Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Weight reduction-fluting

Any information regarding weight loss caused by fluting sporter weight barrels?
I realize loss will vary depending on contour and bore but am looking for general numbers.
Thanks

LRI Has a calculator:

https://www.longriflesinc.com/products/gunsmithing-services-barrel-fluting


PacNor also has a calculator:

https://pac-nor.com/barrel-weight-calculator/

I like the aesthetics of fluted barrels like 700 CDL-SF AND 700 LVSF among others, but don't think that the minimal weight reduction would be worth whatever a competent 'smith would charge to do it. Ahlman's in Morristown, MN, charges $250 for straight flutes, more for diamond or spiral patterns. For me the cost to have Ahlman's cut flutes wouldn't be worth a few ounces of weight reduction or even for the aesthetic benefit.

I've had a ton of barrels fluted... if we're talking about a 7mm or 30 cal sporter weight/sporter length barrels (20-22inches), you'll save 4-5 ounces as a rule of thumb. Maybe a little more if the barrel is longer and the contour is in in the #3 or #4 range.

I very recently discussed this with Karl Kampfeld regarding my 416 Rem M70. Years ago I swapped the factory wood stock for a McM Express stock that weighs significantly less. As such it is heavy out front. His shop is close to my place so I am going to bring it up when we go for the summer and likely have him flute it.

I have a Bartlein 3-B that has (6) flutes, 16-in ln length, and if I remember correctly, the weight difference quoted from Bartlein was 7.5-oz.

Lilja's barrel weight spreadsheet that you can download will let you calc weight savings from various fluting configurations. Also, IIRC, you can do the same on Pac-nor's website.

While I like the looks of a fluted barrel, even on a 26" magnum barrel with 6 flutes, the savings was only ~6 oz ??? Douglas will not flute a barrel. However they are close. And they have a fast turn around. I eventually had Douglas rebarrel the action and just shave 0.025" off the diameter of the straight section of the barrel. Zero cost to slightly reduce the barrel diameter versus $125-$150 fluting charge. Got the barreled action back in 16 days. And very close to the weight target I was looking for. I'm happy.

No open sights I presume?

Sort of the same approach I took with my last build, neither Bartlein nor my smith were fans of fluting a 2B, so I just took the weight off the back end by using a 3/4" "cylinder" length and leaving the barrel length at 24". It came out weighing just a couple ounces over a Rem Magnum profile. Overall weight with the Manners EH3 is just at 6lbs, 9 ounces, right about where I wanted to be with a stripped 300WM.

No, sir. .300H&H. Slick barrel. Swarovski on top.

RinB
When you could get a Rock barrel say 3s and 4s you could loose 6 oz or so.
I have several and like them.
Tend to put them on rifles that would take years to shoot out so I just eat the cost.
I have always been uncomfortable having anyone other than the barrel manufacturer flute it.
Thought about the carbon wrap stuff but just looking at it .I'm thinking you'll have to mount your scope higher ....
dave

Thought so. My 416 Rem has a banded front sight, banded sling swivel and a Wisner rear sight. The cost of replacing those vs. what fluting might provide is not small.

You would be better off ordering a new barrel a size heavier that was fluted, as opposed to ordering a light weight sporter. However pulling an existing barrel, fluting, polishing the flutes, refinishing the exterior barrel surface, re-crowning, then remounting the barrel is not really economical. Unless you do all of the work yourself and even then, you have a used barrel with many hours work into it.

Ahhh... Re-read the full post. I had Douglas fit a new barrel to my LH Win M70 action. I wanted approx a Douglas 4.5 barrel contour (0.675" @ 26" muzzle). However, Douglas does not do "half sizes". However, for no charge, on request they will contour a barrel such that the straight section is "XX" thousands smaller diameter than the specified contour. So, I ordered a #5 barrel contour (nominal 0.700" muzzle) that was turned 0.025" smaller diameter through the straight section. Roughly 4.5 contour, for no cost.

For an existing barrel, which already has sight bases, sight dovetails, banded sights, banded sling swivels... Absolutely easier to find someone to pull the barrel, flute it, and re-fit it... My apologies for the misunderstanding. I assumed we were starting with a raw action and fitting a new barrel...

No worries. I will bring it up and drop by his shop and see what he thinks. Do nothing is an OK answer.