My experience: BSF Barrels May Experience Substantial Thermal Drift.

[aephilli822]

Mine was the 299 sale a week or so back. I was a little shocked to see a big chip from drlling the gas port sticking 1/3 of the way into the bore. Drilled two Sarco blanks myself in a wobbly drill press and couldn't even feel the chip on first swab down the barrel. BSF barrel I had to put a little 'umph' behind it to break the chip.

[StoneHendge]

Well, I was sitting down to do my 4th sale shopping and decided to check Rainier (there's no so thing as a holiday at a resort - the holiday begins when everyone goes back to from where they came on Sunday ) ....... $399.99 credit posted to my account yesterday afternoon! Yeah, so I had to eat the shipping and I did have to pay for shipping back. I'll call that an inexpensive lesson. Kudos to Rainier for taking it back.

[fixin]

Damn, I am sorry to hear your barrel didn't shoot worth a @#$%. Late post hear but condolences none the less.

[fixin]

My condolences to your barrel not shooting worth a @#$%. I still haven't had any issues with mine. It has been shooting fairly well. Not much else I can say, other than I am loving mine still.

[centerfire]

Sorry for your luck. There is only one barrel maker that I have ever seen do CF wrapped barrel correctly. The BSF CF sleeve and tension nut are just obvious trouble in the making. It's no wonder the POI walked, BSF is just using a CF sleeve that acts as an insulator. I've heard horror stories about CA as well. I'm glad Rainier took care of you, maybe consider one of their house brand match barrels, I have one made from a Shilen blank and it shoots very well.

[StoneHendge]

Fixin, it shot well, just not after 7-8 shots. Keep the pace down and you'll be fine. Maybe make a cappuccino between sets
CF, the annoying thing is that they claim to have solved the insulating problem but they didn't. I can't imagine what a Christenson would do with the 20th shot. 'm going with a JP like my original plan - the light contour is the same weight as the BSF and then 6 oz for the thermal radiator.

[centerfire]

Fixin, it shot well, just not after 7-8 shots. Keep the pace down and you'll be fine. Maybe make a cappuccino between sets
CF, the annoying thing is that they claim to have solved the insulating problem but they didn't. I can't imagine what a Christenson would do with the 20th shot. 'm going with a JP like my original plan - the light contour is the same weight as the BSF and then 6 oz for the thermal radiator.

The CA will string also, probably not as bad as the BSF. The only CF game in town is Proof and I can tell you from experience they dissipate heat very well (to the point you should consider a mirage band). No stringing either.

That JP barrel looks nice, I almost bought one and kind of wish I had.

[imaguy3]

The only CF game in town is Proof .

I can tell you from experience Carbon Six is also legit. They are a division of McGowen barrels. I have put 1000 rounds through my 280ai in the last year, going from cold winter temps and shooting in 100+ summer temps. No issues with POI shift or stringing. Still shoots 1/2" groups with my minimal load development (only tried one bullet and one powder).

Last I checked though they did not have an AR barrels yet.

[Redomen]

Any one have any experience with the Draco’s barrels?

[StoneHendge]

Any one have any experience with the Draco’s barrels?

"Our barrels reduce heat caused by firing"

I think I'd be more inclined to believe that a barrel could make my farts smell like roses.

[Sticks]

"Our barrels reduce heat caused by firing"

I think I'd be more inclined to believe that a barrel could make my farts smell like roses.

It might be legit. MAC did a test on one, but I can not remember the name (was new on the scene). He did a mag dump (30) supressed and the chamber was touchable by bare finger. Stated that the accuracy was solid IIRC.

[grayfox]

No barrel can "reduce the heat" -- it could, however, dissipate the heat more quickly thus leaving the barrel and/or chamber cooler in temperature.

The deflagration/shot fired will generate the heat (energy) that it does, nothing can "reduce" that.

[StoneHendge]

No barrel can "reduce the heat" -- it could, however, dissipate the heat more quickly thus leaving the barrel and/or chamber cooler in temperature.

The deflagration/shot fired will generate the heat (energy) that it does, nothing can "reduce" that.

Yeah, that was my take. Even if it means it cools rapidly, it makes it sound like BS. And if they can't phrase their marketing correctly, who knows what else they can't do correctly.

[LRRPF52]

Guys, I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of this particular barrel vendor.

