barrel hoods

Question
QUESTION: DO BARREL HOODS FORM THE CHAMBER IN A AUTO PISTOL OR ARE THEY SLIPPED ON OVER THE BARREL ? IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL A TWO PIECE BARREL ? IF THEY FORM THE CHAMBER ARE THEY JUST BUTT WELDED ON? HOW DO THEY MAINTAIN ALIGNMENT THEN ? THANK YOU .

ANSWER: Hi Owen.

The chamber of a pistol barrel is the portion closest to the grip which holds the cartridge when it fires.  The other end of the barrel is called the muzzle which is where the bullet exits when the cartridge is fired.

Some pistols have attachments which connect to the front of the barrel including flash hiders, silencers, muzzle breaks, and compensators.  There are usually threads cut into the outside of the barrel for these accessories to screw on.  Some of the accessories have small allen-screws or clamps which can be tightened down around the end of the barrel.  In a few models you can replace the original barrel with a new one that is longer and has the threads cut, or that has the accessory already attached.

Some pistols also have attachments which connect to the front of the frame including flashlights, laser sights, counter-weights, etc.  These can be mounted with slots, rails, clamps, or screws and don't normally contact the barrel at all.

I have not seen any pistols with two-piece barrels but some rifles and shotguns can be disassembled and/or contain chokes which could possibly be mistaken for a two-piece barrel.  You would not normally want a two-piece barrel or any welding on a barrel since this would degrade accuracy due to the break in the rifling (lands and grooves).

For more information checkout this link:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=pistol+barrel&btnG=Google+Search

Hope this helps.

Bob

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT . ARE BARREL HOODS A SOLID MACHINED PIECE WITH THE BARREL . OR ARE THEY FITTED SEPARATELY , I HAVE BEEN TOLD WITH A HI POWER THEY ARE FITTED SEPARATELY

Answer
Hi Owen.

Your question wasn't completely clear but the follow-up helped me realize what you are looking for.  Here is a link to a thread with some pictures about the Hi Power barrels:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=146782

This is a similar article which confirms that most Hi Power pistols do have two-piece barrels which I believe is quite rare in the pistol world.  According to this author it hasn't been a problem though:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Critical%20Look%20at%20Springfield%20Mil%20Sp

Here is a search link to many similar articles with good pics and info:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=barrel+hood+%22hi+power%22

Personally I wouldn't rely on a two-piece barrel of any kind.  The stresses during firing and cycling are quite strong and it is clear that they use a two-piece construction to save on machining costs.  If you are just using the gun for target practice then it might be ok but I wouldn't want to bet my life on a lower quality firearm.  All other barrels that I am familiar with are one-piece designs which are milled from a solid blank of high performance steel.  My favorite for barrel fit and finish is the Sig Sauer line.  I find them to be the most accurate, durable, reliable, and easiest to shoot.

Hope this new info helps you out more.

Bob