Weight difference from shortening 22" barrels

[Austinite]

To those that have shortened 22" handis, how much barrel did you take off and how much lighter was the gun?  I'm interested in shortening a 22" .357 to around 17" or so, and would like to know what the final weight would be. 

Thanks. 

[petemi]

Mines 16.5 inches, but I can't tell you offhand what it weighs 'cause I don't have a scale.  I had it cut to make it more compact, not to lighten it.  I'd guess it took a half pound off it.

Pete

[gcrank1]

Somebody must have a cut-off piece laying about to weigh, but until then you might find a close 'average' by weighing your barrel and dividing by the number of inches long. Yeah, the breech is heavier, so you might fudge it a bit, but all in all it should come out fairly close.

[petemi]

I guess you'd have to allow for the lug too.

Pete

[44 Man]

It's probably going to be just a few ounces.  BUT when you start by shortening up the barrel, putting on a light weight scope, and a youth synthetic stock, it all adds up to a compact, handy Handi!  If I end up with an extra .45 lc barrel and some point, I'd love to do that with it.  44 Man.

[quickdtoo]

FWIW, I recently cut a standard contour 223 barrel to 16-5/8", the 5-3/8" piece weighs 7.4oz, the 223 muzzle is smaller than a 357 barrel, but it's also got more metal due to the smaller bore, so that should give you and idea of the weight change.

Tim

[uncyboo]

......BUT when you start by shortening up the barrel, putting on a light weight scope, and a youth synthetic stock, it all adds up to a compact, handy Handi!....

This ^^^ ... 44 Man and I had this converation a week or so ago. This is what I told him...

"According to the trusty BR scale it still weighs 7.6#. That's with a Sightron SII 2.5-9 X 33 scope, Weaver rings, and Butler Creek scope caps. The laminated stocks were a bit heavier. That's why I traded them off for another synthetic set for my other Handi....

....Mine's at 16 1/4". Putting the synthetic stocks on made a huge difference, not so much in overall weight but put the balance back towards the front, which helps the overall handling. I do my own crowning with the Brownell's hand crowning tools. Best hundred bucks I ever spent."

The rifle cut so short was very compact, of course, but with the laminated stocks was very butt heavy. Putting on the synthetics made a huge difference.

[bcp]

Calculate weight loss here.  Measure your barrel diameter, then fill in the blanks.

Found at:
http://www.matweb.com/tools/weightcalculator.aspx

Sample
-------------------
Cross section: circular tube

Material: steel

OD: 0.625 (in)

ID: 0.308 (in)

Length: 2 (in)

Calculate

0.1318 pounds
-------------------------------
0.1318 x 16 = 2.1088 oz


Bruce

[Austinite]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.  BCP - that website is fantastic.  It looks like the .357 rifle will be roughly .5 pounds lighter going if going from 22" to 17". 

[STUMPJMPR]

A good way to cut the weight would be to have the barrel fluted.  I'm sure any good gunsmith could do it.

[gcrank1]

Barrel flutting is a machining process that requires great care in making not too deep a cut (no hogging, but you know, time is money) and rotating the barrel 180 degrees after each cut, and allowing cooling time, all to minimize the barrel stress and subsequent warping.