April 11, 2022. Can you guess how much your next barrel will weigh in 2022? Match rifles are often built to a high standard. A Light Varmint short range Benchrest rifle must not exceed 10.5 pounds, including scope. An F-TR rifle can only weigh 18 pounds, 2 oz. (8.25 kg) with a bipod. The barrel is the most heavy item on rifles. The barrel can make the gun heavier if it is heavier than you expected. To make your class more weight, you might have to re-barrel or cut the barrel. You may be able to remove some of the stock material to reduce weight. However, if this is not possible, the barrel will have to go on a diet. You can also try fitting a lighter scope. Is it possible to predict the final barrel’s weight in advance? The answer is “yes”. PAC-NOR Barreling, Brookings, Oregon, has created a web-based Barrel Weight Calculator. The calculator is available for free on Pac-Nor’s website. The Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator is very sophisticated. It has separate fields for Shank Diameter and Barrel Length. The Barrel Weight Calculator automatically calculates the weight for 16 different “standard contours”.
What about custom contours. The Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator is able to handle these as well. The program allows you to input eight different dimensions along the barrel’s length from breech through muzzle. This “custom contour” feature can be used to calculate the barrel’s weight if it doesn’t match Pac-Nor’s standard contours.
Remember that not all contours sold by different barrel-makers are the same. A Pac-Nor Medium Palma contour may look slightly different from a Krieger Medium Palma bar. If you are using the Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator, to calculate the weight of a barrel made by a different manufacturer than yours, we recommend that you get the exact dimensions from the barrel-maker. Smart Advice: Give yourself some leeway!
Although Pac-Nor’s barrel weight calculator is very accurate (barrel steel is fairly uniform in volume), there will be some variances in the finished weight depending on the final chambering process. The length of the threaded portion (tenon), will vary depending on the type of action. Even with the same nominal caliber, the size and shape the chamber can affect the barrel weight. Even the type and style of crown can have an impact on the overall weight. This means that the barrel your gunsmith uses may be slightly heavier or lighter than the Pac-Nor calculation. This is not due to the program. It’s simply because the program doesn’t account for chamber volume and tenon length. Practically, you should allow yourself some “wiggle room” in your planned rifle build. If you are unable to reduce the weight of your stock, don’t spec your gun at less than one or two ounces. This is based on the Pac-Nor calculator output. The Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator remains an important and useful tool. When you are preparing the specifications for a rifle in any weight-restricted category, it is important to “run the numbers” through Pac-Nor’s weight calculator. This will save you time and avoid frustrating issues down the line.
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