Barrel Fluting And Why It Matters

There are deep flutes and shallow flutes. Straight ones and spiral flutes. Some are even diamond-shaped. Here a flute, there a flute, everywhere a flute! I’m a real sucker for barrel fluting, though I’m not sure why. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, a fluted barrel looks cool. Beyond that, does a fluted barrel offer any significant advantages over non-fluted barrels? We’re going to take a look here and see what fluting adds to the overall package and whether or not it’s worth it.

Most barrels don’t have fluting, and I think this is one of the reasons that makes a fluted barrel stand out. Fluting is the removal of material from the outside of the barrel with consistent grooves. Most of us think of fluting in terms of rifle barrels, but sometimes pistol barrels are fluted as well. Fluting is often a custom feature, but sometimes it can be found on firearms directly from the manufacturer.

What does fluting do to a barrel?

Stiffens

Fluting adds stiffness to a barrel. Why is stiffness important? The less a barrel flexes when the weapon is fired, the more accurate it tends to be, generally speaking. Yes, as the projectile travels down the barrel, the barrel twists and flexes as forces are exerted upon it. Fluting helps to reduce that, helping the barrel be more consistent. It sort of works similarly to a sheet of flat paper. The flat sheet bends easily. However, if the sheet of paper is folded in half, it is then stiffer and resists bending. The principle of fluting works similarly.

Adds Surface Area

Fluting, or removing material from the outside of the barrel, increases the surface area of the barrel. Why would that be an advantage? It will allow the barrel to cool faster than an unfluted one due to the increased surface area.

Is this a huge advantage? It all depends on whether you fire a large volume of rounds through the firearm in a short time. Varmint hunters might qualify here, especially those who hunt prairie dogs.

Other types of firearms such as semi-autos often undergo rapid fire strings that can heat barrels up quickly. So fluting on semi-autos can more obviously affect barrel cooling. Putting a fluted barrel on a rifle like an AR-15 that will be used for precision fire can make sense.

Barrels that heat up tend to shift their bullet impact as the barrel gets hotter. The metal warps with heat and then returns to its original point of impact as it cools. Allowing the barrel to stay cooler and shed heat faster reduces the point of impact shift and allows the rifle to return to its cold bore zero faster.

Reduces Weight

Fluting reduces the weight of the barrel, sometimes dramatically. This is especially the case with heavy barrels such as the ones used by varminters, target shooters, and snipers. If the grooves of the flutes are deep, more weight is shaved off. Considering that some of those rifle systems can weigh well over ten pounds, some weight savings can come in rather handy.

Style

Sometimes, fluting is shallow and does very little to actually affect the weapon’s performance, aside from making it look cool. In such cases, it’s done more for ornamental effect than anything else. These days, we do lots of things to enhance the appearance of our firearms, and sometimes, fluting is just one more cosmetic step that is taken.

Types Of Fluting

Straight

Some flutes run part of the length of the barrel in a straight line. These are the most common flutes that we see in the traditional sense.

Spiral

Of late, we’ve seen more spiral flutes that resemble rifling but are on the outside of the barrel, twisting along in a spiral pattern. This only enhances weight savings and heat reduction. Cleaning is another matter, though.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of fluting?

Advantages

If you enjoy the aesthetics of fluting, then you’ll definitely think it’s worth it. You’ll get a lighter barrel with the fluting. Your barrel will cool faster due to the increased surface area.

Disadvantages

Fluted barrels normally cost extra since they require extra operation and machining, and extras normally cost money. What’s more, they will likely change how your firearm shoots. It’s recommended that you only purchase barrels worked on by professionals or that came from the manufacturer with fluting because fluting can weaken a barrel if done improperly. Having a barrel crack or otherwise break down is not a fun event.

Other Thoughts

Fluting doesn’t just occur on rifles; there are pistols that take advantage of it, too. The most prevalent pistols that come to mind are those from Ruger. Their Mark III and Mark IV target pistols sometimes feature fluting, and it really does make them look amazingly cool!

And I think that’s what it often boils down to with fluting on firearms: looking cool. It’s kind of like adding sculpting to the barrel, making it look more artistic and complex. Sure, there are benefits for accuracy, cooling, lightening a heavy barrel, and all of that. Despite all of those attributes, I think a lot of people like fluting simply because of the aesthetics.

I have a Savage Mark II FV-SR rifle in .22 Long Rifle that has fluting. It also has a Flat Dark Earth finish on the barrel. The finish and fluting together are the biggest home run, in my book. It just looks spectacular! Aside from the function and performance of the rifle, the look of it is something I enjoy immensely. Would it shoot as well as it currently does if it did not have that fluting on the barrel? I think it likely would.

The Final Verdict

Does fluting make a profound difference as far as accuracy is concerned? I don’t believe so. Yes, it lightens a barrel. It helps it to shed heat more quickly and possibly stiffens the barrel, as well as reducing weight. Depending on the user’s taste, fluting can greatly enhance the aesthetics of the firearm, too. However, it often adds to the cost of the firearm, and it can potentially weaken a barrel if not done correctly.

Users will have to determine if the extra cost of a fluted barrel will be worth the small advantages that are gained by the process. The rifle that I own with a fluted barrel came with it. I didn’t really expect the fluting to add to the accuracy very much; I thought it added to the look of the rifle, though. So, in this case, it was worth it because the rifle was priced modestly to begin with. If you like fluting, get a fluted barrel. With that said, I wouldn’t expect massive gains in accuracy or performance. At the same time, as long as the fluting was done correctly, it won’t hurt!