No correlation at all. Twist rate needs to be appropriate for the application, but it does not offset barrel length.
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A longer barrel, means a longer lock time. Which means any errors you make in your trigger pull and follow through are going to be magnified by the longer barrel. It is also believed by many that a shorter stouter barrel is stiffer. And I’m not talking about a 5 inch barrel, I’m talking about an 18 to 20 inch barrel versus a 25 to 27 inch barrel.
mike
So it seems that the general consensus is that longer barrels are not more accurate than shorter ones. Outside of high power pcp platforms, are there any advantages to longer barrels? Do longer barrels provide more efficiency than shorter barrels?
As a real world example, I have a new HW100 I just got with the standard 24” barrel rather than the 16”(I believe) barrel in the carbine version. I opted for the standard over the carbine, primarily for the larger air tank, ie more shots per fill, but I also figured it would be more accurate. I’m not interested in how much power I can squeeze out of this gun. I actually detuned it when I got it to shoot 10.34’s at 915 FPS and I get 70+ regulated shots per fill. What would happen if I removed the 24” barrel and replaced it with the 16” carbine barrel? Leave all other setting on the gun the same.
From most replies on this thread, it would seem the accuracy would be about equal.
Would the velocity drop with the shorter barrel? If so, the hammer spring would need adjusted to make up for loss of velocity, leading also to a loss of efficiency.
What about noise? Keeping settings the same and using the standard weihrauch moderator that came with the gun, would the shorter barrel be louder?
Are there any advantages to having the longer barrel in this or any other application?
That is truly a big huge gnarly question.
others are going to have much more technical answers than I will.
if you look at firearm benchrest shooting, In the olden days it was thought that a longer barrel was better. All of the different divisions have weight limits, except unlimited. What they have found is that a shorter fatter barrel, allows the shooter to shoot smaller groups. I firmly believe a big part of this is lock- time. Which I am defining as the time it takes for the bullet to exit the bore after the trigger is pulled. A longer barrel, means a longer lock time. Which means any errors you make in your trigger pull and follow through are going to be magnified by the longer barrel. It is also believed by many that a shorter stouter barrel is stiffer. And I’m not talking about a 5 inch barrel, I’m talking about an 18 to 20 inch barrel versus a 25 to 27 inch barrel.
take a look at spring piston air guns. They used to have very long barrels. Now they all have shorter barrels. Why? Less weight, shorter lock time, and with a spring piston rifle the same velocity.
obviously, FX Put long barrels on their impact, to get more velocity. I believe if you could accomplish the same velocity with a shorter barrel they would use it.
My 2 cents.
mike
they also use the long(er) barrel to ease cocking. I'd love to have shorter barrels on my RX and HW90 but I probably wouldn't' be able to cock them...
one must also take into account, in regard to PB vs. air gun, PB has combustion that continues to expand the length of the tube; an air gun does NOT have expanding gas/air.