A gun barrel or sleeve for a gun barrel is provided. The invention includes staggered helical arrays of elliptical or oval blind cavities along the length of the gun barrel or sleeve. As a sleeve, the invention may be press-fit or force-fitted over a regular barrel or a barrel of reduced wall thickness. The cavities have radially extending orifices by which an angular width of an interior portion of a cavity is greater than an angular width of the orifice of that cavity, and a longitudinal dimension of the interior portion of that cavity is greater than a longitudinal dimension of the orifice of that cavity. The product may be produced by additive manufacturing, autofrettage, casting, forging or traditional CNC machining.

A firearm can have a bolt having a plurality of locking lugs that are configured to have a shear area that is larger than that of a standard M16/M4. A bolt carrier can have a bolt that has a double cut cam having an unlocking cam surface that has sufficient dwell increase to delay a start of unlocking when the bolt carrier is used in an M4 carbine. A stepped extractor pin may be provided that prevents disengagement of the extractor pin. A tube can be configured to provide gas from a barrel of the firearm to the piston via the carrier key. The tube can have a heat radiator formed from triangular shaped threads on at least a portion of the tube. A piston on the bolt and can have a plurality of rings including pairs of mating rings that are formed and maintained as a matched pair.

A firearm can have a bolt having a plurality of locking lugs that are configured to have a shear area that is larger than that of a standard M16/M4. A bolt carrier can have a bolt that has a double cut cam having an unlocking cam surface that has sufficient dwell increase to delay a start of unlocking when the bolt carrier is used in an M4 carbine. A stepped extractor pin may be provided that prevents disengagement of the extractor pin. A tube can be configured to provide gas from a barrel of the firearm to the piston via the carrier key. The tube can have a heat radiator formed from triangular shaped threads on at least a portion of the tube. A piston on the bolt and can have a plurality of rings including pairs of mating rings that are formed and maintained as a matched pair.

Disclosed herein are suppressors for use with firearms or the like, and methods of making and using such suppressors. The suppressor may include a body defining a central bore extending from a proximal end to a distal end about a central longitudinal axis. The body includes a proximal body segment defining a proximal bore segment configured to receive a distal end of a barrel of a firearm, and a distal body segment defining a distal bore segment. The body includes a wall having an inner surface defining the bore, and having an outer surface. The wall defines at least one channel extending through the wall from the inner surface in the proximal bore segment to the outer surface in the distal body segment. Some examples include a canted helical portion extending helically around a cylindrical body portion. Some examples include one or more cooling bores spaced from the central bore.

Disclosed herein are suppressors for use with firearms or the like, and methods of making and using such suppressors. The suppressor may include a body defining a central bore extending from a proximal end to a distal end about a central longitudinal axis. The body includes a proximal body segment defining a proximal bore segment configured to receive a distal end of a barrel of a firearm, and a distal body segment defining a distal bore segment. The body includes a wall having an inner surface defining the bore, and having an outer surface. The wall defines at least one channel extending through the wall from the inner surface in the proximal bore segment to the outer surface in the distal body segment. Some examples include a canted helical portion extending helically around a cylindrical body portion. Some examples include one or more cooling bores spaced from the central bore.

A method for forming and a carbon fiber barrel sleeve resiliently bonded to steel liner includes providing a rifle barrel having thickened walls and a mandrel blank. Each of the barrel and blank are turned to form a barrel liner and a mandrel, respectively, such that each has a substantially identical contour. The barrel liner is stress relieved to eliminate stresses within the molecular structure of the barrel liner. A plurality of flutes are cut into an exterior surface of the barrel liner; the depth of each flute being at least equal to the depth of the flute. A plurality of layers of carbon fiber fabric are laid up on the mandrel to form a sheath which is cured and bonded to the barrel liner with a continuous bond of high temperature adhesive at tips of the fins. The bonded sheath and barrel liner forming a rifle barrel.

A method for forming and a carbon fiber barrel sleeve resiliently bonded to steel liner includes providing a rifle barrel having thickened walls and a mandrel blank. Each of the barrel and blank are turned to form a barrel liner and a mandrel, respectively, such that each has a substantially identical contour. The barrel liner is stress relieved to eliminate stresses within the molecular structure of the barrel liner. A plurality of flutes are cut into an exterior surface of the barrel liner; the depth of each flute being at least equal to the depth of the flute. A plurality of layers of carbon fiber fabric are laid up on the mandrel to form a sheath which is cured and bonded to the barrel liner with a continuous bond of high temperature adhesive at tips of the fins. The bonded sheath and barrel liner forming a rifle barrel.

A barrel having a monolithic body comprising an elongate structure extending from a breach end to a muzzle end; a projectile bore extending from a projectile chamber to the muzzle end; one or more elongate recesses formed in the body, wherein each elongate recess is defined by an elongate hole extending from an open end formed proximate the muzzle end; a sleeve positioned around at least a portion of the barrel to encompass at least a portion of the barrel; and a radial ring, positioned between the barrel and the sleeve.

Methods and systems for limiting the sudden expansion of propellant gasses, products of combustion when firing a gun, exiting a barrel of a gun, which otherwise would result in a very loud noise, sharp recoil of the gun, and a pronounced muzzle flash if released unrestricted. By utilizing two or more completely segregated, or partially segregated, expansion chambers, the gasses can be allowed to sequentially expand and cool under tightly controlled conditions governed by the size and location of holes, or passageways, in the barrel which communicate with the interior of the expansion tube that encompasses the barrel. The expanding gasses are further controlled by the locations and volumes of each segregated expansion chamber, and holes in the structural vertical and horizontal bulkheads of the expansion tube, which can steer the gasses in order to achieve easy expansion as well as gas flow disruption goals by design.

Methods of manufacturing metal, metal-matrix, metal-metal-matrix composite weapon barrels offer barrels with improved thermal performance and rigidity with no, minimal or negative weight increase. A barrel may include a barrel core surrounded by a lightweight, thermally conductive sleeve made from metal, metal-matrix composite (MMC) materials, also referred to as metal-matrix material. The barrel core and barrel sleeve may include aligning features to prevent separation and movement of the sleeve along the core. The disclosed methods provide for material combinations and part designs that prevent separation of their parts over the life of the weapon barrel and allow the barrel to perform at high cadence over the whole temperature range the barrel is used.