teflon coated barrels ?

[Bob S.]

Does the teflon coating on a barrel help or hinder the cooling characteristics? Anything noticable with POI due to harmonics changes?

 

[4ked Horn]

I don't have anything to back this up other than my own life experiences but it seems to me that since teflon is less of a heat conductor than the metal barrel it would therefore slow the cooling process.

As for the harmonic part of your question I would guess that it could go either way. It might dampen vibration or it might not. It does have a different expansion rate then metal as it heats up but would it matter? I doubt it.

 

[Len Backus]

I remember three years ago having a black carbon fiber wrapped barrel. One day I left it sitting in the sun for an hour before shooting in a fun match. Its barrel became almost too hot to comfortably pick up. I don't think that dark color helps cool a barrel.

Teflon is usually a dark color, my last one was black. I don't use teflon for a barrel any more.

 

[Bob S.]

Len - What do you use now? Is there something other than teflon to coat a barrel? I like the wear of stainless but don't want the shine. Can stainless be blued?

 

[LB]

Most people use a vibratory sander while turning the barrel in the lathe, or just plug it and bead blast it. But, the vibratory method doesn't show scratches.

 

[Len Backus]

I don''t know if you can blue it. (Any gunsmiths out there?)

You could bead-blast it or sandpaper it. I have decided not to worry about the shine for a long range hunting too.

 

[Brent]

Bead blasted SS when blued will turn several shades darker grey, not sure how much darker it looks on a polished SS surface though.

I could take some pix if you're interested, blued next to non blued SS, both bead blasted?

My Dad likes the darker finish of the blued SS.

 

[rost495]

If its stainless its resistant a bit to weather already. What about a cheapy way? Heat resistant flat black enamel? Touch up would be easy. Used it on my TC Encore MZ barrel and so far so good..... I know its not professional but it works to this point.

Jeff

 

[Bob S.]

Brent - What are you using to blue the stainless? I'm in the process of rebluing an old chrome moly barrel and the blueing says will not work on stainless. Maybe it would work if it was blasted first I don't know. I would be interested in the pictures you mentioned.

 

[chris matthews]

First blueing for SS is called Black Oxide and is a bit more complicated than normal hot blueing for CM.
Second, you are splitting atoms when you are worrying about teflon changing the harmonics and or cooling rate. But like Len mentioned a darker color soaks up the sun.
Third , teflon comes in a just about any color you want- black, tan, pink, and even a clear coat I believe.

 

[Bob S.]

Chris - I suspected harmonics and cooling effects would be minimal. I was just curious if anything was known about it.
How is the black oxide applied? How tough is it? I'm just kicking ideas around on how to take the shine out of a stainless barrel. Does the teflon work better than the oxide? As a smith what do you recommend? I'm not against just leaving it alone either.

 

[chris matthews]

Blueing is black oxide. The gun industry calls it blueing, the rest of the industrial world calls it black oxide. It just takes diferent salts, etc to "blue" SS. It wears just the same as CM blueing. I prefer teflon but there is nothing wrong with black oxide or Krylon for that matter.

 

[Bob S.]

Chris - Thanks for the info. I've seen pics of some of your work and noticed alot of them are teflon coated. How tough is teflon to put on? Can the average joe do it or does it take special equip/skills? Are the barrels ordered that way or when in the build process are they coated? Is the reciever coated as well?

 

[chris matthews]

Teflon takes a bunch of equipment- bead blaster, HVLP spray gun, oven etc....
It is put on the action, bolt, and barrel at the end of the build process.