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A while back a guy posted ....
tobefree
Member Posts: 7,401
a post about a Factory Remington 700 With a rare lined composite fluted barrel.... Ok I have looked and looked and looked...
Does this thing even exist!!!
Does this thing even exist!!!
Comments
I'm not sure that I would use the term 'rare' but rather 'overpriced', which is why it's no longer available, I'm sure. It was NOT fluted as that form isn't possible in the carbon fiber wrapping process.
Yes, it's true. It was named the Remington M700 VS Composite Varmint. I have sent you a link with some photos of the rifle, box and label for confirmation.
This composite technology has been touted by several companies but it was Remington who developed their own proprietary version in their own lab. In other words, it was not outsourced from Christiansen Arms or ABS.
Best.
I know this is kind of hijacking the thread. But how did these actually fair for accuracy as touted? I know the first thing that kept me from buying one was the super high price. I was told by dealers(as I'm sure Remington wanted to use this selling point) that when the barrel heated up the groups tightened up.
I was never sold on it myself as I deal a lot with carbon composites in the aviation world. And, with the properties they are known for there accuracy just doesn't strike me as the biggest thing they are capable of.
tobefree,
I'm not sure that I would use the term 'rare' but rather 'overpriced', which is why it's no longer available, I'm sure. It was NOT fluted as that form isn't possible in the carbon fiber wrapping process.
Yes, it's true. It was named the Remington M700 VS Composite Varmint. I have sent you a link with some photos of the rifle, box and label for confirmation.
This composite technology has been touted by several companies but it was Remington who developed their own proprietary version in their own lab. In other words, it was not outsourced from Christiansen Arms or ABS.
Best.
Nononscense no email came through....yet anyway!!! and thanks for the info!!!
Sorry about that! I'm not sure what happened to it but the jist is that one of the 'other' auction sites had a nice listing for a NIB 22-250 VS which had photos of the box, labels and rifle. No big deal but they are out there and worth looking for as long as the price isn't astronomical. As I said also, they aren't rare, a lot of them are probably being shot and some put away of course.
sandwarrior,
It was the public reaction to Remington's pricing that curtailed the VS Composite. It was the lack of significant improvement in accuracy when combined with the pricing that shut the program down after two years (1999 - 2001) of sales. The same problems befell the Etronix program. Remington does some terrific R&D but falls down on the job with regard to marketing.
Carbon fiber technology is still in its infancy as far as I'm concerned. There's still a huge amount to discover and play with before we can say that we have a handle on what applications are really suitable. I've been involved peripherally for a bit more than 15 years and I don't think we're where we should be but then it's not my money backing the research either... Seems to me that we're still missing one component but we'll have to wait and see.
Remington was at the forefront for our field and released this lightweight version of their study, sort of a glossy overview of thought, planning and process for the technology and application. This is worth reading even considering its brevity. There is this little blurb about their accuracy in the lab testing:
Accuracy Characteristics Favorable
All Average Group Sizes Less Than 0.8" @ 100 Meters, Standard Factory GFM Barrels, Current Standard Production Quality Liner.
Accuracy Held in Excess of 2,000 rounds (Compared to 1,500 Rounds for Standard Varmint Barrels)
http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/infantry/jiranek.pdf
None of the dozen or so I worked with ever shot worse than 1" at the 100 meter mark. Well, one did but when we bore scoped it and measured the chamber/bore relationship, the chamber was out of radial alignment. It got sent back with a note to QC. The great majority of the time we were able to get that proverbial 1/2" to 3/4" group when we weren't fighting things like high, gusting winds and other more extreme aberrations.
One of the dymnamics that comes into play with carbon fiber barrel wrapping is heat dispersion. There are several types of carbon fiber and they can work counter to one another in certain application. We want a barrel wrapping that wicks heat away from the liner and some carbons act like insulators which is catastrophic. We aren't just dealing with the wrapping either since there are other substrates used for adhesion and strength.
We could write books on the discussions involved in heat transfer, expansion/contraction coefficients, on and on. Your dealer's comments are out of context and probably meant to be a sales statement created to impress customers. The potential exists for the compression to occur but it definitely isn't in the design constraints.
That's a long way around the Horn but this technology is at the top of the heap in firearms and needs alot more work. I did build one outright "just to see for myself" what could happen with various components. Chambered in .300 RUM, 5 of us (all LD shooters) could hit the end of a soda can (bright aluminum with an orange target dot) at 600 yards. All shots were prone and one shot only per target obviously. Total weight including my 16x scope and rings, 7.5 lbs. So the potential is there, we just need more work on the process application and manufacturing to get the consistency correct.
Sorry about the length...
Best.