Thoughts on new Seekins barrel tech?

[pattimusprime22]

Looks like Seekins is going to be releasing some new barrels to address higher pressure cartridges. They claim that using a high gain twist and sinusoidal (think sin waves) lands and grooves will give longer barrel life. They also say this will be available for all cartridges, not just the new high pressure ones, and it will increase barrel life on any cartridge.

I'm not exactly itching to use the new higher pressure rounds, but will this actually increase the barrel life on any other cartridge (thinking 6UM)? Or is this just more marketing fluff?

Video:

 

[Sundodger]

Sounds like some similar approaches as the new ECM barrels that McGowen/Carbon six are making. Wonder if they are working together..

 

[wapitibob]

I think N570 burns throats by heat a whole lot more than by pressure in my barrels.

 

[Flyjunky]

I think N570 burns throats by heat a whole lot more than by pressure in my barrels.

Heat mitigation is part of that design from my understanding.

The guy with Glenn needs to shut up and let Glenn talk.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

This is eerily similar to Proof Reaearch's new PXT barrel technology. You can find the trademarks they filed for it in May 2025. I wonder if they have an agreement with them to use it. The way Glenn talks about it, he makes it sound like he came up with it.

 

[Flyjunky]

This is eerily similar to Proof Reaearch's new PXT barrel technology. You can find the trademarks they filed for it in May 2025. I wonder if they have an agreement with them to use it. The way Glenn talks about it, he makes it sound like he came up with it.

I’m not sure but several companies besides proof and Seekins doing this. If I remember correctly I thought CarbonSix was doing something similar as well.

 

[alexnelon]

This is eerily similar to Proof Reaearch's new PXT barrel technology. You can find the trademarks they filed for it in May 2025. I wonder if they have an agreement with them to use it. The way Glenn talks about it, he makes it sound like he came up with it.

A trademark on a name and a patent on a process are wildly different things.

 

[Shortschaf]

gonna be as gamechanging as carbon fiber barrels, no doubt about it

 

[Macchina]

Rifling gain has been around for awhile and is all well and good tech for increasing velocity, limiting deformation of the bullet, and decreasing copper fouling... but what does it have to do with barrel life!?

I'm no expert, but barrels wear out by burning out the lead into the rifling at the throat, right? This occurs from powder abrasion (significantly higher in magnum rounds because actual powder grains are traveling into the throat), heat, and repeated shots while the throat is hot (the throat can erode in a few hundred shots on a full auto for this reason).

All the significant barrel wear occurs before the rifling really has an opportunity to start, right?

 

[jesco88]

Better order the perfect barrel length the first time. No chopping that sucker down once it’s done.

 

[Flyjunky]

Rifling gain has been around for awhile and is all well and good tech for increasing velocity, limiting deformation of the bullet, and decreasing copper fouling... but what does it have to do with barrel life!?

I'm no expert, but barrels wear out by burning out the lead into the rifling at the throat, right? This occurs from powder abrasion (significantly higher in magnum rounds because actual powder grains are traveling into the throat), heat, and repeated shots while the throat is hot (the throat can erode in a few hundred shots on a full auto for this reason).

All the significant barrel wear occurs before the rifling really has an opportunity to start, right?

That would be my thought as well. Gain twist has been around for a long time but not as dramatic as what was described in that video.

Maybe the bullet and associated pressure of immediately engraving into the lands of an 8tw vs 100tw has some effect to help reduce wear?

 

[RockAndSage]

I think N570 burns throats by heat a whole lot more than by pressure in my barrels.

In this context, heat and pressure are locked together. Increase in pressure = increase in temps. As volume expands, pressure goes down and so does temperature. Gas temps inside the casing at ignition are about 5000F for a microsecond - and as soon as the bullet moves forward, temps start dropping rapidly. It's about 4000F an inch or so past the chamber, and about 1500-2000F by the time the bullet exits the muzzle, depending on cartridge and barrel length.

 

[pattimusprime22]

Better order the perfect barrel length the first time. No chopping that sucker down once it’s done.

Wow, I guess that's obvious, but I didn't even think of it.

 

[Mumbly-Peg]

Rifling gain has been around for awhile and is all well and good tech for increasing velocity, limiting deformation of the bullet, and decreasing copper fouling... but what does it have to do with barrel life!?

I'm no expert, but barrels wear out by burning out the lead into the rifling at the throat, right? This occurs from powder abrasion (significantly higher in magnum rounds because actual powder grains are traveling into the throat), heat, and repeated shots while the throat is hot (the throat can erode in a few hundred shots on a full auto for this reason).

