Best Barrel Sleeve Material?

[bigHUN]

What method are you using to (Test the orings) are you reinstalling the factory rings or testing other configuration and or number of orings?.

Pretty much the floating liners (sitting on orings) perform=scores better then any CF sleeved liners. I have recorded the scores shooting @ 100 meters, target rings.

Based on my records I have 6 liners that I converted back to real floating, also removed any barrel tensioning "device".
- two .25x700
- two .25x600 and
- two .22x600
This is me, and your application may be different.

 

[killahog]

Pretty much the floating liners (sitting on orings) perform=scores better then any CF sleeved liners. I have recorded the scores shooting @ 100 meters, target rings.

View attachment 358063

Based on my records I have 6 liners that I converted back to real floating, also removed any barrel tensioning "device".
- two .25x700
- two .25x600 and
- two .22x600
This is me, and your application may be different.

You obviously have of experience testing the liners. I have a M3 22 cal with a 600MM that I have owned for over a year and have done nothing to it except one slight tune change so don’t take this question as I am questioning your methods but if you are converting these liners back to orings I am assuming you did not epoxy any of them . Have you tested the difference between using a liner epoxied to one with the stock orings ?

 

[DesertSilver]

ER has a video for bonding the cf to the liner and 68 whiskey in an interview with AEAC said he bonded his.
One thing that concerns me is someone mentioned freezing the barrel to install in a cf sleeve. That's the worst thing you could do! Cf and most metals will interact with each other and the metal will corrode through a process called electrolysis aka a battery. The only metals that I know of that won't do this is stainless steel and titanium and of course gold but that would never be considered. As far as having pb type barrels on a PCP, yeah if you want something really heavy. We already have to carry around an hp air supply which pb don't have to.

 

[bigHUN]

...Have you tested the difference between using a liner epoxied to one with the stock orings ?

From day one I was not convinced bonding the liners. But I wrap them with teflon plumbers tape and push them snug into CF tubes, this how I could remove.

 

[josh9465]

From day one I was not convinced bonding the liners. But I wrap them with teflon plumbers tape and push them snug into CF tubes, this how I could remove.

I’ve tried Teflon plumbers tape and it just comes straight off. How are you getting it to remain in the CF sleeve

 

[bigHUN]

I’ve tried Teflon plumbers tape and it just comes straight off. How are you getting it to remain in the CF sleeve

wrap the full length

 

[Chukar60]

I’ve tried Teflon plumbers tape and it just comes straight off. How are you getting it to remain in the CF sleeve

Teflon tape comes in a wide variety of quality. The stuff you get at Home Depot and Lowe’s is garbage. A good quality teflon tape can be stretched more than cheap teflon tape can and results in a tighter fit to the surface it is being applied to.

 

[Peashooter]

The barrel of my Maverick, is shrouded by 3 Carbonfiber tubes each fitting nicely over the other ( light press fit ) and onto the barrel sleeve, and up to a diameter like the factory shroud, so a very thick carbon fiber layer around my barrel.

Went this route as going from 600 mm barrel to 700 mm and FX stuff ( shroud + 700 mm barrel shroud ) was extremely expensive, so got a +100 mm extension and slabbed carbon fiber around instead, and still had lots of money to spare.

 

[3Crows]

I epoxied a carbon fiber sleeve to my Urban barrel. This was due to destroying the "pickle" inadvertently when I double fed a pellet early on. Surgery via propane torch removed the pickle cleanly but then I had to address the ugly end. I found a cf tube that was a snug but slip fit. I used a slow cure epoxy to allow a good bond. I also fitted a 1/2X20 adapter to the muzzle and butted it to the new carbon fiber sleeve. The rifle was accurate before but more accurate now.

 

[Rogerthatout]

Hi Y'all,

When talking about sleeving barrels (i.e. epoxying a sleeve to the barrel to make it stiffer), what is the "best material"? I'm particularly concerned about exacerbating any temperature sensitivity.

I know carbon fiber is the go to, but is there any particular reason why that is chosen over aluminum or steel? Aside from weight of course. What is the ideal gap size between the barrel/liner and sleeve? I know fitment needs to be close but not so tight as to prevent epoxy from filling the gap.

Thinking about adding a barrel sleeve to a rifle and before I go carbon fiber as I have in the past I wanted to see what other thoughts were out there.

Thanks,
Nico

I’m shooting a Western rattler. Actually 2 westerns, my shooting buddy and I have twin .357s. Rifles aren’t grouping well, they are pretty violent. They used to shoot but now they are just throwing slugs all over so we getting on a sleeve too.
I’m primarily a centerfire guy and have learned that a slower vibration is better, so you might want some weight on this sleeve. The slower the vibration the wider your nodes. In other words, it’s not just the sleeve material to consider, its weight too.
I don’t think temperature changes will do much either.


We’re in the camp of using steel for more weight and a slower harmonic wave

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

I’m shooting a Western rattler. Actually 2 westerns, my shooting buddy and I have twin .357s. Rifles aren’t grouping well, they are pretty violent. They used to shoot but now they are just throwing slugs all over so we getting on a sleeve too.
I’m primarily a centerfire guy and have learned that a slower vibration is better, so you might want some weight on this sleeve. The slower the vibration the wider your nodes. In other words, it’s not just the sleeve material to consider, its weight too.
I don’t think temperature changes will do much either.


