Barrel Fluting

[F22_RaptoR]

Kevin, does your ball dimpling process along with lightening the barrel, does it also make the barrel more flexible? Or does it increase the hardness of the steel similar to a type of hammer forging?

I always wondered why Knights did this method. Or is it just a matter of being more cost effective? If you are constrained by proprietary stuff, can you post a basic reason why its done?

It cant be just weight reduction can it?

I think its weight and heat dissipation.

With all those sphere's on the barrel, think of how much surface area there is!

I think the dimpling patterns don't create long stress points like normal fluting - or even helical fluting - where the barrel still has a certain amount of flex along the fluting path. The steel "hex" sorta-shape gives it rotational rigidity (so it cant rotate-flex as much) as well as flex left/right/up/down (which normal fluting helps to stop - for a weight reduction)

Obviously the downside is machining time, although on a CNC It would probably go pretty quick.

ETA

Also keep in mind how the barrel is marked US is not likely going grant a permit for G36 barrel that is stamped 5.56 NATO

Hmm, thats right. US wont export 5.56 marked barrels anymore.

I wonder if the G36 barrels are even marked 5.56x45mm NATO, or if its just stamped on the G36's receiver. Probably is marked though.