Do AK barrels heat up 2 quickly/ r they 2 thin?

[BufordTJustice]

I own a SAR-1 AK clone. At my first range trip I ran about 320 rounds through it (inside of 40 minutes). I was surprised at how quickly the barrel heated up. By 'heated up', I mean I almost got the wooden handguards to catch on fire (the lacquer was literally smoking). I have installed a Galil style (TAPCO) handguard and am hoping that this will cure the problem.

I guess my Q is: is the AK barrel too thin by manufacture? Can I shoot it when it's super hot? Will it warp? How do I know when to stop?

I see AR barrels ( a S&W MP15t was in the lane next to me when I shot my SAR-1) and they are much thicker for the size of the bullet being fired.. Lets just say that the guys next to me didn't have to stop at all...they just shot 30 round mag after 30 round mag. Other than the Galil handguard, do I have any other options to help keep my barrel cooler? Any input or opine would be appreciated!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OPFOR]

Yes, AK barrels (and handguards!) get VERY hot, VERY quickly. I'm not sure what you can do about it, though - new, better ventilating (and perhaps thicker) handguards sound like a good start. As far as I'm concerned, it's just another flaw in the AK series.

[rocky]

Any gun heats up with sustained rapid fire. I don't think the AK's are any better or worse than the AR barrels. Both seems to heat up but continue to fire while hot. There is a breaking point for any rifle.
Poly (if thats what Tapco is) will melt, I imagine. I doubt you will warp the barrel unless it gets visibly red.

[SixBravo]

This has me thinking about a water-cooled AK like the old WW1 machineguns. hahaha Ratatatatatatatatatatatat!!!

[P95Carry]

A 30 round mag fired fast - just that gets barrel too hot to touch! It's the nature of the beast tho and it does seem from some ''abuse'' vids I have seen, the AK barrel will keep on truckin, long after we'd think it should fail.

I learned long ago - never put AK barrel down on a tarp after shooting - tarps melt real quick

[OPFOR]

Any gun heats up with sustained rapid fire. I don't think the AK's are any better or worse than the AR barrels.

Agreed, but AK handguards get MUCH hotter than AR handguards after similar amounts of rounds are fired, and it's the handguards that are important, no? I've fired many AKs that were impossible to hold with bare hands after two or three rapid-fire magazines...this simply isn't the case with AR style rifles.

[JT]

Any gun heats up with sustained rapid fire. I don't think the AK's are any better or worse than the AR barrels. Both seems to heat up but continue to fire while hot.

agreed

[rocky]

I imagine some of the heat is dissapated faster w/ the AR's large HG holes. Also the good AR HG's have heatshields in em. Mine is a open YHM design. I can feel the heat , but it isn't uncomfortable.
No arguement here, the AK's do warm the HG's more.

[Rob72]

Get polymer forend parts. You can drill extra cooling holes, if you want. You can also step up to the new Arsenal metal-lined- pricey, but supposed to be good.

[Ride4TheBrand]

of course, if you do this....

http://break.com/index/smokin_hot_barrel.html

[CLASS3NH]

A 30 round mag fired fast - just that gets barrel too hot to touch! It's the nature of the beast tho and it does seem from some ''abuse'' vids I have seen, the AK barrel will keep on truckin, long after we'd think it should fail.

I learned long ago - never put AK barrel down on a tarp after shooting - tarps melt real quick

I ran my Shorty 16 with the 11.5 inch heavy BBL with a 75 round drum on full auto, and it got real hot real quick. i also ran my AK Polytec with a 75 round drum on full auto, and it stayed a LOT cooler than the M16.. Both were fired on full auto til they were empty

[AKsrule]

You probably can't Melt an AK barrel with SemiAuto fire , but you
CAN toast it to the point where its not much better than a smoothbore.

I Think rapidly bumpfiring 6 or 7 mags might do it.

Most modern Military rifles have a cyclic rate of 600-800 rounds per minute. On a full auto weapon , continuous firing near the cyclic
rate will cause the barrel to fail rather quickly.

Sustained rate of fire (semi auto aimed fire ) is about
12-15 rounds per minute, and you can theoretically do this
all day without damaging your rifle.

[Illuminaughty]

I was told it'd take about 10k rounds to toast your ak barrel.

[KenpoTex]

any semi-auto will get hot...

you have a couple of options:

1. put a cheap rail forend (KDI and, I think, Tapco make them) on it so you can use a vertical fore-grip

-or-

2. just hold it by the receiver in front of the magazine. This works just dandy and it keeps your hand away from the barrel and gas-tube.

[BufordTJustice]

I was in a local gun shack and saw/handled the new SIG 556 rifle. I noticed that the barrel on the SIG is just as small in diameter as most AKs that I've seen/shot, if not a little thinner. I suppose what's good enough for the 556 is good enough for an AK. I dont hear anybody complaining about 556 barrels getting too hot. Hmmm....just my $.02 after seeing that.