carbon fiber barrels
- Thread starter hornchaser
- Start date
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
Can't comment on centerfires, but I love my Volquartzen on my 10/22. It is extremely accurate, especially when compared to the factory set up I had. It will shoot right along side my sako 22lr. The only one I know of that does centerfire is Christensen arms I think, might of spelled it wrong, but that's the only one I've heard of.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I think that if they were the next big thing, as Christensen Arms would have us believe, then everyone would be doing it. Christensen would have us believe that it takes longer for the barrel to get hot. This is true...the CF material will nto heat up as fast as steel as it is an excellent insulator. But there is still a steel liner inside the CF-wrapped barrel. That liner, having less thermal mass than a conventional barrel and being well-insulated by the CF wrapping, will heat up much faster, get much hotter and retain it's heat longer. Now, on a 7mm-08 that you build to pack up and down mountains this won't be a huge deal. But if you spent a lot of time working up loads (who doesn't like to wring every last tenth out of a rifle?) or practicing (which we should all probably do more) your practice or load development will take even longer than before if you let the barrel cool like you should. Worse, if you don't consider this and shoot until you feel the barrel getting warm you will already be well past temperatures commensurate with barrel longevity. And for the guys that have them on a 22-250, well, I fear they will have extraordinarily short barrel lives if they are at all "high volume" shooters.
Bottom line - a good idea but not all they are cracked up to be. You could build a lightweight "mountain rifle" easier (though not with a 26" barrel) and using any one of 50 barrel makers rather than relying on one maker to do the job. The barrel heating argument is purest advertising hogwash.
Bottom line - a good idea but not all they are cracked up to be. You could build a lightweight "mountain rifle" easier (though not with a 26" barrel) and using any one of 50 barrel makers rather than relying on one maker to do the job. The barrel heating argument is purest advertising hogwash.
Where did you pick your VQ barrel up from?
LongBomber
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fernie, bc
ABS also carbon wraps barrels. To have it done will basically double the cost of a barrel. If you are thinking light weight I would just go with something in a winchester featherweight or similar contour and cut it of at 20 or 22". A properly built and bedded rifle will shoot fine for 2-3 shots before the barrel is pretty hot. I have a couple of lightweights and bedded properly they are fine for 3-5 shots (fine as in well under moa, one is an honest 1/2moa for 5).
For the money difference I think I would drop it into better glass or a lone wolf stock.
For the money difference I think I would drop it into better glass or a lone wolf stock.
I think it is a fad that has its place. They are cool to look at, and I wouldn't dare say I won't even own one.
I have pictures in my head of dropping a rifle as such while sheep hunting and watching the barrel shatter, as unrealistic as that is.
I have pictures in my head of dropping a rifle as such while sheep hunting and watching the barrel shatter, as unrealistic as that is.
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
I got mine many moons ago from P&D, Phil even popped her on for no charge. I also put a hogue heavy barrel stock on at the same time. I'll post a pic when I get a few minutes.
The carbon fibre doesn't really add strength to the barrel, it adds reinforcing/dampening and stiffness to a skinny little barrel, which is also called the liner.
A carbon fibre barrel, property wrapped, should be quite stable. But that also assumes that the barrel/liner is heavy enough that it could be shot without the carbon fibre wrapping (but would not be accurate at all because of lack of stiffness).
Less accurate carbon fibre barrels are those where the liners can't contain the pressure without the wrapping.
A carbon fibre barrel, property wrapped, should be quite stable. But that also assumes that the barrel/liner is heavy enough that it could be shot without the carbon fibre wrapping (but would not be accurate at all because of lack of stiffness).
Less accurate carbon fibre barrels are those where the liners can't contain the pressure without the wrapping.
Homesteader
CGN Regular
- Location
- In a Wallow West of Edmonton.
Here's a few pics of what gophers fear in this area.
Can't comment on the rimfires, but the centre fires seem to be more of a marketing ploy than a genuine benefit. "Spend more money on the next big thing!"
Played with a few of the first gen models, mostly the Rem 700 carbon. The repetitive heating and cooling eventually separates the barrel from the carbon wrap. The carbon wrap also starts to chip and flake quite quickly.
If the process were as beneficial as Christensen Arms indicates, then the other manufacturers would all be pursuing further development. The reality is that they toyed with the idea 20 years ago, realized it was a flop, took brief advantage of a niche market, then shelved the idea next to Beta and 8track.
I don't think much of the concept of carbon barrels, however I do believe that Kifaru was on the right track with their lightweight rifle, by wrapping only a small portion of a skinny barrel to add just a bit of additional support to dull barrel whip. But, even the Rambling Rifle seems to have gone the way of the Dodo and what remains is the standard, skinny barreled, short action cartridge, occasionally in a modified receiver and a fiberglass and graphite stocks.
The Rem Mountain LSS and the Sako Finlight dropped into quality stocks are likely the most common choice. I doubt the carbon barrels will find any more success than these off the shelf choices.
Played with a few of the first gen models, mostly the Rem 700 carbon. The repetitive heating and cooling eventually separates the barrel from the carbon wrap. The carbon wrap also starts to chip and flake quite quickly.
If the process were as beneficial as Christensen Arms indicates, then the other manufacturers would all be pursuing further development. The reality is that they toyed with the idea 20 years ago, realized it was a flop, took brief advantage of a niche market, then shelved the idea next to Beta and 8track.
I don't think much of the concept of carbon barrels, however I do believe that Kifaru was on the right track with their lightweight rifle, by wrapping only a small portion of a skinny barrel to add just a bit of additional support to dull barrel whip. But, even the Rambling Rifle seems to have gone the way of the Dodo and what remains is the standard, skinny barreled, short action cartridge, occasionally in a modified receiver and a fiberglass and graphite stocks.
The Rem Mountain LSS and the Sako Finlight dropped into quality stocks are likely the most common choice. I doubt the carbon barrels will find any more success than these off the shelf choices.
I have been to their factory and seen a barrel being wrapped. It is a pretty neat process.
I also asked about the structural integrity of the carbon wrapping and got a very dynamic demonstration of just how tough a carbon wrapped barrel can be. I came away quite impressed after having seen it up close and personal.
ABS uses a proprietary system that actually allows the carbon to transfer heat away from the metal liner faster than a conventional metal barrel.
