Carbon vs fluted stainless

[parshal]

I made a bunch of rifles with Proof and Bartlein carbon barrels so I could use a suppressor and have lighter weight. I ran into an issue with a carbon barrel after a few hundred rounds and have now gone to fluted 3b or 4's. Big enough for a can.

I've only measured weight loss on one barrel. It was a Brux 4 fluted with Bugholes' diamond pattern. It was 66.5 oz. before and 60 oz. after.

 

[JuddL]

For 20" get a number 4 and flute it if you want.

My opinion is the carbon has their place…that place is 22"+ and a suppressor needed (22" is on the edge 24"+ for certain). That's where you'll save weight but a shorter barrel You can lighten the profile so there isn't an advantage.

Good luck!

 

[Willys]

Not so pertinent to 20" barrel, but I'm on my 3rd carbon and my next will be stainless 3/3b. I'm of the opinion that long 28/30" carbons are not the most accurate with big magnum calibers. Yes Ive shot 6" groups at 1k but consistency is not as good as steel. Maybe after 3rd shot they are but I'm just looking at 3 shots and cool down. The carbon cools well with a big barrel cooler fan ( mattress pump and surgical tubing).

 

[MSURunner]

Maybe do both!

Vision - HORIZON FIREARMS

horizonfirearms.com

 

[7.62 Gunner]

Alot of the reading that I've done and the information I've gotten from manufacturers seems to say the stainless fluted barrel may even be lighter than the carbon barrel. But real world experience is the best place to get info. That's why I posted here hoping that someone with first hand experience would chime in.

I've had several spiral fluted #5 24-26" barrels come in at 3.5 lbs.
Benchmark makes an excellent barrel and they offer deep flutes, I had a 22" #5 come in at 2lbs 12oz.
I've done CF and likely won't own another.

 

[MostlyUselessLurker]

XCR Compact Tactical 308 (w/ base installed) 20" steel barrel with LTR style fluting was 7.5#

Same gun had lug bedded, thicker recoil lug was used, action trued, barrel changed to 22" Bartlein carbon #13 6.5CM was 7.5#

If that helps…

 

[rellison312]

I've also heard that carbon barrels are stiffer and reduce barrel vibration. No clue how true that is. I have a bartlein and proof CF barrels both shoot lights out as does the steel barrel on my Weatherby.

 

[BillLarson]

You don't need to inspect it. Don't create inaccurate information. Your bike frame and barrel are not apples to apples. Not even apples to lemons.

I respectfully disagree..
I worked with small carbon fiber parts for 20 years.Parts spec,d out at very high modulus of elasticity..
CF as is fiberglass lamanate is commonly plauged with small near undetectable hairline cracks.If you have ever broken a CF fish pole you,ll know what I mean.

 

[RockyMtnUT]

I respectfully disagree..
I worked with small carbon fiber parts for 20 years.Parts spec,d out at very high modulus of elasticity..
CF as is fiberglass lamanate is commonly plauged with small near undetectable hairline cracks.If you have ever broken a CF fish pole you,ll know what I mean.

I respectfully disagree. A hollow g-loomis or sage is not the same molecular structure or process. Neither a bike frame or rod is strengthened by SS liner.
A barrel also doesn't have a thick clear/resin to chip or crack or fracture the same way.
Thickness of fiber is not even close comparison.
This idea of needing to check your barrel for who know what is bs, no more than checking my moly barrel for rust. Basic care will do both fine.
It wasn't accurate information. I don't care which way people go. Apples and oranges

 

[dogbuster0006]

Are you building a hunting rifle or a target rifle?
PRS style shooting or ?
Suppressor? Muzzle brake?
If it's a target or competition rifle I'd stick with steel. If it's a varmint rifle firing long shot strings I'd still go all steel.
If it's hunting rifle you're not planning on firing more than 3-5 shots at a time I'd go carbon wrapped.
On a barrel that short you're not going to see much benefit in weight savings or "stiffness". The carbon wrapped barrels are more for hunting rifles than anything, longer barrel that's still stiff but still light. My Christensen rifle has a carbon wrapped 24 or 26" barrel and it's definitely lighter than dads rem sendero with the same length barrel. I've never stuck them on a scale but you can definitely tell a difference. On the flip side my barrel heats up enough after 5 shots there's a shift in impact and mirage in my scope is terrible. My all steel rifles I can get 10 or so before I really see mirage.
My rifle is for hunting and a dream to pack I'll fire at most 3 shots at a time so I'm not worried about it heating up. I love the look compared to an all steel barrel but it's not anymore accurate than my other rifles in 3 shot groups. It's all in what you plan on doing with it.

 

[Calvin45]

Yupp...It's like putting hot meat in a sleeping bag...

Hahhaha…what a mental picture. But yeah, carbons a heck of an insulator…the heat conductivity of metal is a GOOD THING! Same reason non metallic or caseless ammunition has so many setbacks and issues…in rapid fire type weapons that brass casing is one heck of an effective heat sink.

I have no interest in carbon fibre barrels. No beef with them either but the way I see it the old "keep it simple stupid/KISS" philosophy holds true. And carbon fibre barrels are less simple to manufacture and so to my mind there's more chances for something to be imperfect. Same reason plain vanilla flat base cup and core soft points often outshoot premium bullets as far as accuracy at 100 yards is concerned…them and some monos, when you think about it monos are the ultimate in simplicity…it's just one thing!

 

[cabelasken]

I respectfully disagree..
I worked with small carbon fiber parts for 20 years.Parts spec,d out at very high modulus of elasticity..
CF as is fiberglass lamanate is commonly plauged with small near undetectable hairline cracks.If you have ever broken a CF fish pole you,ll know what I mean.

Also, CF and SS have different thermal expansion properties. What happens to the bond between them when you repeatedly heat the SS liner up to 2000+ degrees?

 

[Endless_prusuits]

Are you building a hunting rifle or a target rifle?
PRS style shooting or ?
Suppressor? Muzzle brake?
If it's a target or competition rifle I'd stick with steel. If it's a varmint rifle firing long shot strings I'd still go all steel.
If it's hunting rifle you're not planning on firing more than 3-5 shots at a time I'd go carbon wrapped.
On a barrel that short you're not going to see much benefit in weight savings or "stiffness". The carbon wrapped barrels are more for hunting rifles than anything, longer barrel that's still stiff but still light. My Christensen rifle has a carbon wrapped 24 or 26" barrel and it's definitely lighter than dads rem sendero with the same length barrel. I've never stuck them on a scale but you can definitely tell a difference. On the flip side my barrel heats up enough after 5 shots there's a shift in impact and mirage in my scope is terrible. My all steel rifles I can get 10 or so before I really see mirage.
My rifle is for hunting and a dream to pack I'll fire at most 3 shots at a time so I'm not worried about it heating up. I love the look compared to an all steel barrel but it's not anymore accurate than my other rifles in 3 shot groups. It's all in what you plan on doing with it.

This is going to be a hunting rifle, 20" 300wsm. If there is no weight savings I was trying to find a point to go carbon over fluted stainless. Rifle will be suppressed. Is there any advantage to the carbon barrel other than weight? From what I've seen I'm only looking at a savings of about 5oz in the 20" length

 

[338 dude]

Also, CF and SS have different thermal expansion properties. What happens to the bond between them when you repeatedly heat the SS liner up to 2000+ degrees?

Apparently not much at least with the three proof carbon barrels I've used over the last six years but I don't know that I've got my barrels up to 2000°