Is barrel fluting important?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is barrel fluting important?

Posted: 6/1/2001 11:43:59 AM EDT

I am purchasing a Bushmaster XM15 ES2 with a 16" barrel, should I add $50 for barrel fluting?

Posted: 6/1/2001 11:49:03 AM EDT

[#1]

Supposed to lighten the barrel, aid in cooling by increasing surface area and aid in stiffening the barrel.

A fluted barrel does look cool!

Posted: 6/1/2001 11:55:12 AM EDT

[#2]

I have one of those fluted BBLs on my Bushmaster, it looks cool, but I think I would rather buy some extra ammo instead. There is a FAQs on fluted BBLs at www.armalite.com.

Posted: 6/1/2001 11:56:56 AM EDT

[#3]

I think fluting can be useful especially on heavy sniper/tactical rifles. However, I don't think it serves much purpose on an AR other than looks. Your call, but I would skip it.

Posted: 6/1/2001 2:12:19 PM EDT

[#4]

I just sold my Bushy 16" fluted to buy an M4 barrelled upper. The only thing the fluting does is drop some weight. In a carbine, you won't notice any accuracy gains. Either go for the full heavy and buy some more ammo, or get the M4 barrel for looks and lighter weight.
Just my .02

Posted: 6/1/2001 2:24:52 PM EDT

[#5]

Fluting greatly reduces the weight at the expense of a little stiffness. It does also increase the surface area to allow for more cooling.

One of the risks of fluting is that the machining of the flutes may cause the barrel to warp slightly. It is dependent on the processes used to make the barrel and the control of the final product after it is heat treated.

If the weight doesn't bother you, I would suggest that you not flute the barrel and buy more ammo to run throughyour new rifle.

Posted: 6/1/2001 2:32:20 PM EDT

[#6]

If you are buying it new, go for it. If you change your mind later and have the fluting done it will cost $75+.

Plus, you will be instantly cool [8D]

Posted: 6/1/2001 3:08:39 PM EDT

[#7]

From everything I've heard and read, my conclusion is that fluting, aside from some very rare and specialized applications, is a fad that sacrifices barrel stiffness and gives very little back in return. My advice? If you want accuracy, buy a heavy barrel. If you want light weight, buy a slim barrel. Skip the dubious advantages of fluting unless you are out for style-points.

Posted: 6/1/2001 3:17:49 PM EDT

[#8]

Only if you are shooting in the band

Posted: 6/1/2001 3:55:34 PM EDT

[#9]

Get it fluted. You WILL NOT be disappointed. My 16in DPMS is fluted and looks wonderful. I beleive that it does help barrel cooling. The fluting will stay with you a lifetime, $50 worth of ammo will last an afternoon.

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:02:18 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
From everything I've heard and read, my conclusion is that fluting, aside from some very rare and specialized applications, is a fad that sacrifices barrel stiffness and gives very little back in return. My advice? If you want accuracy, buy a heavy barrel. If you want light weight, buy a slim barrel. Skip the dubious advantages of fluting unless you are out for style-points.

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Not to nitpick, but in the interest of accuracy, fluting makes a bbl. MORE stiff.

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:20:28 PM EDT

[#11]

You don't make a barrel more stiff by removing material.

A fluted barrel is stuffer than a straight barrel of the same weight. It is less stiff than a straight barrel of the same diameter.

Basically, it's a way to minimize the loss of stiffness associated with going to a lighter barrel.

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:24:12 PM EDT

[#12]

Could some one please explain to me how fluting (removing material in the form of parallel groves on the long axis of an object) makes a barell stronger? It just sounds a little counter-intuitive to me. Maybe if you are comparing bbls of equal length & weight the fluted one could be stronger because some areas are thicker than others as opposed to a bbl w/ a constant wall thickness. I am just wonderin'?
[;)]

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:26:05 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
You don't make a barrel more stiff by removing material.

A fluted barrel is stuffer than a straight barrel of the same weight. It is less stiff than a straight barrel of the same diameter.

