are carbon fiber barrels the wave of the future?

[Kmccord]

How does spiral fluting add weight to a barrel when they are removing steel to make the fluting?

 

[Trey1096]

When they remove material to spiral flute a barrel, it reduces the effective diameter of the barrel to the diameter at the base of the flutes. This means the stiffness is the same as barrel with a diameter equal to that at the base of the flutes, except that it has all that wasted flute material.

A straight fluted barrel is different. Since the flutes are straight, they can transmit the extreme fiber stress down the barrel length in that axis. The effective diameter of a straight fluted barrel is less than the original diameter, but greater than the diameter at the base of the flutes.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Trey1096]

You can think of a spiral fluted barrel as being a small diameter barrel wrapped in cosmetic flutes. With a straight fluted barrel, the flutes are structural load carrying elements.

These are generalizations, but basically true.

With the CF, the carbon wrap acts in a composite manner with the steel core. They both contribute strength. I would think the main two stresses would be bursting and bending. The CF wrap can be oriented at different angles to add bursting strength or to add stiffness. So 2 CF wraps, each with the same fiber and f/r ratio, could have drastically different properties because of differences in fiber orientation.

 

[Old Fox]

I have found Carbon Fiber barrels to be good on small rifles for the weight but on heavy calibers I just see more recoil!

 

[J E Custom]

Until recently, carbon fiber barrels have been reserved for the expensive custom rifle market. We are now starting to see more and more barrel makers making these carbon fiber barrels and recently Savage has even released a production rifle with a CF barrel at a bargain if you ask me. Will we see CF barrels hit mainstream rifles? Will they become common place and basically end regular rifle barrels as we have today? Just curious. Partially because will this hurt the value of modern rifles. For example, a rifle from the 90s can still fetch a decent price since there aren't too many differences from them compared to rifles from a few years ago but if CF barrels become common practice, future generations may not want regular barrels making the common rifles now much less value. Thoughts?

Good question !
I personally don't think they will replace the standard barrel technology because they still have to use that technology to build the liner. This is one of the reasons that they were/are more expensive. After the liner is made then they have to use an additional process to apply the carbon fiber that add cost to the barrel.

I have yet to see one out perform a standard stainless or chrome molly barrel and the only advantage that they have is the weight to rigidity over a conventional barrel design.

Some want these light barrels and others want barrels on the heavy side so the choice is theirs as to which barrel type they want. I am 79 and still carry 9 to 12 pound rifles and don't see the need
for a 6 pound rifle, even for carrying. And still believe that the ONLY advantage a light rifle has is Weight, and that all other advantages go to the heavy rifle.

I am not against the carbon wrapped barrels, I just don't see the need and any advantage to them, Because they are still the same barrel under that carbon fiber wrap. So I wont loose any sleep over them ether way.

Just My opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[Pdvdh]

I have found Carbon Fiber barrels to be good on small rifles for the weight but on heavy calibers I just see more recoil!

That's why muzzle brakes and suppressors are sold and installed.

 

[TexasSportsman]

The idea behind carbon fiber is to decrease the weight of the rifle. Keep in mind the lighter the rifle the more recoil you're going to feel when you get into the heavier calibers.

That is the trend to go to lighter and lighter firearms but then people don't think about how much heavier the recoil is going to be.

 

[Equalizer]

I have zero desire for any carbon fiber barrel. Ever.

 

[1894C]

That's why muzzle brakes and suppressors are sold and installed.

Adding more length is note of an issue than weight for many. Also the blast off a brake is less enjoyable to me than recoil from a 10-12 lb magnum. Different strokes for different folks makes this carbon fiber fad not a one size fits all "benefit"

 

[Pdvdh]

Adding more length is note of an issue than weight for many. Also the blast off a brake is less enjoyable to me than recoil from a 10-12 lb magnum. Different strokes for different folks makes this carbon fiber fad not a one size fits all "benefit"

Not trying to push CFW barrels on others. Can't speak for you or others. Don't have that desire...

