Shilen Octagon

S

steve

Guest
What is a Shilen Octagon barrel? It sure looks round in the picture.
 
The barrel is round. The octagon, or as they referred it to me, polygonal, is the rifling. It's different but maybe not a totally new concept. You really have to look at to undertand it.
 
Having resurrected this type of rifling, I can speak with a little, (very little), authority on it. I began shooting this barrel from Shilen two years ago with some success. This type of rifling concept, octagonal or polygonal, is not new. It has actually been around since the revolutionary war where it was used in sniper rifles due to it's superior accuracy over the smooth bore muzzle loaders of the times. It is also used in some modern day pistols with a cautionary note from the manufacturers to use only jacketed bullets due to the alleged propensity of the barrel to build up dangerous lead deposits and higher pressures with cast bullets. Fortunately I have not found this to be a problem with 22 rimfire, possibly because of the lower velocity as compared to high powered pistol ammo. I believe that Shilen still uses the pull button method to make this barrel and when looking down the bore you will definitely see a spiral pattern to the rifling. However, when looking at the bore with a borescope, you will not see any traditional lands and grooves so there is little if any engraving of the bullet.
 
Thanks for the correction Butch, I didn't realize they were making anything other than the ratchet......so is the whole bore actually not round and have no lands as we would think of them?
It would be interesting if someone posted a picture of a slugged bullet from one.

Charlie
 
HK had a rifle with polygonal rifiling about 30 years ago. It disappeared pretty quick. I looked at Shilen's website today and could find no mention of this barrel configuration.
Steve
 
Charlie

I have one at the house they look very different you can see something spinning but hard to see a shape Ed says they are shaped like a stop sign I dont think they are advertising them yet.
 
and when you borescope them, it's hard to see the lands. the one i have slugged very well. gonna install it soon.

s.
 
Visualize

A long handled Allen wrench that has a gradual consistant twist to it. I first heard about them in the early 70's.
 
KEN HARPER said:
Having resurrected this type of rifling, I can speak with a little, (very little), authority on it. I began shooting this barrel from Shilen two years ago with some success.
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So you resurrected it? I thought it was a Shilen idea that has just been in the experimental stages the last few months. The first one I heard of was being shot in Livonia. What made you thing of it and how did you get Shilen to listen?
 
What I meant by "resurrecting it" was that Ed had a couple of blanks collecting dust on his shelf which were supposedly made in the 70's. I volunteered to have one installed on my gun and try it a couple of years back and it has been shooting well for me. There now appears to be some new interest in this type of rifling.
 
I don't Know where you get your info

squatty said:
So you resurrected it? I thought it was a Shilen idea that has just been in the experimental stages the last few months. The first one I heard of was being shot in Livonia. What made you thing of it and how did you get Shilen to listen?
Click to expand...

These barrels were made over 30 years ago by Shilen. Ken got one from Ed and had his smith put it on for him. He has been winning matches in Texas most of the year with it. Wasn't any big secret. Shilen has made a new batch of barrels that are out in the field being tested.
 
RGORHAM said:
I have one at the house they look very different you can see something spinning but hard to see a shape Ed says they are shaped like a stop sign I dont think they are advertising them yet.
Click to expand...

Have you put any on Richard? Would that not be a little different animal to chamber?

Thanks for the clarification.
Charlie
 
Charlie

I have put one on for myself early this year have'nt had time to ring it out have been out of business since wreck hope it turns out like Harpers it is killer he has one 20 years old and a new one they both shoot good.
 
Having experience with a Desert Eagle .44 back in the 80's. (That's 1980's for you Beau) I know they had what was called Polygonal rifling. It sure was a shooter. The barrel was also very easy to clean and different to look down, being used to the tradition lands and grooves. If you look at Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_rifling you can see some cross section photos and some history.
 
I understand the difference in the shape of the rifling, however is there a difference in the number of lands and/or bore dimensions due to the larger area of the octagonal rifling form?

What is currently being used for both the old and new (i.e. number of lands, twist rate, etc.)?

I know that this type of rifling is used by David Tubb in his highpower match rifles, so this has some interesting possiblities for rimfire.
 
KEN HARPER said:
What I meant by "resurrecting it" was that Ed had a couple of blanks collecting dust on his shelf which were supposedly made in the 70's. I volunteered to have one installed on my gun and try it a couple of years back and it has been shooting well for me. There now appears to be some new interest in this type of rifling.
Click to expand...

Ken,

I knew you had been shooting with one, and as already stated doing real good with it. Notice anything that you can put your finger on in regards to cleaning and ammo? e.g. Not as ammo sensitive as some barrels you've used in the past maybe and what does the cleaning cycle # of targets between such.
Otherwords anything you've noticed with it from other barrels.

Thanx,
Les
 
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