Barrel Shortening

[neil b 2,357]

Has anyone had a 22hornet barrel cut down and to what size did it affect it in any way, just that my mate has bought one the gun shop sent it away to be shortend, 2weeks later they rang and said they wouldn't do it as it would affect it's accuratcey, just wondered if that's [BANNED TEXT]

[Cedric 132]

That sounds a bit odd. It's his gun, he can do what he wants with it. Shortening the barrel should not affect accuracy, what it will affect is muzzle velocity ( might find a small drop) and the noise. Shorter barrels suffer from more muzzle blast. My .22 Hornet has been reduced to 16 1/2" and seems plenty accurate, mind you I can't compare it with a longer barrel as it was done before I got it.

 

There is a school of thought that holds that rifle barrels are choked and shortening them losses accuracy, hypothetically, but in practical terms the difference is probably minimal.

[Cedric 132]

PS. I don't know what level of accuracy your friend expects but mine does this with a 16 1/2" barrel.

 

 

[Deker 3,478]

That sounds a bit odd. It's his gun, he can do what he wants with it. Shortening the barrel should not affect accuracy, what it will affect is muzzle velocity ( might find a small drop) and the noise. Shorter barrels suffer from more muzzle blast. My .22 Hornet has been reduced to 16 1/2" and seems plenty accurate, mind you I can't compare it with a longer barrel as it was done before I got it.

 

There is a school of thought that holds that rifle barrels are choked and shortening them losses accuracy, hypothetically, but in practical terms the difference is probably minimal.

 

:hmm:

 

There is no doubt that some rifles are choked, the real benefit of this has been debated for an eternity.

 

Derek Edgar has historically stated CZ rimfires are choked ........I don't see many complaining about accuracy after chopping them!

 

[nasher1 258]

All cz rifles start off with 20 inch barrels and are then cut down for the 16 inch version that is why they are more expensive than the 20 inch version when bought new. I have a 16"on my Hmr and it's a tack driver

[Deker 3,478]

All cz rifles start off with 20 inch barrels and are then cut down for the 16 inch version that is why they are more expensive than the 20 inch version when bought new. I have a 16"on my Hmr and it's a tack driver

How does that work with the 572mm (22.5") and 630mm (24.75") barrels then, do they glue a bit on?

 

http://www.czub.cz/en/catalog/80-rimfire-rifles-cz.aspx

[nasher1 258]

Sorry I will rephrase all cz 16 inch barrels are cut down from longer ones that is why they cost more according to my local gun shop

[Deker 3,478]

Sorry I will rephrase all cz 16 inch barrels are cut down from longer ones that is why they cost more according to my local gun shop

:thumbs:

 

I hear what you say and that is a well known suggestion..it may be true it may not, I don't know, but wouldn't that imply all barrels start at 630mm and are cut down, so no difference in work of any at less than the full 630mm (24.75") length. Are barrels all made threaded, I think not, so the difference in price of a 20" and 16" is what, and caused by what?

 

Marketing I think!

 

But even if we assumed they make a few different barrel lengths, and the 16" derive from a 20" the difference in work is a saw cut, not threading or crown (that is done after barrel manufacture and before bluing), so how does that justify the general £30-£50 price difference of 16" and 20"?

 

We are wondering a little off topic, and this is not aimed at you per say, just a general comment!

Edited November 18, 2014 by Deker

[Born Hunter 17,818]

Nasher1 I'm not sure that's true of all CZ rimmys, even the 16" 455 barrel is choked. If it was a cut down 20" barrel it surely wouldn't be choked?

[Deker 3,478]

Nasher1 I'm not sure that's true of all CZ rimmys, even the 16" 455 barrel is choked. If it was a cut down 20" barrel it surely wouldn't be choked?

Do you know that is true, have you physically checked a barrel or are you relying on Derek Edgars historical comments. I am not suggesting he lied, just maybe a bit confused!

 

Loads of people chop CZ rimfires (including me), the general feeling is they are more accurate afterwards than before, so that doesn't seem to add up.

[Born Hunter 17,818]

No, I'm not quite so sad as to go around the gun shop with a set of callipers and a clip board. I'm just going off of sporting reviews.

 

If they are more accurate after chopping than before, that makes no conclusion on whether a 16" barrel on a 455 is choked or not. The only thing it does conclude is that something has changed by shortening that improves accuracy.... choking? But that's neither here nor there.

