Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Reason for "stepped" military Mauser barrels?

ofcourse but the stepped barrel was designed outside of wartime.....yes it is easier to produce but they spent a hell of alot of time testing various things during peace time.....most of Mausers and the others designed thier rifles between the wars, and IIRC the stepped barrel came out during this time, not as a time saving measure during war time production....

Yinz figure the Krauts also stepped this'un, for ease of machineing and fitting?



Then, there's this tidbit from Olson:


Paul Mauser found that rifle barrels have 3 distinct vibration points. He also found that the continuous firing of magazine after magazine of ammo would cause the barrel to expand longitudinally. By putting steps in a barrel, the vibration was reduced. Stepped barrel Mauser rifles require a small amount of clearance between the front of the step and the recess in the stock to allow for the longitudinal expansion during rapid firing. The clearance allows the barrel to expand without jamming into the wood. Often, dried grease, grit or a combination of both will have worked their way into the clearances. Carefully scrape it out. If a stock has been swapped, the clearance may not exist at all. If that is the case, use a Dremel tool or scrappers and relieve the stock. (Source: �Mauser Bolt Rifles� 7th Ed, Ludwig Olson, F. Brownell & Son, Montezuma, Iowa, 1976)




Logged

I guess all this begs the question then - why aren't todays target and benchrest barrels stepped?

Because a heavier barrel dampens vibrations better than a lighter barrel, and thus, minimizes the error when bullets leave the barrel at different points in that barrel's 3-dimensional vibration pattern.

And, lighter weight is of lesser interest to a benchrest shooter than to an Army (infantryman) who has to carry his rifle, ammo, water, some food, grenades, shovel, etc. while marching up to 20 miles a day.

Barrel harmonics certainly do affect accuracy but this was probably not the main reason. Military rifles of the era were generally considered sufficiently accurate to pass the test if they could group into 4" at 100 meters. Most troops could not hit a man at 400 meters anyway, especially if he was moving, hence the universal use of machine guns (many bullets on target) for ranging fire.

Certainly if anyone has a Model 96 Swede in 6.5, in vey good condition,they will see that accuracy was importnat in the earlier years. Those rifles will shoot right alongside,if not better than most of todays out of the box rifles.

Cause their freefloated...much harder to do in old timey mil. stuff.
Look at todays AR barrels...more cuts in the barrel than you can shake a stick at, but float it from the receiver, bedding problems then don`t exist.

Does it or does it not make a barrel more accurate ?

I migt be wrong, but I believe I read some where that a tapered barrel whips the entire length in one harmonic mode each time.The steps,disrupt that whipping.

My memeory is not 100% any more and I could be wrong,as always.

The original congiguration of the 6.5 Swede Military Model 96 or the shorter carbine ( Model 37 ?)was not free floated and stil gave astonishing accuracy. When I sportorized mine,I cut the barrel at the 1st step back from the frint sight. Probably still one of the most accurate rifles I have, although I'm not into punching tiny groups in paper

I have 4 Swede Model 96's - 1 stock, 1 with Elite target sights, and 2 Kimber conversions. All shoot well - impressive for military rifles 100+ years old.

Those rifles will shoot right alongside,if not better than most of todays out of the box rifles.

+1..... That goes for my three Mod. 96's also; two originals and one Kimber conversion. All shoot very well, which is probably why I wound up owning three of 'em. Somebody obviously knew what they were doing when those things were designed and built.

I have a stepped barrel but the sections that are supposed to be straight have a slight taper.

Had an old wise man tell me once it was due to the barrels being superheated during battle, the thicker rear portions of the barrels held there shape's better when hot, and the fronts were able to cool a bit quicker, thus kinda balancing out the make-up.

Gunner

Everybody who posted accuracy as a result of barrel stiffness and "harmonics" (the barrels modal shape or operating deflection shape) are correct. Each length of the barrels three differing diameters has a tapered profile.

Then why don't they still step the barrels of benchrest and target rifles today?

I also tend to wonder what perceptible difference it would make in an infantry rifle with a full-length stock and open sights.

Maybe a difference in accuracy could be seen in scoped sniper rifles.

Phil is correct other wise all bench rest barrels would be stepped and they are not

If I were guessing the reason for the steps I would guess ease of manufacture or compatibility with other parts of the rifle before I would guess accuracy. The Mauser mil. guns were made in the millions to outfit troops; not made in the thousands to outfit hunters.