DoD Buys PROOF Research Carbon Fiber Barrels

[Kirk Freeman]

DoD contracts with PROOF Research to provide carbon fiber barrels in .300 PRC for the purported new long-range MRAD rifle for Little Army (and may bleed into Big).

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...earch-carbon-fiber-barrels-for-300-prc-mrads/

Proof Research: https://proofresearch.com/

SOCOM's Sniper Trials: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/...rifle-that-can-fire-three-different-calibers/

 

[NKBJ]

There was a fellow on Leopard Street in Corpus Christi making carbon fiber barrels for the .50 sniper rifles with integral supressors. He took some to the special forces guys (Ft. Polk?) to try out. When they found out that they could fire a few rounds and right away grab it by the cool barrel to scoot, they liked that a lot. Think he was murdered when his store was robbed a few years ago. Any how, carbon fiber has some great material properties for military applications. Surely more to come.

 

[Hohn]

And as long as you're only making tubes out of it, CF isn't super expensive.

 

[SSE]

I have been wanting to try a c.f. barrel but have not found one cheap-e-nuff

 

[Leadeye]

I'll be interested how this is done, carbon fiber composites are usually used with epoxy resins. Curious to see how they stand the heat and what that does to the stiffness of the composite. I'm assuming this involves thinning out the actual metal in the rifle barrel.

 

[rengler22]

There was a fellow on Leopard Street in Corpus Christi making carbon fiber barrels for the .50 sniper rifles with integral supressors. He took some to the special forces guys (Ft. Polk?) to try out. When they found out that they could fire a few rounds and right away grab it by the cool barrel to scoot, they liked that a lot. Think he was murdered when his store was robbed a few years ago. Any how, carbon fiber has some great material properties for military applications. Surely more to come.

Jeez. This story took an unexpected turn for the worse.

Anyways, I have a proof barrel on a bolt action rifle that I love so it's cool to see them having continued success.

 

[Hohn]

I'll be interested how this is done, carbon fiber composites are usually used with epoxy resins. Curious to see how they stand the heat and what that does to the stiffness of the composite. I'm assuming this involves thinning out the actual metal in the rifle barrel.

It does. Usually it means they turn down the barrel OD and restore the stiffness with the carbon outer sleeve.

There are higher temp grades of epoxy that can allow carbon to be pretty heat resistant.

H

 

[2A_Tom]

I handked a couple of rifles at Blythe's a couple of years ago, bolt action with CF barrels. They were sweet! perfectly balanced and not too pricey at $2,500.