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Faxon Part 3 Questions? (Patreon)

Published:
2017-03-28 23:59:33
Edited:
2017-03-29 00:00:41
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Hey team,

There's an endless stream of questions people are posting for Faxon and our barrel discussions.

One recurring one is about barrel "break-in" and I think we need to tackle that but there's a lot of religion around that one.

Are there any specific burning topics you'd like to see us hit with Nathan regarding barrels?

Thank you as always.

Karl

Comments

Aaron Kirkwood

I'd love to know a bit more about barrel twist - and it's relationship with ammunition choice, weight etc... I've never quite been able to get my head around it!

Monke

Is there any difference in the making of pistol caliber barrels vs rifle caliber barrels (materials used, special techniques in relation to the caliber, barrel profiles, ect.)

Casey

Related to Aaron's question... In 223 we see heavier bullets like faster twists. 77gr like 1/7 trust over 1/9 twist. How come when we jump to larger calibers the trust rates tend to go down, even though the projectile is heavier?

james Kachman

Rumor has it that twist rates near 1:7 are bad for 55gr. How much truth is there to this? Will someone shooting in, say, a 3-gun match (I hesitate to use the term "combat", but it is implied) notice a negative effect?

Mobius

Harmonics. How harmonics across differing barrel lengths would effect the inherent accuracy of the gun. Shorter is known to be better harmonics and accuracy, but is there a sweet spot where the resonant frequency of the barrel (material selection, treatments, and caliber will probably be the main variables here) pairs well with a specific length. One that would give the velocity needed for a longer range precision rifle. Or am I just chasing air at this point?

TwoBitSteak

How about the true real world effect (or lack of effect) of free floating a barrel?

TwoBitSteak

Another could be the effect on accuracy/precision of pinned/clamped/set screwed gas blocks on AR style rifles.

Marc Paris

Can we get an understanding of the different barrel profiles from Faxon. I would like to understand the difference between the Heavy Barrel, Gunner, Gov't, M4, Pencil and Flame profiles. For what application/purposes would you choose what. For what applications would you absolutely avoid one. Some like heavy barrel and pencil I can guess but would like to understand where the others fit in.

collin simpson

how does barrel whip change from different profiles? and does a bumpfire stock and binary trigger replicate full auto fire enough to where you should select barrels as if you were putting them in a full auto gun? and i meant to ad in my last question that i would like to have an Jennings 12 shot rifle.

Austin Kennedy

Would love to hear more about suppressors and the thoughts on the flex they create with lighter profile; also, is there a better material or finish for shooting suppressed?

Herk

Growing up with bolt and lever action rifles, I was told to clean copper fouling out of the barrel regularly. In this Age of the Semi Auto, it seems like nobody bothers with cleaning out copper fouling anymore (I sure don't anymore!), even for precision rifles. Have we learned better or have we forgotten something?

Avesynt

Does the length of the gas system have any affect on accuracy? (Carbine vs. midlength vs. dissipator/rifle length). I know the primary effect these have is on dwell time, but I'm more curious about is if how far the gas block is located from the receiver has any impact on say, barrel harmonics.

Jonathan Hartley

It'd probably wouldn't even take a minute to address this but I'd like to know the pros and cons of different rifling profiles. The one I am most interested in is polygonal rifling (found in the H&K PSG-1, SR9, USP, etc.) as I've heard it has increased barrel life compared to other profiles.

Niel Dilworth

More On Barrel Break In - I have a new 30-06 barrel that has required extensive break-in and still has a problem with copper fouling. What has changed in the way barrels are manufactured? Having to break in a barrel was unheard of in the 1960's. 70's, 80's.

Jonathan Hartley

I would expand this question to also include the affects different operating systems have on accuracy. Long stroke gas pistons put a lot of torque on the barrel so I'd think it would negatively affect accuracy. While roller delayed blowback is the only operating system (in relatively wide use) that can be truly free floated as no gas system acts on the barrel. The "direct gas impingement" system utilized on AR's has the piston in the bolt and only a tube attached to the barrel making it another excellent option when accuracy is the main concern.

Jonathan Hartley

Would a fluted chamber have any significant affect on accuracy? And would a fluted chamber give merit to a "break in period?"