 

I was simply commenting that I'm led to believe from sporting reviews that the 455 is choked in 20" as well as 16" formats.

 

I may very well be wrong....

 

 

P.s Good to know the accuracy improves though. I've been playing with the idea of having my 20" varmint barrel reduced to 16".

Edited November 18, 2014 by Born Hunter

[zx10mike 137]

or maybe due to recent changes all barrel shortening needs re proofing ? extra cost/ hassle etc if they did not re proof before,just a thought.

Edited November 18, 2014 by zx10mike

[3175darren 1,101]

This debate,is one that's never got a true answer, I had my Remington 223 cut down as with a silencer on, it was like pointing a clothes post with a breeze block tied onto the end,the difference is unreal its turned it into a superb rifle very usable, I also have a 22 rim-fire CZ 452 which was cut down by the dealer or so he say's, just before I bought it and I can tel you its spot on for me,my 22 hornet has a full length barrel and I see no reason to alter it it handles very well,as for chokes in a rifle barrel well I have to say I have never heard of it, and wouldn't be sure of the affects on the harmonics of the barrel due to the pressure change at the squeeze,as the bullet leaves the barrel,also if there's a choke, is it within the barrel diameter or the Rifleing or both,

 

The debates I got into when shortening my 223 was a round loss of velocity, and had lots of different advice,I believe the problem was with unqualified opinions as everyone had one,and the decision I made was if I screw it up,I would have a border barrel put on made exactly as I wanted it, as the gun was unusable as it was,

The main argument I encountered was around the expansion of gasses, as to where in the barrel the volume/expansion of gas stops pushing, and the friction between the bullet and the barrel took over, no one I found could give a definitive answer,

however I think the guy doing yours has lost his nerve and doesn't want to screw your gun up, I can tell you my 223 went from 25 inch to 19 and the handling benefits far out way the risk of cutting it,and I can say I have seen no real change in its ability,and its more accurate than I am.

[paulus 26]

a bloke in the states chopped and inch at a time off a 24inch 243 barrel and test fired after each inch was taken off, the results showed an increase in muzle velocity and no loss of accuracy until the length fell bellow fourteen inch, this may be due to the twist rate the rifle had but it goes against what is generally said, i have had three or four cz`s cut down to sixteen inch with no problems at all, in fact when the cz 452 american in 17 hmr came out it was only available in this area in the twenty four and a bit barrel length and was not screw cut,

[Deker 3,478]

This debate,is one that's never got a true answer, I had my Remington 223 cut down as with a silencer on, it was like pointing a clothes post with a breeze block tied onto the end,the difference is unreal its turned it into a superb rifle very usable, I also have a 22 rim-fire CZ 452 which was cut down by the dealer or so he say's, just before I bought it and I can tel you its spot on for me,my 22 hornet has a full length barrel and I see no reason to alter it it handles very well,as for chokes in a rifle barrel well I have to say I have never heard of it, and wouldn't be sure of the affects on the harmonics of the barrel due to the pressure change at the squeeze,as the bullet leaves the barrel,also if there's a choke, is it within the barrel diameter or the Rifleing or both,

 

The debates I got into when shortening my 223 was a round loss of velocity, and had lots of different advice,I believe the problem was with unqualified opinions as everyone had one,and the decision I made was if I screw it up,I would have a border barrel put on made exactly as I wanted it, as the gun was unusable as it was,

The main argument I encountered was around the expansion of gasses, as to where in the barrel the volume/expansion of gas stops pushing, and the friction between the bullet and the barrel took over, no one I found could give a definitive answer,

however I think the guy doing yours has lost his nerve and doesn't want to screw your gun up, I can tell you my 223 went from 25 inch to 19 and the handling benefits far out way the risk of cutting it,and I can say I have seen no real change in its ability,and its more accurate than I am.

There is no definitive answer, that will all come down to the powder/bullet/etc used!

 

Anyone who is well into reloading will be able to give you a good idea, and you will need to talk to the manufacturers of factory ammo to get their full spec!

 

Even then the state of you rifle will also play a part..... and everything else I have forgotten.

 

Suffice to say for the majority of people, even using factory ammo, the difference of a barrel chop will commonly be unnoticeable, and if you are reloading you can tweek the load to make almost any compensation.

 

Edited November 21, 2014 by Deker