cryo treatment

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deathstalkertwo

Guest
I have read that cryo treating will improve accuracy. I have looked all over for some reviews about this, but haven't had any luck.
Anyone here ever had a barrel cryo treated? How much, if any difference did it make?
I was thinking about having it done to my Remington 700 SPS, with varmint barrel in .308, but don't want to spend the money if it's not worth the price.
Thanks to all in advance.
 
I had a couple barrels done back when this process first became widely known, and can't honestly say that I saw any improvement in accuracy. As I understand it the main advantage of cryo treatment is in ease of machining. Since the barrel is already all machined I'm not sure what the advantage is. Supposedly it keeps a barrel from moving as it heats up, and that might be a problem with a lightweight hunting barrel. In a live varmint or competition rifle with a heavy barrel I've never had a problem whether the barrel was cryo treated or not.
 
i'd be much more inclined to replace a factory remington barrel, than spend money trying to improve it.
 
Lefty is right.
Regardless of what it will or wont do, its probably not going to do anything noticeable with a factory barrel.
You would be much better off putting on a high grade barrel, like one of the shilens or kriegers.
Then if it shoots reaaaaaaly great you can cryo or hot salt it(cant remember the name for that one)
 
Vern said:
Lefty is right.
You would be much better off putting on a high grade barrel, like one of the shilens or kriegers.

Vern,
Seeings how Hart, Lilja, and :eek: kreiger all offer either Cryo or in Kreigers case they offer Heat treat to rockwell 28-32, it is to accomplish one thing, which is to reorganize the steel at the molecular level, thus by making it harder and more durable, and stable. These processes are all used to relieve the stress put into metal by the manufacturing process, i.e cuttting rifleing, turning to contour or what not, uneven heating and cooling can, will and does happen leaving internal stress points. Heck, even the brass makers use a form of heat treating, i.e Annealing.

But which is better, to spend 600 to 700 bucks to rebarrel, and then have the barrel maker say we will cryo or heat treat for another 45 to 70 bucks, or to pay a 100 to 150 to have it done to the factory barrel and or barreled action?

Whether or not it would help the accuracy of a factory tube will not be known unless tried. But if there were not advantages to this type of thing, it would not be used by the military, aerospace and numerous other industries to make better parts.

Rebarrelling would be a last resort to me.

DR
Click to expand...
 
DR,
I know Kreiger used to offer Cryo, but I found no reference to it on the website. In regards to heat treatment, all barrelmakers buy heat treated steel and I believe the figures for the major barrelmakers are the same. The major barrelmakers stress relieve their barrels themselves. This is done in an oven or kiln.
Butch
 
Butch Lambert said:
DR,
I know Kreiger used to offer Cryo, but I found no reference to it on the website. In regards to heat treatment, all barrelmakers buy heat treated steel and I believe the figures for the major barrelmakers are the same. The major barrelmakers stress relieve their barrels themselves. This is done in an oven or kiln.
Butch
Click to expand...

Butch heres the link, look under barrel specs second line
http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Rapid...ommon/viewPage.cfm&PageId=3391&CompanyId=1246
Plus I did not say krieger offered cryo, but would guess they would if the customer wanted to pay for it. The people from Cooper told me I could have any barrel maker ordered, or anything else as long as I wanted to pay extra. Money always talks. :D

DR
 
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I don't know who Cooper is or what they do. I saw the barrel specs. Nothing there except stating their RC hardness and as I stated, same as the other major barrelmakers.
Butch
 
DR,
I did a search. Not my cup of tea. Some of the wood looks good. Can't tell about quality from small pictures. If you go to their options sheet and prices, it would turn off most folks. Evidently they have found a niche as they are still in business. When I spend that kind of money, I want one that is down to the screws as to what I want. I refuse to pay $115 extra for a different length of pull or $415 extra for a different twist or caliber. If you check the option prices you will see that you can get a real custom with all the things that you would personally ask for at about the same price.
Butch
 
I talked to a guy at 300 below about doing this, 100 bucks to do the barreled action, lot of money to spend on something I'm not sure will even out. Still undecided about doing this, but thanks to all who responded to my question. If I do deside to try it, I will post results.
Thanks again to all
 
DS2,
I sure wouldn't send an existing barreled action. I personally think you can feel the difference when chambering though.
Butch
 
Tried it years ago on a VSSF 308 Remington barreled action when this process first appeared as a method for treating rifle barrels. The cost was $45 and I noticed no accuracy difference or cleaning difference. This was always a pretty accurate rifle but fouled quickly. No difference if fouling characteristics either. But...for $45, it answered a question.

virg
 
deathstalkertwo said:
I talked to a guy at 300 below about doing this, 100 bucks to do the barreled action, lot of money to spend on something I'm not sure will even out. Still undecided about doing this, but thanks to all who responded to my question. If I do deside to try it, I will post results.
Thanks again to all
Click to expand...
I have used 300 Below out of Decater Illinois on several good shooting factory guns. I can't remember what the exact change in group size was,but I know it made a difference on some of them. It seems to make them last longer too.
The reason I was using cryo treat was to try to get the most out of a factory built rifle to use in factory class competitions such as the VHA Jamboree & some club level BR.
What I noticed most was the P.O.I. shift as the barrel heats up will go away, this is worth $100.00 if the rifle is already printing tight groups, add to that more usable barrel life and a satisfaction garrantee... so if your not satisfied they will do another one for you at no charge in place of the one that you didn't have good results with.
I sent one of the Winchester barrels that I'd had cryo treated to Classic Barrel and Gun Works & had it rebored from a 1-14tw .22-250 to a 1-8tw .243 Dan told me there was something different about the way that barrel machined... I asked him if he thought it was from the Cryo-Treat or because of all the overnight soakings with Sweets 7.62 that I did from 94 to 2003? His response was to shoot it and see.
I have loaned this rifle out several times and have never seen a group over a half minute and I have often seen sub quarter minute groups with it, thats not bad for a Winchester vamint rifle with 2000 rds on the barrel.
 
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Krieger started doing an in house cryo quite a while back, strictly for added machinability. They say that they can see the difference in the bottom line on tooling cost. That is a big consideration.

I certainly do not object to them doing it............jackie
 
Go back to basic chemistry and/or physics class. Taking a barrel back to 300 below (absolute zero) and allowing it to warm back to ambient temperature is a form of stress releiving. There are a number of methods to stress releive metals some involve heat, some involve cold, some involve peening, and there is some thought about ultra sonic.

We that do machine work know stress free metals machine easier and better. We also know the minute a chip is created that the stress process is started all over again. Stress releiving before, during and after the machinging process will have an effect on both the process and finished product.

Nat Lambeth
 
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