Let's assume 2 barrels, 18in .223 wylde/5.56, identical weight.  One achieved weight through contouring, the other through fluting.

I assume some stress is imparted both through contouring and fluting.

Fluted barrels get better cooling and better rigidity I suppose, but theoretically more stress.

Or perhaps modern methods have limited or eliminated the stress.

Please share your insights, thanks.

Two barrels of the same weight, the fluted one will be stiffer. (larger diameter)

If done correctly, fluting doesn't kill the accuaracy of a barrel. Skip Otto liked the harmonics of a 25" barrel in Benchrest, but he had to flute it in order to make weight. He said the secret was to use cutters that "were sharp enough to cut your fingers on". A sharp cutter doesn't displace as much material when cutting. If that makes sense.

Im not a big fan of fluting.  A MODERN 2021 production skinny contour BBL stress relieved by a capable manufacturer, shoots just fine.  My very light FAXON Gunner amazes me.  It's 1 MOA, and when I do a 60 round mag-dump, and then zero check, POI doesn't move at all.  Try that with a 1980's skinny barrel and you're never going to get that. But today, with typical modern higher puritiy metallurgy and stress relieved processes, it works.  It works surprisingly well.  

Flutes are a lot of cuts on a barrel.  If those cuts aren't PERFECTLY aligned, and aren't perfectly and uniformly stress relieved, you've going to get some weird stuff happen as that barrel heats up, because you are going to have uneven stress changes.   And fluting isnt cheap, as manufactures have to spend the time and money to try and achieve just that.  

The old WW Bushmaster did excellent barrel fluting.  I have an old 20" factory fluted HBAR (the flutes are DEEP) and it is right in between the weight of a GI and a HBAR profile (~ 8 lbs. even w/ sling vs. 7.5 for GI and 8.5 for HBAR).  It balances well and is SUPER accurate.

With modern CNC machining, I don't believe it is difficult to properly flute a barrel without causing undue stress on the barrel.  No one does the fluting anymore because it is more machining work and cost than just reprofiling the barrel to be thinner, but I think if done properly, you get better results for comparable weight with fluting vs. reprofiled.  

I just don't know anyone I'd trust to do it!  




Can you sum up the results vs. trying to make people watch a 30+ min video?

It was a ramble-fest that wasn't nearly as topical as implied.  I hate the way people just post links to 30 minute video's, thinking everyone has time to kill just watching their important posted video link; without providing jack squat for summary of assessment of what it says ahead of time.  

It realy isn't a ramble fest, but for people that can't sit still and pay attention for 30 minutes, I understand why you'd think it is.

Watch it, don't watch it, your call, but LMAO at complaining about people offering info.

Fluting is way more expensive than reprofile. From the start on a blank, profiling is free, Fluting cost almost as much as making a whole barrel from a blank. Fluting is only for my lightweight uber accuracy barrels.