Barrel fluting v weight saving
- Thread starter Neddle
- Start date
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
Fluting will reduce stiffness a little but reduce weight quite substantially but very much depends on how many and how deep the fluting.
Re profiling will reduce weight further than fluting, but will also reduce stiffness. It will however leave a large gap in the barrel channel.
Shortening the barrel will reduce weight from the end, rather than all over as per profiling etc. It will also reduce velocity - somewhere between 25 and 50 fps depending on cartridge, powder etc.
There are two other alternatives:
Reduce weight elsewhere - scopes especially 34mm 56mm objective are heavy. Bipods etc also add weight. If you carry a pack, why use a bipod?
The other easy source of weight to loose is around the middle. I stood on the scales a few months ago. I have effectively been carrying a heavy stalking rifle around my middle all day everyday. Taking more exercise and cutting down on snacks etc has made a huge difference and a heavy rifle is no longer a lump to carry.
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
Lose the weight off your bellyfat or the clothes and clobber that you wear. This isn't meant to be rude or insulting but simply that it's the cheapest option.
Of the rest the options of fluting and reprofiling involve possible reproof. It isn't strictly required by law if you are keeping the rifle for yourself but many gunsmiths will insist it is done. And if at a future time you did sell it you would need to have it done. Cost versus weight saving IMHO is an expensive "£££s spent per ounce lost" way to do it.
Shorten the barrel. Doesn't require reproof nor legally and cost wise "£££s spent per ounce lost" is much, much cheaper than fluting or reprofiling. And within safe loading limits but at the expense of muzzle blast and recoil you can compensate for the lost inches by increasing your powder charge.
Plus the major advantage is that there is no worrisome thoughts about whether (as with fluting or reprofiling) that you've somehow de-stressed or pre-stressed the barrel and now wrecked it harmonics or somesuch.
Last...a handy tip from Archimedes!
Get a measuring jug. That measures fluid ounces, millilitres or whatever. Fill it three quarter full with water. Now put a felt pen mark on your rifle barrel muzzle end at, say 1", 2", 3" or even 4". Now with aid of a friend (or hanging the rifle so it hangs vertically muzzle down) dip up to that desired mark into the water and mark on the jug how much water you have displaced.
Remove barrel and dry and lubricate. Now get a handful of nuts, bolts, or ball bearings and put these into the water to raise the water level to those marks on the jug. Remove them and weigh them. Their weight will equal the weight you will lose if you cut the barrel down equivalent to the water the weight of those nuts, bolts or ball bearings displaced.
Back in olden times of course there were light engineering books that had tables where you could calculate the weight of a solid cylinder of steel of a particular size and subtract from that the weight of a rod of steel of the dimensions of the bore and work it out that way. You may even find such tables online?
But be aware that some steels weigh different from other steels. So both the Archimedes method and the calculation method may not give an exact grain for grain weight match between barrel and etc..
Or here on You Tube:
Of the rest the options of fluting and reprofiling involve possible reproof. It isn't strictly required by law if you are keeping the rifle for yourself but many gunsmiths will insist it is done. And if at a future time you did sell it you would need to have it done. Cost versus weight saving IMHO is an expensive "£££s spent per ounce lost" way to do it.
Shorten the barrel. Doesn't require reproof nor legally and cost wise "£££s spent per ounce lost" is much, much cheaper than fluting or reprofiling. And within safe loading limits but at the expense of muzzle blast and recoil you can compensate for the lost inches by increasing your powder charge.
Plus the major advantage is that there is no worrisome thoughts about whether (as with fluting or reprofiling) that you've somehow de-stressed or pre-stressed the barrel and now wrecked it harmonics or somesuch.
Last...a handy tip from Archimedes!
Get a measuring jug. That measures fluid ounces, millilitres or whatever. Fill it three quarter full with water. Now put a felt pen mark on your rifle barrel muzzle end at, say 1", 2", 3" or even 4". Now with aid of a friend (or hanging the rifle so it hangs vertically muzzle down) dip up to that desired mark into the water and mark on the jug how much water you have displaced.
Remove barrel and dry and lubricate. Now get a handful of nuts, bolts, or ball bearings and put these into the water to raise the water level to those marks on the jug. Remove them and weigh them. Their weight will equal the weight you will lose if you cut the barrel down equivalent to the water the weight of those nuts, bolts or ball bearings displaced.
Back in olden times of course there were light engineering books that had tables where you could calculate the weight of a solid cylinder of steel of a particular size and subtract from that the weight of a rod of steel of the dimensions of the bore and work it out that way. You may even find such tables online?
But be aware that some steels weigh different from other steels. So both the Archimedes method and the calculation method may not give an exact grain for grain weight match between barrel and etc..
