gpo1956
Well-Known Member
After following your posts in this thread, I must say, you are quite the contrarian. Certainly makes for interesting reading.
are carbon fiber barrels the wave of the future?
- Thread starter Bigeclipse
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Australia
Well-Known Member
We trialled Christian Arms 6.5cm with a carbon barrel and found that due to the expansion coefficient difference between the inner barrel and outer rap glass - after the first shot we couldnt get a group as it was like haveing your stock touching the barrel - we had two experts {gun smiths of note } check out the problem and still we couldnt get the gun to group after the first shot - if the barrel was cold it wasn't to bad but any steel barrel - particularly hammer forged barrels, are the only way for us in commercial hunting - end of story we got our money back on the 6.5cm
My buddies by CF Gunwerks rifle, while doing some shooting prior to a hunt last November, had the zero and group size shift by a couple of inches. Turned out his front scope flip-cover, which had very little barrel clearance
to start was making very slight contact with the barrel. Not sure whether it was due to heat expansion of the barrel or movement of the scope cover. When the cover was removed, and no longer making contact, all returned to normal.
thwatson2
Well-Known Member
It's not meant to be a replacement. The purpose of the carbon wrap is to stiffen the barrel to keep weight down while dissipating heat. They look cool but are-they really dissipating heat or just keeping heat in? Will barrel life be greater, I don't think so. When I'm shooting my target rifle I like lots of metal. Weight is my friend. So yes, we may see more carbon wrapped barrels in production rifles and having one for a carry rifle is great. like everything we will see flaws like peeling and Uv degradation, but that being said the barrel will probably be wore out by then. Just like a fluted barrel and and skelontized bolts and knobs, it's a fad that will stick around but I doubt it will replace the average hunter's choice. Just my opinion
I like carbon fiber barrels for weight reduction and stiffness. I free float all my barrels completely. Nothing but the rifle action touches glass bedding material and thus, the rifle stock.
Wouldn't pay a penny more for the false claims of improved heat transfer with CF barrels. Simple as that. So with that clarification, really nothing contrary about my posts.
Carbon Fiber wrapped barrel manufacturers claiming heat transfer benefits over steel barrels are attempting to sell some really expensive Pixie Dust.
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Did you say BEER CANS?
Why not try an experiment. Take two rifles same caliber, same load and bullet weight. One steel and one CF. Fire 6 rounds thru the CF and immediately put a temp probe down the barrel, bolt closed. Do the same with the steel barrel also bolt closed. Leave the probe in on both and record initial temp and temp at 1 minute intervals out to say 5 mins. That should answer the question. I don't own a CF barrel or I would do it. If anyone does I'd be interested to know the results.
Better yet, why hasn't any manufacturer provided such test data for their barrels? Simple enough. But much better to confuse us with the gobbledygook running rampant, as far as their sales pitch is concerned.
Lompoc
Well-Known Member
Artical from proof said cf barrels are lighter. No barrel whip as re stronger and cool faster than a ss barrel
Hand Skills
Well-Known Member
All off Proof's articles I've read said their CF wrapped barrels cool faster. And Nosler bullet company's BC values were true also. At least as long as nobody knew better. Then they weren't true. And of course it's true for some that must believe because they own one or more of the products. Feels much better believing it's so. After all, they cost more than twice what a SS barrel costs. They better transfer some heat.
Yeah, I'm a believer, because Proof's sales literature says so. Why would they misrepresent the cooling properties of their carbon barrels. I can't think of any reason. Anybody??? Help... Need some help...
It would be so simple to demonstrate 400% plus increased heat transfer with straightforward empirical test data. Yet none has been presented. Well, let's just take their word for it. Much simpler, and feels much better that way. So I guess that settles it. Their barrels cool like liquid nitrogen. Very cool
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Lompoc
Well-Known Member
I didn't say I drank there cool aid just stated what they said and I don't have one eitherBlast from the past. Gotta keep things real!
