Summarize the process of turning a barrel blank using a conventional metal turning lathe

To start, we will discuss what barrel contour is. You may have noticed that barrels range in shape, size, weight and profile. This can be for many reasons but one of the most common reasons you may see a contoured barrel is to cut the weight of a rifle down. A good example of this can be found on a variety of AR-15 rifles. Some states require that it come with a heavy barrel that keeps the same profile from bore to muzzle but these often weigh a lot more. Other states don’t have such restrictions and will allow the AR-15 to be built with barrels that have much less material that weigh less and cool off much faster after use. The term barrel turning commonly refers to a gunsmith taking a blank of metal and chucking it into a lathe in order to machine off the excess metal and create the profile or contour they want.

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