Saw a sweet spiral fluted barrel today so I contacted the company about it - as the website said 'temporarily unavailable' - turns out someone is trying to patent the spiral flutes and he can't cut them? Did some research and every place I see that has/had spiral flutes has them listed as 'teporarily unavailable'. How the hell can you patent a barrel flute? Not like you just invented a new barrel design that is so uber fantastic that you better protect your intelectual property? It's a flute!

So, I guess my main question is - who is the asshole that is *patenting* this - and where can I buy one. :shaking:



http://www.compasslake.com/images2/spflute1.jpg
http://www.compasslake.com/images2/spflute2.jpg
http://www.whiteoakarmament.com/custom_uppers/var2.jpg
http://www.whiteoakarmament.com/complete_uppers.htm

It looks like a patent was issued 4 DEC 01 to E.R. Shaw?

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6324780/description.html

Yeah, looks like it's Shaw. I really don't understand what the patent dept. was thinking on this one. My luck I'll contact this douche and he won't even make a AR barrel.

Yeah, looks like it's Shaw. I really don't understand what the patent dept. was thinking on this one. My luck I'll contact this douche and he won't even make a AR barrel.

E R Shaw makes a lot of AR-15 barrels. I would guess one of the larger suppliers of them. Why fluting can be considered patentable is anyone's guess.

I *know* someone that can flute a barrel for you.

Model 1 sales sells ER-Shaw barrells.

As far as I interpreted it, the patent applies to external flutes which have the same plurality and direction of rotation as the internal grooves. In other words: The outside flutes would match the inside grooves of the barrel rifling in both number and rate of twist.

wherein the internal spiral grooves are not in fluid communication with the external spiral grooves, and wherein a cross section taken through the intermediate portion, which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, includes an external spiral groove and an internal spiral groove radially spaced from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the plurality of internal grooves and the plurality of external grooves when viewed from said first end progress in the same direction of rotation.

Better link to patent in question (See fig 2 where groves and flutes line up):
http://www.google.com/patents?id=0LEHAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&dq=spiral+gun+barrel#PPA1,M1

I *think* you'd be OK if you changed the number , rate of twist, or direction of twist of the outside flutes to something different than the barrel interior rifling. Either that, or wait until 2021 and copy his design all you want.

Disclaimer:
I am not a patent attorney.

It's always interesting seeing the stuff that gets patented. The patent office is pretty chaotic. I interviewed for a job there about 4 years ago. It's not like other areas of government.

Chaos describes ALL areas of government.

Sounds like they build them but might send them out in batches for finishing or something. PM inbound Gozuki.

>>>>>>>
Good afternoon
Unfortunately we can not help you with this request we do not manufacture nor do we offer for sale on an individual basis complete finished ready to use barrels for the AR15/M16 receivers.
Thanks for asking
Chris
----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Wilson
To: sales@ershawbarrels.com
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 1:51 PM
Subject: AR Barrel -


I want a helical fluted barrel for my AR-15 but don't see anything listed on your website. Are you building these?

Thanks -

Rob -

Chaos describes ALL areas of government.

Yup. Patent office is a profit center for the government though. They were running about a 9 month backlog when I interviewed in '04. They had just built a new complex in Alexandria and were in the middle of a move from Crystal City.

I just put one together and I bought the upper from this company http://www.sherluk.com/

i saw them again at a gun show a couple weeks ago and they were still selling them.

here is a link to a pic of mine since there website doesn't have any pictures. http://s328.photobucket.com/albums/l353/aubigmac/?action=view&current=DSC00262.jpg