DISRUPTIVE DEEP FLUTE (DDF) BARREL CONTOUR
The Disruptive Deep Flute (DDF) is an external barrel contour designed to significantly reduce primary (blast compression and expansion) and secondary (sinusoidal resonance) wave events in barrels, improving accuracy, reducing heat, and extending barrel life. Using data from the 2024 TACOM HO Finite Element Analysis (FEA) study led by Al Harral at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Noveske’s Combat Systems Development & Support program launched an R&D project. The goal was to determine the optimal surface area per linear inch to effectively disrupt these wave events while maintaining the lightweight barrel contour already used by U.S. Special Operations personnel.
NOVESKE DDF CONTOUR DESCRIPTION
1) Seven (7) Longitudinal Flutes
2) Standardized .980″ Outer Diameter,
150″ Minimum Bore Wall Thickness (Marital Condition)
(.228″ Depth for .224cal, .2185″ Depth for .243cal, .208″ Depth for .264cal,
and.186″ Depth for .308cal), and .125″ of rounded cut at depth
3) 25″ Maximum Width
4) Cut to Length of Barrel, Minus 1.050″ break for a .9375″ gas block journal
5) Total Surface Area per Linear Inch of Fluted Barrel:
a) .224 Bore Barrel – 4.0487sain (vs 3.06sain Standard Contour) +32.31%
b).243 Bore Barrel – 4.0891sain (vs 3.12sain Standard Contour) +31.06%
c).264 Bore Barrel – 4.1446sqin (vs 3.19sqin Standard Contour) +29.92%
d).308 Bore Barrel – 4.2362sqin (vs 3.32sqin Standard Contour) +27.59%
6) More accurate due to decreased sinusoidal resonance
(vibration effecting the stability of the bullet)
7).200% increase in cooling speed
8) 8% decrease in weight compared to our standard contour
ACCURACY
Constriction of the barrel’s Second Moment of Area (axial flexion) by
increasing the barrel’s moment of inertia (structural/material resistance to
flexion), vastly reduces load irregularities translated from the barrel to the
projectile in accelerated transit down the rifled bore. This reduction in muti-axis
wave mode functions allow the longitudinal axis of the projectile to remain
better aligned with its velocity vector, thus decreasing precessional
instability and increasing trajectory resilience.
THERMAL DAMPING
As a byproduct of the drastic reduction in vibration facilitated by the
Noveske DDF contour, transfer of kinetic energy into thermal energy as Variable
Heat is reduced by 10%, while the cooling speed of the barrel is increased
by 200%.
BARREL-LIFE INCREASE
Material failure in barrels is caused by the exertion of a force impulse
where in the flexion derived by that force exceeds the material stiffness
provided by its temperature moment. The Noveske DDF contour reduces both
the flexion imposed on the barrel by the accelerated force impulse and
maintains a higher material stiffness due to its ability to maintain a lower
temperature, thus increasing barrel life well beyond that of standard
contour barrels of the same given metallurgy.