5R Rifling!

[Randy99CL]

My new barrel has 5R rifling that I picked because it seems to have some real advantages over the norm. And no disadvantages that I can find.

What experiences have people had with 5R rifling?

What I don't understand is why only a small percentage of makers offer 5R and those that do only list a few barrels with it.
BCA, for example, lists 20+ 6.5 barrels but only a couple with 5R.

If it's so much better why hasn't it caught on more and started to replace conventional (ancient) rifling?

Edit: As a retired machinist I understand that it's not cut as easily as the older style, and that many people don't want to change from something that works "well enough". I wonder how many of we older guys just resist any change, period?
Companies that button rifle their barrels could make the change easily. Making new mandrels for hammer-forging wouldn't be hard either.

[lrgrendel]

Some major companies seem to be going this route. I own a Ruger Precision Rifle that came with 5 R rifling.
It shoots light out....

I recently bought a Thompson Center Compass ( for less than $200 after a $75 Mail in rebate!! ) that also came with 5 R rifling. They are owned by Smith and Wesson. They guarantee a 3 shot group at 1 MOA at 100 yds.

Before anyone buys a Compass....think before you do. They advertise it as an adjustable trigger and it is NOT. They had a recall and they took away the ability to adjust it but their marketing and advertising has not changed.

The barrel comes threaded BUT not all muzzle brakes etc will fit. It is 5/8 x 24 and the barrel is so thin there is no shoulder behind the thread. My Little Bastard brake does not work. I called a lot of manufacturers and there are not a lot that will fit.

It is what it is. cheap, and I knew it.....

[mdram]

faxon uses 5r iirc

[bj139]

My most precise barrel is 6R. I dunno what is the correct answer.

[Sticks]

Lija is 3R

[grayfox]

The advantage I've seen marketed is that the rifling does not directly oppose another rifling ridge, rather it is opposite a groove, which is supposed to cause less deformation and friction within the barrel as the bullet travels down the pipe. I can see where that could be true. OTOH, one match barrel maker has told me that neither they, nor any of their shooters, see any performance difference btw 5R and 4R. Personally I kind of like the 5R style but not really sure how true the benefit is...
Some 5R's are also "polygonal" which means potentially even less bullet-mating friction...
Barrel "goodness" IMO is probably more a function of the mfr, the steel, and their processes/QA, than the specific rifling style used.

[Leadslinger]

Is there any truth that bi metal ammo such as wolf may have more accuracy problems in 5r vs traditional rifling?

[Drillboss]

Is there any truth that bi metal ammo such as wolf may have more accuracy problems in 5r vs traditional rifling?

I managed to get Bill Alexander on the phone once, and that's what he told me. My 16" AA shoots the stuff pretty well, but I don't have a 5R barrel to compare to.

[JJA Guns]

My understanding of 5R is mostly the bore is supposed to clean easier. I don't believe anything is better then your high end cut rifled barrels. Personally it probably has more to do with marketing than anything in my opinion. Firearms manufacturers have to have something new to sell to keep customers excited. Same thing with most new calibers that come out, most don't do anything that an existing caliber already does. That's one of the reasons I am drawn to the 6.5 Grendel. It offers something in a platform that really doesn't have a comparable competitor.

[Torquaholic]

I read on some long distance shooting forums a while back about high end barrel designs for 1000yds and beyond. People mentioned 5R not technically making a more accurate barrel, but it does allow for more velocity from any given barrel length as compared to standard pattern rifling. They pretty much all agreed it was the better option if given the choice. That little trinket stuck with me.

[kmon]

.There is some interesting reading on Boots Obermeyer's site on barrels and rifling. Boots is a one man shop for barrels and is getting on in years but the man probably knows more about barrels than any man alive. Bartlein Brux and others have gone to Boots to learn the trade. The quote below is from his website questions and answers. http://www.obermeyerbarrels.com/

Boots is the man that developed 5R rifling

What does it mean when a barrel is said to be a "5R"?

5R is the form of rifling I developed for use in most target barrels and in many sporting barrels.
These barrels have 5 grooves, and the lands have angular sides. I have observed that bullet jackets
will deform such that they remain closer to the R-form lands than they will to the sharp-edged
lands present in conventional-style rifling. This reduces powder fouling at the corner of the
grooves. The angled form of the lands also helps to reduce jacket failures in quick-twist barrels.