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Old April 25, 2014, 04:33 PM   #1
Theohazard
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I Need Help Identifying This 10/22 Barrel

I bought this 10/22 barrel back in the late 90s. It's a lightweight 18" bull barrel made by Butler Creek. My question is this: I remember it being a sold as a carbon fiber wrapped barrel with a stainless steel liner, but it doesn't really look like carbon fiber. The outer sleeve almost looks like some kind of plastic.

I distinctly remember buying it new as a carbon fiber barrel, and at the time I didn't question that. But now that I've pulled it out of storage and looked at it again, the outer sleeve doesn't look like the carbon fiber that I've become accustomed to: It doesn't have that distinctive "weave" to it, it has a mold seam running lengthwise, and it also has "Butler Creek" molded directly into the sleeve. I don't know much about carbon fiber, can it still be carbon fiber even if it doesn't have that woven look and it appears to have been molded?

If anyone has any experience with this barrel, I'd appreciate the input. I'm looking to sell it but I don't want to list it as a carbon fiber barrel if it's not. Thanks!





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Old April 25, 2014, 05:03 PM   #2
Brian Pfleuger
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It's likely that there's simply a layer of resin on the outside of the barrel, overlaying the part that includes the fiber. It was probably made before it became "cool" to see the weave of the fiber.

It's probably vinylester. (guessing)
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Old April 25, 2014, 06:19 PM   #3
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Could be Carbon inpregnated Polymer ???

By any chance, could you have bought it from Midway. I distinctly remember them selling these, in this length and shorter. Might I suggest that you contact Midway or better yet, Butler Creek. Really not sure if they are still in business. Another thing to keep in mind, is that they do make a carbon impregnated polymer. So, it may not be the new carbon fiber, it could be the carbon impregnated polymer. ....

Be Safe !!!
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Old April 25, 2014, 06:28 PM   #4
6.5swedeforelk
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Yup, Theo- that's a Butler Creek Ultra-lite carbon fiber bbl.

Have had one on my trapline Ruger for years... highly recommended.

The unusual stock color is the result of an april-august river submersion following an "incident".
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Old April 25, 2014, 08:09 PM   #5
Theohazard
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Thanks for the replies! I'm glad to know that my memory isn't completely gone yet .

Quote:
Originally Posted by 6.5swedeforelk
Have had one on my trapline Ruger for years... highly recommended.
Thanks for the pic of the packaging, that definitely looks like the package mine came in now that I see it. So, do you know if it's a carbon fiber core with a vinylester or polymer wrapping of some kind like Brian Pfleuger suggested, or is it carbon impregnated polymer like Pahoo suggested it might be?

I can't remember where I ordered it from, but from checking Butler Creek's website, they don't sell barrels anymore. And the company was bought out last year, so I highly doubt anyone I contacted from the company would know exactly what kind of carbon fiber it is.

But it's good to know that I'm not scamming someone if I sell it as a carbon fiber barrel. Thanks again!
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Old April 25, 2014, 08:42 PM   #6
BillM
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They are not carbon fiber. I bought 10 of them at an auction 2 years
ago when a company that was making them for Butler Creek went out of
business. I've messed with a couple of them in the milling machine--
cutting in a C-more base, fluting etc. (got them for $10 each--I can
play a bit!)

They have a 1/2" diameter rifled tube core, with a pressed (and maybe
epoxied) nose and chamber sleeve. Metal parts are stainless.

The metal part is put in a mold, and the plastic is injection molded around it.
I'm GUESSING that it is some type of nylon with a bit of glass filling, from
the way it machines.
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Old April 25, 2014, 08:50 PM   #7
Theohazard
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BillM: Thanks for the info. Is it possible it's some kind of carbon-fiber-impregnated polymer sleeve like Pahoo mentioned? I find it hard to believe that a company like Butler Creek would commit such a blatant act of false advertising.
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Old April 25, 2014, 09:00 PM   #8
BillM
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Quote:
BillM: Thanks for the info. Is it possible it's some kind of carbon-fiber-impregnated polymer sleeve like Pahoo mentioned? I find it hard to believe that a company like Butler Creek would commit such a blatant act of false advertising.
I suppose anything is possible----but most of the barrels I bought were "rejects", and the most common reasons for the reject was the injection
molding had voids/bubbles in it or it didn't completely fill the raised
lettering.

If it were a sleeve--like is used in a tensioned carbon fiber barrel---any
markings would be at or below the surface, not raised above it.

There MAY be some carbon fiber in the plastic they use for molding,
as I said I was guessing at glass filled nylon. That would make Butler Creek
technically correct. Maybe its carbon fiber filled nylon. What it is NOT is woven carbon fiber cloth, which is what I associate with the term "carbon fiber".
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Old April 28, 2014, 09:49 PM   #9
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Voids and bubbles don't sound like injection molding - sounds more like resin transfer molding, which would be consistent with a glass or carbon fiber composite. I haven't ever seen one of the barrels, so I'm only speaking from what I read in the descriptions here. If it is a long-fiber composite, in this kind of application the fibers would not be woven but wrapped around the steel core. High pressure SCBA air tanks are made in a similar pattern, if you've seen those.
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Old May 4, 2014, 12:25 PM   #10
BillM
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[QUOTEVoids and bubbles don't sound like injection molding - sounds more like resin transfer molding, which would be consistent with a glass or carbon fiber composite. I haven't ever seen one of the barrels, so I'm only speaking from what I read in the descriptions here. If it is a long-fiber composite, in this kind of application the fibers would not be woven but wrapped around the steel core. High pressure SCBA air tanks are made in a similar pattern, if you've seen those.][/QUOTE]

Could be long-fiber ----but I see no evidence of it when I machine the
plastic. I've done an integral C-More mount on a couple of them, and
that get's down far enough to just kiss the stainless tube. No sign
of any kind of fiber. It machines like a nylon with a light glass fill.
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Old May 6, 2014, 06:30 AM   #11
jehu
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I had a "Carbon Fiber" bull bbl. back in the late 90,s made by Magnum Research. It was very lite and accurate.
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