Ratus

I just want to hear about 5R, maybe the Cryo treatment fad and barrel"Break-in".

Jake Martin

1:7 vs 1:9 twist on Ar15s. Just to get yalls two cents

Shao Zhang

How important is MPI testing on barrels for civilians? What does it mean when 'MPI' is not stamped on the barrel? A lot of PSA barrels do not have any reference to MPI.

Cyrus Freeman

Is there any reason sinusoidal rifling never really caught on?

chris rookstool

Which length of their 5.56 pencil barrels is more ridged?

chris rookstool

Can a barrel be tuned via muzzle device length/ weight, or smackin' it with a hammer or sumpin?

Simon W S

Is i in 7 the best twist rate for the 77gr 5.56 bullets now in favour with many NATO countries?

H

Beyond the actual barrel manufacture, does the interface with the upper (the shoulder, barrel nut torque) actually affect accuracy? (this is in response to people using loctite/rockset to bed their barrels into the upper)

Dithon1

1. Generally speaking, how much play is there expected to be between parts like the barrel extension/trunnion and where it meets with the upper? How much more acutely does heat expansion/contraction affect POI with barrels that aren't screwed directly into the receiver (AR-15, AK) vs guns that are (as an example, the Garand, SKS, pretty much any bolt action, etc)?

Dithon1

2. What's your opinion on "vibration dampeners" and the like? You know, those rubber donut-looking things benchrest guys have stuck on the end of their barrels. I've seen one product (called the "Smartstock" or something) that accomplishes the same thing without looking as silly.

Colburn Freml

Or that weird weight thing on the end of the Ruger Mini 14 target.

Colburn Freml

Nathan mentioned proper stress relief a few times. How is that accomplished?

Sean Smith

I also want to know about polygonal rifling and the pros/cons of it.

Alexandru Ianu

Can he give us any information on wear and energy loss for speciality curved barrels or barrel extensions (like the Stg44 Krummlauf), and a comparison to more modern solutions?

Dithon1

Bring the part up to around (or less than; depends on how hot you've tempered the thing to begin with - 4130 barrels are typically tempered at around 1300F to bring the hardness down to ~30RC) the tempering temperature, leave it to soak for however long the data sheet tells you to, then let it cool slowly like you're annealing it. Alternatively, just re-tempering the thing at the same temperature, because tempering is itself a stress relieving operation.

Will Kaiser

There is a lot of talk about "idea"l barrel lengths for particular rounds. The one I keep hearing is 18" for .308. Is that just the minimal length that allows all the powder to be burned in the barrel or is there more to it? What are the "ideal" lengths for other common rounds?

Shao Zhang

Would nitriding help benchrest shooters prolong their barrel life without reducing accuracy by nitriding barrels after lapping?

John H

Barrel cleaning: How much is enough? Too much? Can you damage a barrel by over-cleaning?

Tim

Comments on barrel considerations when using the weapon exclusively suppressed. Profiles, length, etc

Gene VanMeter

More general barrel harmonics and how can it be tuned?

TheOlsonOutfit

Maybe this is beyond the scope of barrel manufacture: Is there a bonus to free floating thin profile barrels? or is that a practice better reserved for bull barrels? OR (in light of you other Q&A) is it more related to whether the barrel was properly stress relieved, etc.

Sidney Reilley

I would be interested in knowing their thoughts on the effectiveness of cryogenic treatment (sub zero quench) to improve barrel qualities. Worthwhile or snake oil.

Brandon Silver

How much consideration is given to harmonics when designing a barrel? Are harmonics strictly within the domain of bench shooting, or applicable elsewhere?

Phil Wyatt

How much does the rule of diminishing returns come into effect when purchasing rifle barrels? Is there a price region where you get the biggest "bang" for your buck?

Chad Pesquera

Is there a place for progressive twist rifling in the consumer market? What are the advantages and disadvantages of it?

Samuel K Harsha

Is there any functional or qualitative difference between regular fluting and flame fluting or is it just aesthetically different with the same amount of added surface area?

Samuel K Harsha

If the QPQ nitriding is so awesome because it's very resilient and hard, what should we do to drill divots for gas block set screws? Can we just use regular high-speed steel bits to drill those mounting divots?