Basically, it's a way to minimize the loss of stiffness associated with going to a lighter barrel.

View Quote

Say what? There has to be someone more qualified than I who can explain this. I think it is the same principle as that of a tube (pipe) being much stiffer than a solid cylinder of equal diameter/material. Has to do with increasing the surface area thus creating more stiffness and heat dissipating area. Please, someone (engineer type) tell me if I am right or wrong. [>:/]

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:34:11 PM EDT

[#14]

Maybe the magic of fluting fails me but the intuition that cuting material out of an object makes it somehow stronger has got to be the dumbest thing I have heard since I just got done watching the evening news on NBC. [;)]

Posted: 6/1/2001 4:53:43 PM EDT

[#15]

Personally, I think barrel fluting on an AR is ugly as sin. Maybe it's just me. If I were you I would either buy more ammo, more mags, or go with the M-4. If you're going for NOTICABLE accuracy, go with a differant barrel lenth, free float handguards, etc.

Posted: 6/1/2001 6:09:17 PM EDT

[#16]

Originally Posted By Rich in CM:
One of the risks of fluting is that the machining of the flutes may cause the barrel to warp slightly. It is dependent on the processes used to make the barrel and the control of the final product after it is heat treated.

View Quote

I read on one of the web sites(Armalite,fulton Armoury?) that the procedure for manufacturing a new barrel is to do the contouring, fluting(if any), and rifling, so therefore this would avoid the warping etc. It is not advisable to flute a finished barrel for the reasons you quoted.

Posted: 6/1/2001 7:44:18 PM EDT

[#17]

mcgredo---

is correct according to an article I read that was written by an engineer.
Might have been the same article.

Weight is reduced. Cooling is augmented. The surface area thing is mathematically beyond my comprehension...

But, the strength/material removal thing I can sort of grasp.
I didn't get my new Bushmaster V-MATCH 24 UPPER bbl. fluted because of what I'd read and I also didn't get any bbl. attachments such as a flash suppressor (I could've, as the rifle is "pre") or compensator, as I'd read that the bbl. crown would be easier to clean without one.

I found a lot of information regarding these subjects on snipercountry.com.

I don't know if this will come through as a link, but this is one article regarding bbl. fluting...

http://www.fulton-armory.com/fluting.htm

The deal with the flash hiders was that the author called them "muzzle flash enhancers", for various reasons.

Hope this is helpful to some of you.

Posted: 6/1/2001 8:12:23 PM EDT

[#18]

I did some trading about a year ago and got a Post-ban Bushmaster V-Match Carbine with a fluted barrel. With the Trijicon Reflex sight on top and the match barrel, I couldn't miss inside of 200 yards. The fluting was appropriate for the heavy barrel on this V-Match version, but I wouldn't recommend it for a standard barrel. If someone wanted to purchase a pre-ban AR-15, I'd recommend the Bushmaster V-Match Carbine to anyone!

Posted: 6/1/2001 9:50:45 PM EDT

[#19]

Late last year, Gun Tests publication did some tests firing fluted and non-fluted barrels. (I still have a copy somewhere in my stuff, but couldn't find it for this post.) The results were so minimal other that cooling that it was deemed to be not worth the additional cost. Even for cooling the little advantage the fluted barrel had was only in the beginning few minutes of the test. After that, they were very close so far as dissipating heat.

Posted: 6/2/2001 2:16:11 AM EDT

[#20]

ARChoo. The fluting will stay with you a lifetime, $50 worth of ammo will last an afternoon.

View Quote

Fifty bucks in ammo lasts you a whole afternoon?

Okay, this has been done to death in hipower circles, too. A fluted barrel is stiffer than a non-fluted ONLY IF THEY ARE THE SAME WEIGHT. If you flute a barrel, it's less stiff.

That said, it does aid SLIGHTLY in cooling, if that's an issue, and it reduces weight a little. I wouldn't bother on the shorty, but it looks cool and it's your call, just don't go into it thinking it's magic.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is barrel fluting important?

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