Pipe cutting a barrel for DIY fluting?

[mark04]

So this could well be a really stupid idea, but I'll ask it as the idea popped into my head

Barrel fluting typically runs the length of the barrel from what I see. Any reason it can't be done around the barrel?

The idea that came into my head anyway, was you could use something like a pipe cutter, clamp onto the barrel and give it a couple of turns just to create a half mm deep ring carved into the barrel.

Do this every half cm 40 or 50cm up the barrel and you'd add a ****** more surface area to the barrel for cooling without actually taking much of the barrel away?

Just thinking out loud so don't be too harsh

Thoughts?

[Harper]

The point where you said "pipe cutter" is where I would be in the car driving far away

[Hadoku]

The idea that came into my head anyway, was you could use something like a pipe cutter, clamp onto the barrel and give it a couple of turns just to create a half mm deep ring carved into the barrel.

Do this every half cm 40 or 50cm up the barrel and you'd add a ****** more surface area to the barrel for cooling without actually taking much of the barrel away?

Your theory's sound in terms of cooling and surface area.

DIYing it to a rifle barrel though? And with a pipe-cutter?

Not for me.

[tiki]

I doubt a pipe cutter is the right tool, but the barrel would decide how keen I'd be on doing fluting myself.

Truck axle barrel? Probably good to go.

Ultra light sporter barrel? No, no, no...

[BBJ]

Truck axle barrel? Probably good to go.

Ultra light sporter barrel? No, no, no...

Yup.

Give us a bit more info on your project and gear?

[mark04]

The point where you said "pipe cutter" is where I would be in the car driving far away

[mark04]

Give us a bit more info on your project and gear?

Thanks for the input guys.

This isn't for any project. It was just a thinking out loud question to float the idea.


Good in theory, needs more research in practice, got it

[agentzero]

Good in theory, needs more research in practice, got it

That's the spirit mate.

It's not black magic. Just put in the time and effort to make sure you don't do anything stupid

[VICHunter]

It's not black magic. Just put in the time and effort to make sure you don't do anything stupid

But I paid that witch all my money to do it?

[Noisydad]

Barrel fluting is probably more a clever marketing ploy than anything practical. Been shooting for 40 years and apart from shotguns where I have actually burnt fingers have NEVER felt the need to cool a barrel!

[horter]

But I paid that witch all my money to do it?

You've been had Bro

[keg]

This may sound a little brainiac and contentious but it's really the only way to make my point.

I use a dulled pipe cutter to lengthen the crane on revolvers to remove end shake. In order to do this you have to have a mandrel inserted into the crane so that it doesn't collapse. In gunsmithing you learn it's mostly bending and stretching metal back to where it should be. If you used a pipe cutter on a rifle barrel you would more than likely reduce the ID of the barrel. If you inserted a mandrel to keep that from happening the barrel would stretch in length. A pipe cutter doesn't really remove metal it just separates and stretches it until it parts the pieces at the cut point.

If you think about it longitudinal cuts in a barrel wouldn't remove much rigidity in the length. If you cut into a barrel around the radial axis I would think it would remove some rigidity and tend to make it more whippy.

[greyghost]

In gunsmithing you learn it's mostly bending and stretching metal back to where it should be.

"Gunsmithing" specific courses and education aren't really available here in Aus cause our laws are so different

It's a bit tougher for your average person to get any practical skills on this kind of stuff without taking up a full time trade in some sort of metalwork or something similar.

We need a few more yanks on the forum to share