A composite rifle barrel was developed. Initial prototypes were developed to aid in understanding the complex interaction of a steel / graphite fiber-epoxy composite when subjected to the short duration dynamic loading environments caused by firing the rifle. Design improvements include creating residual stresses in the composite and the steel materials, creating crack stops to stop crack propagation through the composite material, and steel / composite interactions during cyclic loading. Ultimately, the composite material was used in conjunction with a steel skeleton to produce a lighter, cooler, longer lasting, and more accurate rifle barrel which is currently in production.
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