CRYOGENIC BARREL PROCESSING

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With building Hundreds of Custom rifles over the last 20+ years, I have seen the a lot of things that work and some that do not work when it comes to improving rifle accuracy. THIS procedure is one that works, and I recommend it.

As a Firearms machinist, I can tell if a piece of metal (Especially a RIFLE BARREL) has been Cryo'd the second the tool touches the metal. The difference is dramatic on how well the barrels threads cut, counterbore, muzzle crown and chamber cuts and finishes.  Not only that, HOW WELL IT SHOOTS  is the TRUE test and what its all about.

When you get your barrel Free floated and Cryo'd, it will not "Walk" shots as the barrel heats up. Your barrel break in time is cut in half, and the copper fouling is reduced. Actions that have been Cryo'd are slicker and machine smother. I have NEVER seen an occurrence where accuracy was reduced after the barrel had been cryogenically processed.

On octagon and fluted barrels, the machining required to do such work creates stress that can only be removed through Cryogenics.

ALL of my personal rifles carry a Cryo'd barrel. I believe in it that much and I highly recommend it to you.

Josh Woods

Owner

Woods Custom Rifles

Processed barrels consistently shoot more accurate, clean-up quicker and last longer!

Residual stresses exist in rifle barrels from the original steel forming or forging operations and additionally as a result of the many different machining operations to finish the barrel. 

They create a complex invisible random pattern in the steel.  A steel barrel expands from the heat generated by firing a round, and stress impedes expansion.  The steel barrel will then warp randomly off axis, as it is heated from sequential firings. 

Residual stress will therefore cause a barrel to progressively "warp an arc" as it heats more from each round fired.  A barrel placed in a vise and fired repeatedly will show a resulting arc of round placement at the target.  No two barrels are the same.  The effect has a memory and will continue group after group of shots fired.  The "loose cannon effect" is measured in microns at the barrel end, but the multiple of distance to the target amplifies the problem causing wide groups or patterns.

The problem is not a crooked barrel, but one which moves on repeated firing.  Residual stresses are uneven and located variously throughout the structure.  Deep cryo treatment of metal is acknowledged as an exceptionally effective method for decreasing residual stress. It also increases the durability or "wear life" of steels.

Wind, temperature, vibration and personal skill are enough variable to keep you busy. A moving barrel should not be part of the equation.

Significant Savings

Cryo-Processing extends barrel life 200 to 400 percent and enhances accuracy. The practice of taking barrels off and putting them aside after only 2000 to 3000 rounds has become a thing of the past! New barrels and the costs associated with chambering are significant...and have a tendency to tie equipment up for extended periods of time.

The process will anneal the metal and condition the springs in the trigger.  The release and set points will not change and wearing surfaces will be minimized in a cryo treated trigger assembly.

Cryo-Processing will change the way you approach the task of keeping a "gilt-edge" barrel on your rifle throughout the hunting and competitive shooting seasons. It will provide dimensional stabilization, less copper fouling and improve grain restructuring thus eliminating copper collecting inclusions.

The Advantages
  • Increased abrasive wear resistance.
  • Only one permanent treatment required.
  • Creates a denser molecular structure. The result is a larger contact surface area that reduces friction, heat and wear.
  • Changes barrel steel structure, not just the surface.
  • Eliminates thermal shock through a dry, computer driven process.
  • Tame barrel warping
  • Forms micro-fine carbide fillers to enhance large carbide structures.
  • Decrease residual stresses.
  • Increases tensile strength, toughness and stability coupled with the release of internal stresses.

CryoPlus, Inc uses a state-of-the-art cryogenic processor. It is engineered for maximum performance and efficiency while offering an 8,000 pound load capacity. It is designed to provide for the complete conversion of retained austenite to martensite as well as the reconfiguration of the molecules into a more harmonious pattern.