Proof Research Carbon Fiber Barrels- Pre-Fit Big Horn TL3/SR3 Barrels

PROOF Research’s match-grade carbon fiber barrels are stronger, lighter, as accurate as the finest precision steel barrels and will maintain their performance in the harshest conditions. PROOF didn’t invent carbon fiber-wrapped barrels. They just perfected them.

• Up to 64% lighter than traditional steel barrels
• Match-grade accuracy
• Improved heat dissipation for cooler and longer lasting barrels
• No point-of-impact shift during high-volume fire
• Reduced harmonic barrel vibration
• Unprecedented durability

Your Pre-Fit Big Horn TL3/SR3 bolt-action barrel will arrive chambered and threaded in various calibers. We recommend a qualified gunsmith install the pre-fit barrel on your rifle. These barrels come threaded on the muzzle end. 

THE ONLY CARBON FIBER-WRAPPED BARREL APPROVED FOR USE BY THE U.S. MILITARY.

This patented manufacturing process begins with full-profile, match-grade 416R stainless steel barrel blanks that are made in our firearms division. These blanks are then turned down to a significantly reduced profile greatly reducing weight. This reduced contour barrel is then filament-wrapped with high-strength, aerospace-grade carbon fibers impregnated with a high-thermal conductivity matrix resin developed by our aerospace materials division.

The aerospace-grade carbon fiber used is 10 times stronger than stainless steel and has a specific stiffness nearly 6 times greater than steel. But strength and stiffness are only part of the equation. Heat conductivity and thermal expansion are also of paramount importance when developing a match-grade, carbon fiber barrel. Our helical wrapping pattern favors the longitudinal thermal diffusivity of the carbon fibers (along the length of the barrel) allowing them to dissipate the heat emanating from the steel liner rather than insulate it. This is achieved through phonon transport in the direction of the continuous fibers and greatly reduces the mirage effect intrinsic in heavy steel barrels.

However, because our unique bonding agent contains a high-thermal pitch fiber—similar to those proven in Formula One and aerospace applications—our barrels also conduct heat very effectively through the wall (thickness) of the barrel, greatly increasing thermal conductivity and resulting in barrels that stay cooler and maintain accuracy over longer sessions of fire.

After wrapping, barrels are cured and consolidated then ground to their final contour. The end result is an aerospace-grade, high-fiber volume fraction composite barrel with less than 1% porosity suitable for the most extreme environments and capable of shot-after-shot accuracy that will impress the most veteran hunter or precision marksmen.