The secrets of a Free Floating Barrel

Author: Al Louangketh

This blog is the first in a series of firearm terminology we often hear in the hunting and shooting industry. I’ll go over some of these terminology listed below for each blog segment in this series for the next few months.

• Free Floating Barrel
• Muzzle Brake, Flash Suppressor and Compensator
• Fluting
• Bedding
• Rifling
• Bore-Sight
• Suppressors, Moderators, Silencers, Can

Keep in mind there are so many other terms and acronym related to this industry that isn’t on here. I will highlight the most common words and discuss a few on each topic to explain what those words are and its meaning within the limits of a blog without turning it into a book.

What’s a Free Floating Barrel?

A free floated rifle barrel means that the barrel floats or does not touch the stock at any point along its length from the action/receiver to the end of the muzzle. It vibrates and moves freely during the shot process in a normal manner without interference from the stock, therefore allowing performance to be more consistent and accurate by letting the barrel process that shot naturally and not be held back by any hard contact during the shot process.

The free-floating barrel on this B14R Carbon free-float from the action and all the way above the barrel channel of the stock remaining contactless from the stock channel to the muzzle.

There’s a lot of explanation and description in the internet describing a free floating barrel on a rifle. Rifle manufacturers to every shooter, writers and bloggers will have their own excerpt on what the term means. But one thing that will always ring true is that the barrel itself has to be contactless starting from the action or receiver of the rifle all the way to the muzzle.

The term “free floating barrel” in the industry is synonymous with accuracy in the competitive circles of precision long-range shooters from all over the world. Just as the term stated, the barrel from the action floats above the fore-end barrel channel of the stock and remained contactless from the receiver all the way to the muzzle in most cases. Modern custom AR system may also have just the barrel protruding contactless through a front cover handguard system as well.

Free floating barrels are highly praised by top shooters in the competitive circle and more rifles now than ever before that’s out on the market today are mostly free floated barrel system. You won’t find many modern custom rifle maker or manufacturers not offering some sort of free-floated barrel system, especially when it comes to bolt-action.

However, there are a lot of hunters and shooters that still think free floating barrels is just some kind of gimmick or marketing hype. Whatever your opinions are about free floating barrel, just take this blog as informational understanding in this industry about the terminology and definition of these words and what it means.

What are the Pros and Cons of a Free Floating Barrel?

Pros: when it comes down to accessories and parts, especially when we talk about after-market supplies for those wanting to do custom work on their own firearms, you’ll find more items such as chassis or after-market stocks free-float ready and all you need to do is just drop the barreled-action. So let’s go over a few others pros.

• Better consistency by allowing barrel to vibrate/move naturally during shots without interference.
• Quicker production for manufacturers, custom chassis maker and easier for custom work.
• Improved accuracy and harmonics.

Cons: There are not a lot of disadvantages to a free-floated barrel, but there are some. Let’s go over a few of them that I think needs to be looked at.

• Small dirt and debris can lodge itself between the stock and barrel which can cause some inconstancy by interfering with the barrel harmonic to freely move in its natural process during the shot.
• Free floating thinner barrel profile can be picky about the types of ammo it shoots.

There are many shooters out there, especially the competitive PRS and bench-rest shooters that can attest to the accuracy of a free floating barrel. Most bench rifles as well as PRS/Long-range shooting platform all have fee floating barrels for a reason. I personally don’t think that a free floating barrel system is going to change much over time, unless some new drastic system comes out punching one-hole groups consistently beyond any normal reasonable range that can be implemented efficiently as the one we have now.

Testing the free floating barrel is as easy as sliding a piece of paper through from the barrel and running it all the way to the action.

Issues and Problem Solving

We have seen plenty of photos on social media and even at local shooting range where some shooters will place their hands over the free-floating barrel for the first few shots and this may be the culprit to some accuracy issues. Take that into consideration the next time you’re at the range or trying to help a fellow shooter with their shooting. Fingers or thumb contact can also be the cause, especially when it comes to new shooters not being aware they are putting pressure on the barrel anticipating the shot or recoil. Check the barrel channel for any debris or foreign objects that might be lodge between the barrel and stock that might affect the natural movement of the shot process.

Some of you may or may not agree that a free-floating barrel is more consistent and accurate than a non-floated barrel, whatever your opinions are about free-floating barrels, it’s always great to have a discussion around these things. Tell me what you think about this topic and whether a free floating barrel does make a world of difference based off your shooting experience.

About the Author

Al Louangketh is the Bergara Rifles International Pro Team manager and Senior Editor for the Bergara Rifles International blog. He holds a PhD in Wildlife Science and is a retired U.S Army Veteran living in Germany.

Feel free to contact him for any questions you may have: [email protected]