barrel

firearms

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

Quick Summary

In firearms, the barrel is the metal tube through which a projectile is fired. It is typically cylindrical and can be rifled, meaning it has spiral grooves inside. These grooves cause the projectile to spin as it travels, which helps to stabilize its flight and improve accuracy. The barrel is a crucial component of a firearm, determining its caliber and influencing its performance.12

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rifle
…spiral grooves cut inside the barrel to impart a spin to the projectile, thus stabilizing it in flight. A rifled barrel imparts much greater accuracy to a projectile, as compared with a smoothbore barrel. The name rifle, most often applied to a weapon fired from the shoulder, may also denote…
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…spiral grooves cut inside the barrel to impart a spin to the projectile, thus stabilizing it in flight. A rifled barrel imparts much greater accuracy to a projectile, as compared with a smoothbore barrel. The name rifle, most often applied to a weapon fired from the shoulder, may also denote…
Read More