spending big money on a quality barrel blank and the fluting it can be a waste of money, ruining what you paid for.
the reason is that as metal is removed, new stress balances occur within the steel, potentially changing the bore/groove dimensions.
quality barrels are hand lapped to very fine tolerances, and this is part of the reason they, in lighter profiles will often shoot better than so so barrels of heavier profile.
we are talking here numbers like +/- 1/10 of 1 thou or less.
fluting should be done to the blank after deep drilling, but before reaming and rifling.
then internal dimensions are not disturbed.
just because it looks a bit special does not mean it is better, even if it costs more.
and speaking of cost, when you throw the barrel away, you also throw away the fluting!
spiral fluting might make some get their rocks off, but it reduces stiffness more than straight fluting.
the 3 prominent claims of fluting is that it increases stiffness, reduces weight, and promotes cooling.
actually, for that profile, a fluted barrel is less stiff than unfluted.
if you take the flutes off the safe profile of a barrel, it will be lighter again.
if anyone needs barrel cooling, it is fclass shooters who often fire 20+ shots rapid, yet they tend not to use them. of course hunters will rarely treat a barrel like that.
another way to get some cooling is to bead blast the barre, effectively increasing its surface area.
this also has the effect of being non reflective, and to my eye at least, pleasing in appearance either blued or stainless.
bruce.