I'm sure they didn't put all this effort into making something that was garbage, and I'm seeing a sample size of one right now. Maybe I overlooked something.

I don't know these people, have no experience with them or their products, but would like to hope this was a one-off issue and lean to giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Has anyone else had experience with them?

When I see the thread title, I wonder if something like "My experience with a 6.5 Grendel BSF barrel" might be more gentlemanly of us.

What do you think, StoneHendge?

[StoneHendge]

Guys, I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of this particular barrel vendor.

I'm sure they didn't put all this effort into making something that was garbage, and I'm seeing a sample size of one right now. Maybe I overlooked something.

I don't know these people, have no experience with them or their products, but would like to hope this was a one-off issue and lean to giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Has anyone else had experience with them?

When I see the thread title, I wonder if something like "My experience with a 6.5 Grendel BSF barrel" might be more gentlemanly of us.

What do you think, StoneHendge?

No problem with title change I've cooled down (pun intended) and got my money back, but how about BSF Barrels May Experience Substantial Thermal Drift.

But that's the thing that got me. Everyone knows to be careful with carbon fiber from experiences with Christenson and that gave (and probably still gives) Proof Research baggage to overcome. BSF claims that their sleeve and hole design allows the barrel to cool. Maybe it does a little, but mine behaved like it was for the most part insulated. They claim to have spent 3 years developing it, to have set a new industry standard and to make it the "most cost efficient, accurate and versatile barrel on the market." The last part is what gets me. Everyone knows what they get with a Christenson - and that's fine for a big game hunter who wants something light to carry around the back country and impress his friends when he's only going to take a shot or two to fill his tag.

It was an easy 1/2 MOA shooter when cool. I was really impressed at first. I guess the drift it had when it got warm could have been caused by something else - maybe the sleeve connection or out of spec sleeve caused the barrel to warp. But I'm inclined to believe it was almost surely from being hot in the core since the insulating Faxon Carbon Fiber handguard added another 1-2 inches of drift when I did the same test with that handguard on.

If anyone else who has one is happy with theirs and they shoot it at a slow pace, I would NOT recommend doing what I did since it cant be good for the throat. But if anyone thinks they might use it from the prison guard tower someday when the zombies are crashing the fence, they should try my test. Because mine was outside of minute of zombie head and they would have gotten in.

Edit / Add: I've thought about trying the same with my Proof S'more barrel, but I can't let myself do it. Even if it doesn't (and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't since there is negligible drift if I do a 10 round mag in a minute), I don't want to burn that much powder that fast in a throat that will likely only last around 2500 rounds under normal fire.

[LRRPF52]

That sounds great StoneHendge. I changed the thread title based on your recommended description.

With the intent to ventilate the carbon fiber, it's possible they shot themselves in the foot with carbon surface area purchase to the OD of the barrel.

When dealing with two different materials that get thermally loaded in a short period of time, coefficient of thermal expansion and contraction are very difficult to mitigate consistently for desired behavior that is more reasonable in a single material type.

I'm not sure the holes are helping out here, but that's just speculation on my part.

[grayfox]

With the barrel being of (I suppose, having not owned one) a thinner steel and then CF wrapped on it for more stiffness and other benny's, heat removal through it can't be as great as air-cooling, to say the least. Right, the holes would allow more heat to escape but if you really need heat dissipation -- who makes it? I forget -- there's that radial-finned attachment riding the barrel that increases surface area and thus speeds the cooldown. Possibly even fluting, since it also increases surface area somewhat for the barrel...

Yeah, I'll confess CF barrels are outta my league, to me they're more of a novelty or one to play with once you've got all the other toys... more power to the guys who want to go that route, however.

[LRRPF52]

JP makes the radiators for their barrels, and they work.

[grayfox]

yeah. those are the guys, just couldn't recall who they were.

[bj139]

Here is a short article describing why they are trying to use carbon fiber for greater thermal conductivity (cooling).
When I saw the cooling slots on the BSF barrel I thought, WTF. It shouldn't need them.
Stiffness is another benefit.
https://christinedemerchant.com/carbon_c...ivity.html
Here is another manufacturer that uses continuous carbon fiber and states the benefit of increased cooling rate.
https://www.proofresearch.com/the-products/barrels/