Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats What do the bbl contour #s mean?

What do numbers such as 1,2,5 etc refer to, is it the weight of the barrel? Are the numbers consistent with all manufacturers, i.e. is a #2 from winchester the same as a #2 from say remington? Maybe a dumb question but thanks for the help.

Luke

"Contour" equals a numerical designation regarding a barrel's profile. #1 is small/svelte/skinny and as the numbers increase,so does the mass of the barrel.

There is some deviation between Manufacturer's but the smaller the contour's numerical designation,the "skinnier" it is and that in respect to all makers.

Most Manufacturer's list their specific contour designations upon their home website. Search most any maker and you should yield a schematic that will breakdown the differences specifically............

Various examples:

Shilen Contours

PacNor Contours

Hart Contours

Should give you a better idea...................

I am hoping this link will work Miner Luke.
In Canada here you could give Bill Leeper a call on gunsmithing, he is up in Elko B.C.

http://www.pac-nor.com/contours/

Now I see Big Stick one minute before me added the info, I didn't think he was going to bother. Oh well.

Thanks for the info guys.

Luke

I've always been curious about this as well. What barrel contour would my Model 70 classic 338 be? #1 contour?

I doubt it. My guess would be #3 ???

Big Stick, in regards to Pac-Nor and some of the other barrel Manufacturers. Have you ever gotten a list from them, or your own knowledge able to match weight with contour numbers. Krieger I know gives weight for their standard barrels on their website. But I don't think their contour numbers much match some of the others.

Phil

Jimf,has some pretty good figures that he's posted a coupla times and that might answer specific questions you may have.

I've never actually weighed a finished barrel,in any contour,from any maker...........

I havent weighed any barrels, but I have calculated weights from dimensions for a project of mine. I just figured out the dimensions from the figures given, calculated volume (I just counted the initial concave taper as straight, Im not smart enough to figure that out for real) and subtract the chamber and bore. There would also be some steel cut for the threads. I have used .29 lbs per square inch. for steel. I have seen numbers given between .276 and .29 for barrels, alloys can vary but the differences arent a big deal. Using pac nors numbers I have figured that a 22" #1 30-06 barrel, with an inch off of the fat end would weigh 40 oz. the pac nor #4 375 H&H barrel that will be on my upcoming rifle will be about 51 oz. at 22". Its a bit of work to calculate the 5 portions, shank, both tapers, bore and chamber. I dont like to believe the weights the makers casually give because the difference between a 30 and 375 bore is 1/4 lb at 22". Hope this helps
Ian

bearstalker,
The Win 70 Classic 338WM bbl is really small. The muzzle dia at 26" length is only .576" so I would guess its close to a #1 contour. This is one reason why I had mine chopped and recrowned at 23.25" with a muzzle dia. of .604" A little thicker and stiffer maybe? MtnHtr

Mtn Hunter,

Thanks for answering my question. I was thinking about a pac-nor with a bigger contour down the lines, but the way the gun is shooting now, I don't want to pull the factory barrel.