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Author Topic: What Determines Barrel Life?  (Read 6237 times)

Offline ICEMAN

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What Determines Barrel Life?
« on: November 20, 2010, 08:02:04 PM »
Saw some of the more informed members discussing barrel life on another thread. I thought that it could be discussed here so that others can join in on the fun. Keep it civil...  :chuckle:

I have a hand-me-down Remington 721 in .270 that has thousand and thousands of rounds down it.... The throat is looking a bit ugly, but it still shoots pretty darned good.

What actual burns up or ruins a barrel?

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Offline norsepeak

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #1 on: November 20, 2010, 08:07:43 PM »
Powder burning is the biggest killer.  When you shoot magnum loads your burning more powder which causes the throat to get eroded, which leads to a loss in accuracy.  If its still shooting good, press on.

Offline high country

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #2 on: November 20, 2010, 08:24:10 PM »
throat erosion and crappy cleaning techniques

Offline Jamieb

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #3 on: November 21, 2010, 05:15:05 PM »
Most barrels that are wore out are from not letting the barrel cool down and improper cleaning.
Letting a barrel cool between groups and a bore guide will extend the life of a barrel by a long ways.
Hot gasses blasting the throat area over time does cause wear, more so in some of the hot rod cartridges but in most cases this will take years and a lot of rounds before it's noticeable.

Offline ICEMAN

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #4 on: November 21, 2010, 05:22:07 PM »
I have been rough on this gun, the way I cleaned it for years. I have learned my lesson...
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Offline demontang

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #5 on: November 21, 2010, 07:43:16 PM »
cleaning can be a factor in barrel life too. Ive read a few things saying the some rifles groups open because they are cleaned so much that the crown goes away which isnt good.

Offline FC

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2010, 01:56:50 AM »
Big powder charges and high velocity do the most damage when actually shooting, bad cleaning habits will do just as much damage though if not more. Throat erosion is all about the powder charge, rifling wear is from velocity.

The heat from firing repeated groups I don't believe is enough to cause damage, the barrel's temp even getting up to 400-500 degrees is nothing compared to the temps achieved by a bullets passage through the bore and the time spent at those temps is exactly what damages barrels!

How many here have rapid fired their pistols? I know I do every time I take mine out for close range shooting (under 25 yards), I get them way too hot to holster yet they are as accurate as ever after thousands of rounds through them.

How many here have rapid fired their AR?   :rolleyes: I'm sure we are all too grown up for that! They will take it repeatedly for quite a while without apparent damage and if fired somewhat more responsibly they will last for tens of thousands of rounds without detriment. Compare other cartridges such as the 220 Swift and the 257 Weatherby if you want to see some barrel eaters. Back your speed down (keep it under 3600) on either and you will likely double the lifespan of the barrel.
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Offline Skyvalhunter

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2010, 05:17:19 AM »
With some barrels it is what they are made of. Some of the earlier Winchesters were made out of stainless steel.
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Offline Cascade_Sherpa

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2010, 04:45:54 PM »
With some barrels it is what they are made of. Some of the earlier Winchesters were made out of stainless steel.


Almost every firearm manufacturer makes a model with a stainless barrel.  In fact most of the match grade barrels from Kreiger, Lilja, Rock, etc. are stainless barrels.  Maybe I'm not understanding your post but Winchester still makes barrels ouf of SS.  Nothing I've ever read or been told has led me to believe that SS barrels have a short life.

Offline high country

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2010, 04:51:48 PM »
stainless overbore rounds have a short life.....but still live a bit longer then cromo

Offline thinkingman

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2010, 05:04:19 PM »
Saw some of the more informed members discussing barrel life on another thread. I thought that it could be discussed here so that others can join in on the fun. Keep it civil...  :chuckle:

I have a hand-me-down Remington 721 in .270 that has thousand and thousands of rounds down it.... The throat is looking a bit ugly, but it still shoots pretty darned good.

What actual burns up or ruins a barrel?


The question of what burns up a barrel?...heat and pressure....the faster you accelerate a bullet, the more plasma-like effect you have on the throat.
Abrasion runs a distant second.  unless you have a rusted,  pitted barrel, or used a chemical or metal in the bore that was incompatible, you would have a hard time ruining it.  Chafing the muzzle can be done pretty easily with a brush or rod.
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Offline high country

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2010, 05:07:11 PM »
or lack of a bore guide at the action and use of stainless rods, stainless brushes....etc

Offline jdb

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2010, 06:31:13 PM »
I have found that using a rifle barrel for a jack handle shortens barrel life considerably
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Offline Bob33

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2010, 06:50:48 PM »
Throat erosion is usually the limiting factor.  Throat erosion is caused primarily by hot gasses. The type of powder, the charge of powder, and bullet seating depth all contribute.  Hot metal is more prone to erosion from hot gasses, so shooting through a hot barrel accelerates erosion.

A barrel doesn't "wear out", it just gets less accurate. At what point that becomes unacceptable is what determines its useful life.  Benchrest shooters might consider a barrel gone when the group size increases 1/8".  Hunters may well accept 3" groups as acceptable, and that could occur after thousands and thousands of rounds.
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Offline high country

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2010, 06:55:35 PM »
ice, if you wore a crown, a cheap and easy trick is to use a brass round head screw with some valve lapping compund....chuck it up in a drill and lap away.

Offline Bob33

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2010, 07:22:39 PM »
ice, if you wore a crown,
Ice, is there something we don't know?  Did you become royalty and didn't tell us, your good friends? :chuckle:
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Offline 2506

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2010, 07:27:39 PM »
Not cleaning it properly

Offline Jekemi

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2011, 08:08:32 AM »
This is a good question. How is it that some of the really old rifles, such as old M1's, Mosin Nagant's, and Mauser's; none of them chrome lined, still shoot with incredible accuracy out to 300 yards or more. Some of those guns probably have had thousands of rounds through the barrels and slogged around in the mud for who knows how long.
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Offline high country

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2011, 08:44:43 AM »
most were rarely cleaned and shot relatively mild loads. that is the recipie for long barrel life. my theroy is to shoot the snot out of it and clean it when it goes wonky. they make new barrels every day, but you only get to shoot every few days.

Offline 44 Flattop

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #19 on: January 08, 2011, 10:49:07 PM »
Pretty much ALL of the above and no single thing.
'I guess if I could have had but one rifle during all the years I hunted, it would have been the .44 (Winchester) .....it was no long range cartridge.....but for just plain every day use to put meat in the pot, it was a difficult cartridge to beat.'
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Offline Alchase

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Re: What Determines Barrel Life?
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2011, 07:02:35 PM »
Pretty much ALL of the above and no single thing.

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