Well, the Magnum is now Maxified

[tacklebury]

Appears to be shooting well and put 4 into 2" at 150 yards or so.  Cannot complain there, but will see how my own reloads do soon.  hehe
 

[Old Fart]

That'll work, nice shooting. 
 
I got a barrel and a reamer waiting on me to do the same thing, all I need is the opportunity...

[Dinny]

Now you've gone and done it! Your life will never be the same.

Thanks, Dinny

[petemi]

Nice Scott    You'll love it.  What's that barrel length...18? 

Pete

[tacklebury]

16-1/4".    Nice and short.  Lining up a guy here to do some fluting on the barrel to take down that chunk of steel some and mounting irons on it too. 

[YRUpunting?]

16-1/4".    Nice and short.  Lining up a guy here to do some fluting on the barrel to take down that chunk of steel some and mounting irons on it too. 

I've been thinking about having one of my 22" Maxi's thinned down to lighten it up.  If you can do a before and after weight.  I curious how much the weight can be decreased.

You're going to like her.

[tacklebury]

Sorry, but I purchased it already cut from a member here.  I'm guessing based on my .223 HB that it's about 2.5 lbs lighter and I'm going to further reduce the weight by having it fluted.  I almost did it the other day, but my buddy's mill is kind of an old beast.  He felt we might not get it set up good with his and suggested I go to a cnc shop instead.  I'm hoping the fluting will reduce it by another 1/2 pound or so as it's still a little heavy for the wife.  It's wearing her stocks there, but fits on my switch barrel rig also. 

[YRUpunting?]

Actually I'm wondering how much the fluting reduces the weight.  I have a 8" piece that was cut from a BC barrel, it weights 12.75 ounces. I'd think your 357 barrel would be reduced roughly in that ball park compared to a standard 22".

[tacklebury]

Ah, got you.  I'll weigh it before and after for the fluting.  I'm hoping to get a 6-flute, but have to discuss since I want a wide enough top rib to still attach sights to. 

[gcrank1]

I have it from an old German rifle building (50BMG) maker that the barrel should be rotated 180deg. for each pass and that it should not be hogged; IIRC he said he only took about .050 per pass and did it by hand (not auto feed) 'cause he liked to be able to feel the cutter working on the steel.
His logic: too fast and/or too deep and the heat created made uneven stresses upon the barrel.

[hoytcanon]

Most quality aftermarket barrel makers do not recommend fluting... they suggest that it does indeed introduce stresses to the barrel as material is relieved... a conditioned barrel is "tensioned" and the bore and straightness can be affected by externally relieving metal. I would be very surprised if you save a half pound by fluting. IMO, a better way to shave a few ounces is to go with a lighter more compact scope.

[tacklebury]

I've heard that too Hoyt, but my main concern is keeping it comfortable for the wife.  It's kept on a frame with a shorty stock set to go with her Pink Lady .38 special.  I steal the barrel occasionally to play with, but mostly let her have it on hand and set up for her.  We're doing away with the scope once I get the irons mounted for her and it'll be a sub-100 yard gun for the most part.  She just doesn't do well with forward weigh on the barrels and the fluting and removal of the scope combined should help a lot.  I just want to keep her interested in shooting it. 
 
***edit***
Oh and there is that other argument that the fluting helps heat dissipation speed up and ends up with a barrel that will group better.  Maybe I'll document before and after surface temperatures and accuracy results. 

[YRUpunting?]

Oh and there is that other argument that the fluting helps heat dissipation speed up and ends up with a barrel that will group better.  Maybe I'll document before and after surface temperatures and accuracy results. 

I'll be curious to what you find.  I understand the concept the fluting creates more surface area so the heat will dissipate faster, but I've always been skeptical.  Metal only cools so fast and on a warm steamy summer day I don't think the fluting will help enough to measure. 

You just reminded me that I planning last summer to build a rifle stand of some kind to maximize the chimney effect to cool a barrel.  Wish I would have remembered that in Dec.!

As for reducing weight, I'm all for that.  I have two 22" scoped Maxi's.  One a SB1 the other a SB2.  They both currently have junior classic stock sets on them.  The SB2 weighs 9.5 ounces more than the SB1.  Most of it is in the stocks, but it's also in the scope and rings.  If you can reduce the weight by 6-8 ounces it will very noticeable.

Also the synth youth stocks are the worst for balance.  If the rifle is still barrel heavy after fluting put on a pallet wood stock or add weight to the synth stock. 

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

heat is energy, and only moves one way.

the increase in barrel surface area is minimal.

I don't think fluting does much, and I don't find it nice to look at either.

[cudatruck]

I ended up putting pw laminate set on ours with the 16.5 in barrel it balances out. the syn stock is just to light in the back would have to add weight to the buttstock. I like the way it looks better with wood.
 
To the guys with all the camo syn stocks... Do you add weight or just leave em barrel heavy? Sure wish H&R would chamber a .357 in a super light profile.

[blind ear]

heat is energy, and only moves one way.

the increase in barrel surface area is minimal.

I don't think fluting does much, and I don't find it nice to look at either.

-
The sharp edges of the flutes will dissipate heat energy some faster but to what degree I have no idea. ear

[gcrank1]

The less mass the quicker it heats up too, just like a Superlight gets hot quicker than a Bull barrel. You can do the weight calc. to determine if shortening it  would gain more reduction than fluting.

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

I am not sure the advantage would outweigh the cost.....

[MulberryRiverBoy]

Years ago, in the early 1970s, I used to ride dirt bikes with a guy who rode a German Maico.   The first thing I noticed about the Maico was that the cylinder heads and engine cases were the ugliest castings that I ever saw on anything.   When I wondered aloud about the crudeness of castings, he told me that they were sand casted with a rather coarse sand so that the surface area of the engine would be greatly increased.

After thinking about it I could see that this would greatly increase surface area.   Perhaps, more that almost anything you could do.    I'm wondering right now if a barrel that was sandblasted with a fairly course grit wouldn't be as cool operating as as a fluted barrel?

Also, it has occurred to me that a bull barrel would not only have more mass to act as a heat sink but a bull barrel would have greater surface area as well.

Just some random thoughts about heat transfer.

[petemi]

I'm going through the same thing now.....a greenhouse and rifle barrels.  The greenhouse is only six by eight feet and cools quickly at night....why?  a lot of surface area compared to volume.  Increase the surface area inside.  Put more mass in there, increase heat retention and reduce the heat loss.  Therefore, a Superlight barrel will heat up quicker than a bull, but it should also cool off faster....food for thought.  For me, the discussion is not very important.  I don't punch much paper.  The barrels don't heat up in the field.  I keep 'em cruddy and the first bullet goes where I want it.  I hunt with Handis.  Can't recall when I needed a second shot.

"Also, it has occurred to me that a bull barrel would not only have more mass to act as a heat sink but a bull barrel would have greater surface area as well." 

You've got it backward.  the smaller the object the larger the relative surface area....the faster it heats and cools.  A superlight barrel has more surface area than a bull.  You're right about the greater mass being a better heat sink.

Pete