Or here on You Tube:
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Say you saved 1kg (which I doubt) if you are carrying it "about" then saving 1kg but shoot a couple of roe/1 fallow as an example the fallow could be 25-50-70 kg so I can't see where the weight saving would be of any use?
No meaningful difference after the shot, but a less fatigued stalker before the shot might be a good thing.
monarman
Well-Known Member
I had my sassen barrel fluted by Mike Norris of brock and norris ... it shaved a few ounces of , enough to notice the difference from before it was fluted.
No loss of accuracy and it looks nicer!
You will notice difference if you have yours both shortened and fluted (might as well get done at the same time)wether it's enough for you is another matter.
No loss of accuracy and it looks nicer!
You will notice difference if you have yours both shortened and fluted (might as well get done at the same time)wether it's enough for you is another matter.
Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
I would think long and hard before spending time and money on the barrel. It’s a phoenix barrel so presumably it was a custom rifle built with barrel weight and length in mind. I have a piece of old chrome molly barrel steel 3/4” at thin end 1” at thick and 5” long, with 6mm bore diameter - weighs about 400 grams.
If the rifle shoots well, I would leave it as it is. If you are doing long carry ins, put it in a pack, or a decent carrying slip.
If you want a lightweight rifle, spend the money on a lightweight rifle instead of in trying to turn a heavy rifle into a lightweight one.
Lightweight barrel shoot well, but have a tendency to just shoot well for two or three shots. Then you need to let barrel cool. No issue for stalking. Varmint / target rifles have heavy barrels to soak up the heat and retain consistency over long shot strings.
If the rifle shoots well, I would leave it as it is. If you are doing long carry ins, put it in a pack, or a decent carrying slip.
If you want a lightweight rifle, spend the money on a lightweight rifle instead of in trying to turn a heavy rifle into a lightweight one.
Lightweight barrel shoot well, but have a tendency to just shoot well for two or three shots. Then you need to let barrel cool. No issue for stalking. Varmint / target rifles have heavy barrels to soak up the heat and retain consistency over long shot strings.
1 kg, get real! want to save weight shoot does then you can lob the head lol.
You will still have the rifle with you, keep the heart and liver from a red then you will be bringing back an extra 3/4kg lol keep the head and you will add 12/14 kg on a big fresh head, which is a dressed muntjac lol
Fluting helps but you don’t really loose much. You run the risk of any residue stress in the barrel causing warping if you cut too deep or too much. I think the chance of that is minimal if the barrel is big to start with tbh.
I’d shorten and carry with side mounted push button bases with a biathlon sling (TAB). I have an 18” straight taper .308 which I can carry happily for hours.
Neddle
Well-Known Member
I had considered shortening the barrel, possibly down to 20" but then I'd need to change my powder
enfieldspares
Well-Known Member
I originally added a "like" to this. But changed it to a "love".
It is 100% correct.
Or a wider sling for the rifle may spread the weight where it bears on the shoulder, or shoulders, when it is carried slung and/or carry less ammunition?
Neddle
Well-Known Member
Only reds and sika here,if I were to shoot either I'd retrieve it with a quad or tractor there would be no carrying. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread I'm trying to reduce the weight of the rifle and or make it more manageable. Laws here in Northern Ireland are more restrictive than those on the mainland so it's not as easy to own multiple rifles/calibres for deer,then there's extra cost of 2 scopes,moderators and reloading kit.
Another option would simply be to get a different rifle.
Can't see much point spending a lot on "customising" an existing rifle when there's so many 2nd hand ones to be had for next to nothing.
I don't think you read my post carefully.
That is fine, but the question was open to the floor also nothing on where or what you are shooting, I get my reds/fallow out via my own or farm kit but would not attempt to try and save a 14oz on my rifle.
In this clip I made 8 trips @ 350yds to shoot 152 pigeons up a steep hill, the main kit went up the afternoon before leaving food drink cartridges gun and 2 pigeons for the rotary. I took 200 cartridges and a reasonable pick up of 90 pigeons to be brought back in 2 trips nothing I could do nothing about saving any weight just head down and keep going.
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I read it but was replying to the OP as he asked the question so I gave my answer. What solution did you offer the OP or just chose to answer to me?
I had my lothar walther 204 barrel re-profiled and shortened.
It was 23.5in and a remington sendero profile and I had it cut back to 20in and re-profiled with a muzzle diameter of 18mm.
It is now 1.5lbs lighter and it has made a big difference.
No change in accuracy and still using the same load.
It was 23.5in and a remington sendero profile and I had it cut back to 20in and re-profiled with a muzzle diameter of 18mm.
It is now 1.5lbs lighter and it has made a big difference.
No change in accuracy and still using the same load.
Neddle
Well-Known Member
I agree question was wide open and I accept your argument in principle but I asked for opinions on lightening the rifle weight, I never mentioned retrieving deer or how I would do it, health issues are forcing me down the root or of reducing rifle weight wouldn't consider it.
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