Barrels

gun_runner

I am looking for some one who can make me a set of barrels to fit inside of a 16 ga sxs . I want rifled .41 cal barrels.
Pac-Nor could only do it with blue-prints and specs. I wanted to send the barrel to them to be fit but they nixed the though . I don't have the equipment or I would fit some blanks myself .
Any help would be great.
Thanks
Bob

gun_runner

When they describe a barrel as being light or heavy what are they refering to. Which is better and why?


Thanks

Larry

gun_runner

Does anybody know about century replacement barrels, are the good or cheap made. Someone seen some at at gun show said they ran about 50.00 or so.

gun_runner

Why are some barrels "wobbly" with the slide back and some are solid?

It seems to me if the barrel is wobbly it would affect the accuracy.

Jake_S-83

if a barrel is physically heavier and thicker it is described as a heavy barrel, and a light barrel is physically lighter and more narrow. generally a heavier barrel is more accurate, but if the gun is to be carried around, you dont want an excessively heavy gun.

temblor

The outside diameter of the taper of the barrel.........[8D]

Contender Man

Tough question. Light barrels are generally tapered and the lighter the barrel the more pronounced the taper. Although with the emergence of the carbon fiber barrels that is no longer wholly true as the barrels can look very massive and actually weight very little.

Heavy barrels are most commonly thought of as being large diameter straight sided arrangements, with some of which weighing several pounds.

Both barrel styles can be accurate to considerable distances, but for sustained accuracy (multiple shot grouping) over long strings of shots the light barrels heat up faster and the point of impact begins to shift. The heavier barrels having more mass heat more slowly and now it is not uncommon to see hybrids that offer large diameter barrels fluted to increase cooling while reducing over all weight for given diameters. It has even bee speculated that the flutes add further rigidity.

Another aspect is the movement or vibration or resonance of a barrel with the lighter barrels being more flexible which is perceived as a negative to repeated accuracy (shot grouping).

Then you get to the really heavy barrel arrangements, the bench rest rifles than can weigh 20-30+ pounds. This rigs are used in the quest for "one hole" groups that approach the diamater of a single bullet.

Can a light barrel hit a target at a long distance with the same "first shot" predictability ... yes. Can that same barrel do it repeatedly without pausing to let the barrel cool without the grouping of the shots becomming larger ...no.

But you can overheat a heavy barrel too, and it then takes longer for that barrel to cool, but in competitive shooting no stage is such that you fire that many rounds in a short enough period to adversely heat the heavier barrel.

Lastly, many shooters, myself included, perfer weight forward, especially in off-hand events, as we feel that it is easier to steady the rifle. And one could argue that hunting is often off-hand shooting and that argument would be true ... however there is more advantage to having a lighter weight rifle in the field, especially if hunting in rugged terrain and the first shot, when taken will be from a cold barrel with the heating effect of any follow up shot or shots having no appreciable effect as the shots will typically come in the space of less than a minute or so.

Hope this helps ... the heavy barrel - light barrel discussion with all of the subtle considerations can go on for much longer than this message where I am trying to hit the high points.



If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!

cussedemgun

Mr. Runner;
I am not sure what kind of barrel "they" tried to describe, but I will answer your question as best I can about rifle barrels. (if I missed the point of the question, let me know & I'll start over)
Please go to "www. shilen.com/contours.htm" In the table of contours avalible, note "light weight varmit", "Medium weight varmit", & "heavy weight varmit". As the outside dimentions of the barrel increase, so does the actual weight. When someone says "light" or "heavy" it is relevant to an average sporter contour.
"Best" is what fits your purpose for that particular gun. Bench rest rifles are mostly verry heavy "BULL" barrels (meaning no contour at all, a straight heavy barrel) bacause they are steadier on a rest & never carried very far.
A varnit rifle may be "medium" weight for steady shooting but it still has to be packed a way afield. A "mountain" rifle is generally refering to the shorter, lighter more portable hunting rifle. "Featherweight" is a marketing term that implies a light barrel, light stock, but not relating to length as in "mountain".
Bear in mind these term are vague at best so it is always best to ask for specific facts.

"all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten" Robert Fulghum


anyone who says "nobody needs a full auto" has never been in front of a brown bear charge

JustC

as you have been given some great advice,..here is a quick and dirty explanation

Light = thin and packable over a long distance,..basically an off handed hunting rifle with limited accuracy,..even over only a 3 shot string.

Heavy = in it's many contours,..a barrel to be used from a stationary position to shoot targets,..varmints at longer distances, or very tight groups at very long distances for quite a few shots in a row,...not at all comfortable to carry for very many miles though.

I could let you carry one of my 17lb benchrest/long range hunting rigs for about 1 mile and you would have a superb understanding of the differences as well as the intended usage. [:0][;)]

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?