've played with mine.

yes, that is my thought too-- they seem to never really heat up on the outside, which tells me they have insulating properties and push the heat into the steel--but I am sure not all CF barrels are the same--- each manufacture seems to have their own CF wrap and I'm assuming they would be using "proprietary" resins too so I hate to make the generalization that all of them are insulators as some claim to be using "conductive" materials

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I now have two. One from Christensen on a RUM and another from Carbon Six on a 308. They both seem to keep heat in as the barrel never gets hot to the touch like steel.

FWIW I am looking at a #4/magnum contour or similar for my next rifle. Same weight...ish and seems to have the same stability for me.

The big barrels are sexy though!

 

[Deleted member 25294]

I now have two. One from Christensen on a RUM and another from Carbon Six on a 308. They both seem to keep heat in as the barrel never gets hot to the touch like steel.

FWIW I am looking at a #4/magnum contour or similar for my next rifle. Same weight...ish and seems to have the same stability for me.

The big barrels are sexy though!

Yeah I was flirting with the idea of going CF, but after lots and lots of research it sounds like nothing beats real steel.
My 26" #4's (.700 at the muzzle) with spiral fluting weigh under 3.5 lbs, and according to the smiths I've talked to are stiffer than CF barrels and will cool faster.
Who know's I've never owned a CF barrel..

 

[Litehiker]

Proof Research winds their CF around the barrel in intertwined, overlapping strands "Maypole" fashion. I have SWIX brand Norwegian made XC racing CF ski poles made this way and it is STRONG and very stiff. Only Proof makes their CF barrel wrap this way which is why I prefer their CF barrels if I ever decided to buy one.

Eric B.