barrel fluting?

[Ultra25-06]

Has anyone ever had fluting done to a handi barrel? Is there enough material to work with without affecting strength? This will be on a 25-06 ultra hunter if it can be done. Can anyone recomend where to send it?

[GatCat]

Although I have a factory fluted barrel ( .22/250 ), I've never had one fluted. The Handi's have pretty meaty barrels, I'm sure it would be fine. I've read where some folks don't like to flute and existing barrel, they prefer to flute the blank, before it is bored and rifled, but a while back I visited BenchMark barrels, who make truly fine barrels, and they fluted an existing, otherwise finished barrel, so I guess if it is good enough for them, well, it's good enough for me.
One the other hand, Wayne York, who does considerable re-chambering for us Handi folks, does not like to do it, so there is the other side of the coin. I see an add often in one of the Woilfe publishing mags ( Rifle? Handloader? ) who offers fluting. I'm at work, so no info available on him, right now.
Mark

[LaOtto222]

When ever you remove material from the barrel, you effect strength. It will be less, introducing more barrel "whip". Is there enough material to flute a Handi barrel, yes there is. In fact, H&R has a couple of models that are fluted from the factory. As GatCat has said there is some controversy about fluting barrels. Some think that you introduce stresses into the barrel that will effect accuracy as the barrel warms up, others say it makes no difference, when done right. I only have 1 fluted barrel and it was factory done. It shoots good, staying under 1/2 MOA. There are some barrel makers that flute barrels on a regular basis; some, like Shilen will not flute their barrels. IMHO other than looking cool I see that fluting a barrel does not gain you much. I do not think it cools a barrel any quicker than a none fluted barrel and only saves you a few ounces in weight - but it does look cool. Good Luck and Good Shooting

[PHATINJUN]

I think Corrreeey had a USH fluted IIRC he had a bunch of money in that gun with the Zeiss scope on it. Kurt