Barrel too hot?

M

mhannah1

New member
About a month ago, I took my mini 14 out for its first real good shoot. After about 1-30 round clip the barrel was too hot to touch for more than a second or two. I have several questions: 1. When the barrel gets this hot, does accuracy start to suffer? 2. Can anything be done about it. 3. Are there any other semi-auto rifles in .223 that I could shoot a lot more than just 30 rounds before the barrel would heat up (and get in-accurate)?
 
First, if you are worried, go to a gunsmith. Take no chances with your saftey.

Most of the rifles I shoot get very hot after a few rounds. My SKS, AK47, and AK74 get too hot to touch after a few rounds. That's why they have thick wooden handguards. That's just all the heat from the burning gasses transfering to the barrel.

Does it affect the accuracy, well, the heat will cause the metal to "warp", so yes. I'm not sure I'd worry all that much about it.
 
Rapid fire (even with a semi-automatic) will heat up a barrel. Sustained full auto fire is one of the quickest ways to wear out a barrel. One of the end results of a barrel heating up is that it will begin to flex and with it, your point of impact will shift. That's one advantage of heavier barrels. It takes longer to heat up and will flex less.

Yes, you can do something about it. Rifle magazine (earlier this year) had an article about barrel cooling. The author did things like rubbed ice on the outside, pour water through the bore, and even used an inert gas to cool it. He had made drain holes in his stock and had oiled the wood. My own choice would be slow down the rate of fire.

As to alternate guns, AR15 type 223s are available with very heavy barrels. The largest outside diameter I know of is from DPMS which is a whopping 1.1" thick. Feels more like a truck axle than a barrel.

------------------
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top