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Posted: 2/5/2003 5:22:19 PM EDT
| Noticed my new Bushmaster barrel on the outside is made up of "ridges" if you will, and my buddy's Armalite barrel is smooth. Are the ridges on the barrel new or is just they way Bushmasters are made? I barely touched my barrel with a laser mount and scratched it pretty good. Thanks. (no Ruffles jokes either!) :) |
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I always thought that it would be for cooling purposes since those ridges are sometimes more pronounced on other weapons, like my AK. Maybe they're just left that way after the machining process to save a step. But it seems that it would be a pretty insignificant step to smooth it out. Perhaps they're left there to help keep the barrel surface from becoming reflective. Anyway I like those ridges. |
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having spent quite a bit of time in a machine shop let me tell you whats going on. when a part is turned on a lathe, like your barrel, it leaves those little grooves you refer to. there are a couple of ways to get rid of this. one way is to make your final cut feed slower, while running the late at a faster RPM. this leaves a smooth finish. the other way is to spin the part on the late and use emery cloth or a similar abrasive on it to smooth it out. both of these operations take time and effort. bushmaster makes a LOT more barrels than most people, including armalite, so they probably leave this step out to save time. no biggie. shouldnt hurt anything, the little grooves might even increase the cooling rate. if you like a smooth finish.. well.. sandpaper that baby down![smash] -Spaceman |
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Armalite consciously made the decision to trade volume to improve cosmetic issues. They take extra time, and go to extra expense, to make their rifles fantastic-looking. They also focus heavily on accuracy, and build their rifles from a target-shooter's point of view. Their price and availability reflects these decisions. They also have a limited number of configurations, with few factory "custom" options. Bushmaster's customers are typically those looking for a tool for work, or a military-type rifle. Minor cosmetic issues are secondary to things like Mil-Spec steel and chamber dimensions. Bushmaster also has many more available configurations than any other company, including a number of lightweight barrel options that aren't offered elsewhere. And, Bushmaster makes nearly half of all AR15s sold, and still has trouble keeping up with the demand for their product. It's all about where your priorities are. Both companies are very good at what they do and have loyal followings. It's just that different customers have different priorities, and the market reflects that. -Troy |
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