All the significant barrel wear occurs before the rifling really has an opportunity to start, right?

I think the barrel life is the metallurgical change and the coating, not the rifling.

 

[Macchina]

I think the barrel life is the metallurgical change and the coating, not the rifling.

Ah, I found more information at This Link
You are right!

"The result is a combination of advanced metallurgy, internal bore coatings, proprietary rifling geometry, extreme gain-twist rifling, and cut-rifled manufacturing that together represent a substantial leap forward in barrel performance and longevity."

They are using Carpenter GNB200 steel. I don't know much about that grade, but Carpenter is an excellent steel manufacturer, they have some awesome high-performance knife steels!


They are also using some non-disclosed bore coatings: "To further combat friction, heat, and erosion, Seekins is incorporating specialized proprietary internal bore coatings similar to those proven in belt-fed machine gun systems. In military applications, these coatings dramatically extend barrel life under extreme firing schedules where conventional barrels quickly degrade."

This is either a standard bore coating like black nitride or hard chrome (probably nitride). Unless they are going with the new nano-ceramic coatings some machine gun manufacturers are trying out (such as HS-937) which would be really cool! Even black nitride (common on many AR barrels) can significantly increase barrel throat life! Cleaning black nitrated barrels is far easier than uncoated bores.

On top of that, Seekens is using a gain-twist. This has more to do with limiting deformation on the bullet than barrel life but is a really cool concept I would like to see more done on.

So I stand corrected! Looks like they're trying some cool new things with barrel steel and coatings!

 

[Mumbly-Peg]

Ah, I found more information at This Link
You are right!

"The result is a combination of advanced metallurgy, internal bore coatings, proprietary rifling geometry, extreme gain-twist rifling, and cut-rifled manufacturing that together represent a substantial leap forward in barrel performance and longevity."

They are using Carpenter GNB200 steel. I don't know much about that grade, but Carpenter is an excellent steel manufacturer, they have some awesome high-performance knife steels!


They are also using some non-disclosed bore coatings: "To further combat friction, heat, and erosion, Seekins is incorporating specialized proprietary internal bore coatings similar to those proven in belt-fed machine gun systems. In military applications, these coatings dramatically extend barrel life under extreme firing schedules where conventional barrels quickly degrade."

This is either a standard bore coating like black nitride or hard chrome (probably nitride). Unless they are going with the new nano-ceramic coatings some machine gun manufacturers are trying out (such as HS-937) which would be really cool! Even black nitride (common on many AR barrels) can significantly increase barrel throat life! Cleaning black nitrated barrels is far easier than uncoated bores.

On top of that, Seekens is using a gain-twist. This has more to do with limiting deformation on the bullet than barrel life but is a really cool concept I would like to see more done on.

So I stand corrected! Looks like they're trying some cool new things with barrel steel and coatings!

Yeah, I'm interested in the results. It seems like they're taking a lot of good existing ideas and putting them into a hunting rifle barrel where tradition usually rules. I like that they aren't claiming an accuracy gain, too. I wonder how it'll impact the life of a PRC barrel, not just the really stupid high-pressure stuff.

GNB200 is a machine gun barrel steel, it's not as stainless as 17-4 but everything will be coated on these barrels, so I'm not really worried about that.

I'm curious about how quickly they'll be able to pump these out. I'd like for them to get to a place where I can get a new carbon barrel for my Element Hunter directly from Seekins... though I'm thinking the carbon lay is the pacing item for those barrels.

 

[nm.otter]

One of the potential issues with gain twist (as originally implemented) is the change to the angle of the engravings could potentially open up a leak path for gases as the bullet progresses down the barrel.

ECM opens up a range of possibilities here, e.g. the lands could potentially start out narrow and widen as the twist increases -- in effect covering their own tracks and ensuring a good seal all the way to the muzzle. If so, we may eventually see barrels with much higher gain rates.

 

[RockAndSage]

One of the potential issues with gain twist (as originally implemented) is the change to the angle of the engravings could potentially open up a leak path for gases as the bullet progresses down the barrel.

ECM opens up a range of possibilities here, e.g. the lands could potentially start out narrow and widen as the twist increases -- in effect covering their own tracks and ensuring a good seal all the way to the muzzle. If so, we may eventually see barrels with much higher gain rates.

The most exciting and interesting thing for me about EDM and ECM in doing gun barrels, is the range of materials it opens up for barrels. There are some steels, alloys, and other materials that you just can't rifle with buttons or cutting, especially not in an economical way, without multiple passes of different techniques. And in terms of microscopic surface smoothness, EDM and ECM are in an entirely different universe.