For my backpack hunting in the mountains of Alaska, they are heaven's delight. The 3" Titanium muzzle brakes I use on my CF barreled backpack hunting rifle handles much nicer than an extra 1.5-2lbs from a muzzle heavy 10-12 lb rifle required for recoil reduction. I wear hearing protection whether I shoot with a muzzle brake or not. So muzzle blast is a completely moot point, for my LRH pursuits. I speak for me.

Optimal barrels, stocks, and most other rifle components, are indeed a function of individuals' uses, preferences, opinions.

 

[jbs2014]

In regards to weight, harmonics, and cooling how do carbon fiber barrels compare to the structured barrels that tacomHQ produces? Does anyone have experience with both barrel types?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

In a best case, a really well made cf wrapped barrel may not give up enough accuracy for you to shoot the difference. But there are plenty of opportunities to hurt the accuracy of a barrel by turning it down and wrapping it. I would be very skeptical of a "factory" cf barrel's accuracy potential. Im sure we will see them and they will sell, but I doubt the guys on this site are satisfied with the same accuracy level the average consumer is. Now that Bartlien in making a cf wrapped barrel Im much happier to use them, but even if they were the same price as steel, I'd still choose steel for my own rifles. My testing showed the cf wrapped barrel to be the same stiffness as a steel barrel of equal weight, so a sendero cf was about the same as a #3 ss barrel for weight and stiffness. Bartlien does not turn the blank quite as thin I believe and may be using a little different material, they are way stiffer for the same contour as the cf barrels I used for my test, but may be a touch heavier. The oz. counting for a long range rifle doesnt make sense to me. The lighter a rifle is the more it kicks and the harder it is to shoot, reducing its effective range. It pretty easy to get a long range rifle lighter than you want it with a steel barrel. And when you need a real ultralight you wont see a cf barrel on it, they are too heavy. What I do like about the CF barrel is you can use a stock designed for large barrel contours and keep things from getting too heavy.

 

[rpierce]

Carbon definitely has its place in a rifle depending on the intended purpose of the rifle. The main benefit of the carbon sendero contour is its 14 oz lighter than a fluted #5 contour barrel and you can put a bigger brake on it due to the larger muzzle diameter. You can also put 3/4x24 threads on the muzzle which is much bigger than 5/8x24 and leaves alot more meat under the threads. Because the bigger brake is on a bigger muzzle diameter it doesn't look like a turd hanging on the end vs having the bigger brake on a #5 contour. So you have less weight and less recoil than a fluted #5 contour with a smaller brake on it. Ive installed several hundred proof carbons and have only had 2 that didn't shoot lights out. My 30-28 nosler with a 26" proof is one of the most accurate barrels Ive seen. Ive had a pile of sub 1/4 moa groups at distance with it. Both with 215 and 230 bergers. The last two groups i shot with it at 580 yds had under 3/4" vertical. The one group measured .8" and the other was 1.2" due to wind taking the last shot over. My 300 norma improved carbon barrel is the same. Mind boggling accurate. Just took a load from my heavy rifle 300 norma improved and threw it into my carbon barrel to see how it did. 3 shots went into .100"@100 with a ES of 3 fps. That 300 norma improved carbon barrel has shot a pile of sub 1/4 moa groups with 5 different powder and bullet combinations. The nice thing about being able to put my 5 port brake on the proof and have it look good is that I can watch the vapor trail and spot hits no problem while shooting off a bipod. Thats with a 230 berger at 3000+ fps and the scope at 27x. Gun doesn't hardly move which makes it easy to shoot. My wife has no problem shooting it and can shoot it sub half moa at distance no probem. She doesn't shoot much or they would be much smaller.I have videos of that setup and the lack of recoil on my youtube channel. For a lighter weight hunting setup theyre pretty hard to beat. Now if a guy doesn't mind toting around a few extra pounds then a steel barrel is what i will recommend to customers. Generally a sendero type contour.

 

[Equalizer]

Oh I know they are great for those of you who pack hunt or wherever any weight savings is crucial but for my eastern hunting and target/tactical needs a CF barrel is just not necessary or beneficial. To me.

I view it as something practical for extreme mountain hunting and kind of a fad for any other application. Again just me so don't get bent out of shape or anything.