We’re in the camp of using steel for more weight and a slower harmonic wave

Just a thought here on the accuracy going south on both guns... Did you both get and use the same slugs and from the same source? (It could be a size variation in diameter; smaller diameter, bigger groups. ) Also, on them being violent... Were they shooting smoother earlier on? Have you guy's opened the action's up and lubed anything yet?

 

[lbc_PSI]

Couple thoughts…

If people are interested in high quality straight carbon fiber tubes, they might consider arrow shafts as a source. Many different OD an ID available in straightness to 0.001. These come in lengths of 28” to 32” and can easily be cut to length. Some places sell in quantities of 1s and 2s..don’t need the entire dozen.

Not sure iCF tube straightness is an issue, but a tube that is “bent” remains that way A bent CF tube could put minute pressure on the barrel it’s wrapping..not sure if that matters.

The glue used in fletching vanes to CF shafts might be the perfect thing…great adhesion and flexibility qualities. Fletch-tite

 

[cosmic]

I have use Loctite 638 bearing retainer on tight fitting sleeves.. Does need some time in the sun for heat .. Works well..

 

[Rogerthatout]

I shoot a western rattler .357 and it’s a powerful gun. It jumps around a lot when fired. ( over 200 ft lbs at muzzle) I just did something tonight that changed my air rifle into a much better vehicle. It cost me $25 and didn’t I even need epoxy.

After considering carbon fiber sleeves to stiffen up my flimsy (15mm OD) TJ Max barrel, I ended up choosing a steel option instead. I chose steel because it’s heavier, not stiffer. My knowledge in centerfire pointed me in this direction because I learned that SLOWING down BARREL vibration YIELDS bigger load windows and makes more consistent exit timing. A slower vibration leads to better repeatability. Thanks Eric Cortina!

I ordered a piece of steel tubing from metal depot, cut to length. 1” OD, .188” wall thickness. My sleeve slipped over my barrel with ease because it’s .034” larger ( 1/32” or about 4 times the thickness of electrical tape ) than my 15mm barrel, so I slipped it over my TJ barrel and spaced it with double thickness electrical tape at two spots . The new sleeve slipped over my barrel snugly after spacing with electrical tape.
I took the gun outside and it stacked slugs at 100 yards from a tripod, high barricade standing position. No recoil issues, no muzzle rise nor did I need to shoulder the rifle to mitigat recoil. The gun went from 4” groups at 50 yards on a bench with sand bags to hitting a squirrel size plate 9 of 10 times at 100 standing from a high tripod.

Now when I shoot this rifle, it doesn’t kick like a mule.

I also blued the barrel to make it pretty and now it’s less likely to rust.

My recommendation , don’t use carbon, go with steel for extra weight. Slow the hormonics down and don’t overthink epoxy. I just did this in an hour and $25 no epoxy.

 

[JaceSpace1369]

I shoot a western rattler .357 and it’s a powerful gun. It jumps around a lot when fired. ( over 200 ft lbs at muzzle) I just did something tonight that changed my air rifle into a much better vehicle. It cost me $25 and didn’t I even need epoxy.

After considering carbon fiber sleeves to stiffen up my flimsy (15mm OD) TJ Max barrel, I ended up choosing a steel option instead. I chose steel because it’s heavier, not stiffer. My knowledge in centerfire pointed me in this direction because I learned that SLOWING down BARREL vibration YIELDS bigger load windows and makes more consistent exit timing. A slower vibration leads to better repeatability. Thanks Eric Cortina!

I ordered a piece of steel tubing from metal depot, cut to length. 1” OD, .188” wall thickness. My sleeve slipped over my barrel with ease because it’s .034” larger ( or about 4 times the thickness of electrical tape ) than my 15mm barrel, so I slipped it over my TJ barrel and spaced it with double thickness electrical tape at two spots . The new sleeve slipped over my barrel snugly after spacing with electrical tape.
I took the gun outside and it stacked slugs at 100 yards from a tripod, high barricade standing position. No recoil issues, no muzzle rise nor did I need to shoulder the rifle to mitigat recoil. The gun went from 4” groups at 50 yards on a bench with sand bags to hitting a squirrel size plate 9 of 10 times at 100 standing from a high tripod.

Now when I shoot this rifle, it doesn’t kick like a mule.

I also blued the barrel to make it pretty and now it’s less likely to rust.

My recommendation , don’t use carbon, go with steel for extra weight. Slow the hormonics down and don’t overthink epoxy. I just did this in an hour and $25 no epoxy.

View attachment 500569

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View attachment 500568

That's awesome!

 

[Troy Bakel]

Nic, the REALLY SMART Engineers at FX decided that gluing the CF sleeve on the liner was ZERO BENEFIT as long as the fit was snug. The new FX Panthera (600 and 700mm) all come with a CF sleeve over the liner and the fit is very snug - but NOT glued. Seems to work as I went 25/25 at the recent Long-Range Challenge (125 to 260 yards) in OR this past weekend. Second place was 18/25. Not only does it make the barrel stiffer, but it also negates the need to index the barrel.

Actions speak louder than words but results scream. 25/25 with a liner and no glue screams it all.

Nice shooting.

 

[Jaxjax]

We’re in the camp of using steel for more weight and a slower harmonic wave

Ive been doing experiments in Stainless only barrels & nothing under the LW .71 OD. Now experimenting with .75 & will be trying even bigger diameter barrels & doing a contour that fits over & around everything nicely. Also have employed a Harrels Tuner that fit barrels .75 & up. I have it on the .71 with shim stock. I like the extra weight. I like the use of DOM material as shown above also.