Has anyone ever been asked or even tried to add helium tubes/inserts into the rifle stock to help with the weight issue?

Yes, of course. I recharge the helium in my inserts every year on April 1. But be careful not to overcharge them since excessive weight reduction can make a rifle kick really hard.

Where did you get yours? Are there types where you dont have to refil?

A resent back injery is making me think about the weight of many things.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Yes, of course. I recharge the helium in my inserts every year on April 1. But be careful not to overcharge them since excessive weight reduction can make a rifle kick really hard.

Of course you want to use helium at your average pressure. Displacing the atmosphere in the stock with helium will save you about 60 milligrams. If you could seal the stock and depressurize it you would save close to 120 milligrams. 60 milligrams is approximately one grain. Or about 1/2 the weight of an average postal stamp.

No helium but I have hollowed out a couple wood stocks removing wood that wasn't needed. Easiest way get you a 1# or so synthetic and be done with it.

Take a kiddy helium balloon weight your stock then attach the balloon and see if it is any lighter.

I have a feeling its going to need a lot due to opting to go with a heavy barrel and the guy who did the work put a full leignth bed. Great work but its deffently not light. Shooting the 6.5X55, you really dont need a heavy gun.
I had all this done just before I went to the local community college to learn machine tool and CNC programming.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
No helium but I have hollowed out a couple wood stocks removing wood that wasn't needed. Easiest way get you a 1# or so synthetic and be done with it.

Take a kiddy helium balloon weight your stock then attach the balloon and see if it is any lighter.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
No helium but I have hollowed out a couple wood stocks removing wood that wasn't needed. Easiest way get you a 1# or so synthetic and be done with it.

Take a kiddy helium balloon weight your stock then attach the balloon and see if it is any lighter.

The balloon plus the added helium from pressurization will actually add weight instead of reducing it. We discussed this in another forum a couple years back and a couple engineers worked out the numbers.

You should know by now that I'm not smart enough to figure this shit out myself ramrod340! LMAO ROFF

I am using Helium-moly barrel steel; greatly reduces weight.

Damn
I thought we were talking about helium breast inserts for a second :-)

quote:

The balloon plus the added helium from pressurization will actually add weight instead of reducing it. We discussed this in another forum a couple years back and a couple engineers worked out the numbers

Not going to lose any sleep over it. Kind of like when I was about 10 and told dad that I was going to use a bucket with water in it to hold my raft. First dose of science and darn if I didn't end up and engineer.

A helium balloon that has lift (rises) can transfer that extra lift to something else. Thus a big balloon and basket. The weight on the scale might actually decrease but the total weight of the stock, balloon and helium will be heavier. The balloon is simply lighter than the air it displaces. Thus the concrete transport ships of WWII

Man time for some wine.

EPIC IDEA!

quote:

Originally posted by Bear Cat:
Damn
I thought we were talking about helium breast inserts for a second :-)

Thats why I was wondering about small glass tubes sealed in a vacume with only helium let in when the final sealing of the tube.

That method may also impreg. the glass too making the glass lighter.

If that method is possable there would never be a need for refills.

In order for this truly to work the amount of helium would need to be enough to lift the glass tubes. Otherwise your adding weight.

I thought about fluting the barrel but then I'm cutting off all that durahcoat off.

quote:

Not going to lose any sleep over it. Kind of like when I was about 10 and told dad that I was going to use a bucket with water in it to hold my raft. rotflmo First dose of science and darn if I didn't end up and engineer.

A helium balloon that has lift (rises) can transfer that extra lift to something else. Thus a big balloon and basket. The weight on the scale might actually decrease but the total weight of the stock, balloon and helium will be heavier. The balloon is simply lighter than the air it displaces. Thus the concrete transport ships of WWII

quote:

Originally posted by Bear Cat:
Damn
I thought we were talking about helium breast inserts for a second :-)

That would be a hit with the female geriatric crowd !

You continue to put helium into a glass tube under pressure and it will get heavier not lighter. Same reason why the helium tanks don't rise with god know how many cuft of helium. Helium will only rise if the area it is contained in is lighter than the air around it. Thus kiddy balloons or weather balloons being larger to lift.

Helium for gunstocks is a capitol idea but it isn't new.

I have already begun cultivating my first lighter than air timber. I have prepared the soil in a defunct indoor sports arena. I have had, at great pains I might add, every crack and crevice of the arena filled with self-rising elphinite foam. There are three helium filled gas trucks on station and attached to hoses leading to the gas exchange system. The trucks will take turns maintaining the helium rich environment in which the trees will grow. After the contents of the first truck are consumed by the trees, the truck will head to Texas for a refill and the second truck will take over. The second truck will follow the same procedure as the first, being replaced by the third. As the third truck is just beginning to supply helium to the special arboretum the first truck will arrive back on station and so on, ensuring years of a continuous helium supply for the trees. Everything is ready to go.

We should have our balsa-juglans hybrid seedlings ready to plant by spring but it will be several decades before the timber is ready to harvest. I will be long gone from the earth by then but my progeny will reap all benefits due the heirs to the first lighter than air timber. Just think of the lumber - and gun stocks! My attorney has drawn up papers and instructions for them to follow at harvest time. The only detail I still need to work out is how they should charge for the lumber. I haven't come up with a good answer for that. All I know for sure is that they had better not sell the wood by weight.

I always hold my breath when shooting...seems to help with the weight of the rifle...can't explain the physics...

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Helium for gunstocks is a capitol idea but it isn't new.

I have already begun cultivating my first lighter than air timber. I have prepared the soil in a defunct indoor sports arena.

If a helium tree falls in a special arboretum and there is no one there to hear it, will it still make a sound when it bumps into the ceiling?

The easiest way to lighten a rifle is to remove steel from the barrel.
But to keep the barrel stiff only remove material from the inside of the barrel!

quote:

Originally posted by The Dane:
The easiest way to lighten a rifle is to remove steel from the barrel.
But to keep the barrel stiff only remove material from the inside of the barrel!

The best way to reduce weight and keep it stiff by removing weight from the inside of the barrel would be to FLUTE the inside of the barrel. With a bit of thinking and tinkering we might even be able to figure out a way to SPIRAL FLUTE the inside of the barrel. I wonder if we could patent SPIRAL FLUTING, the inside of the barrel ?

Spiral fluting the inside of the barrel would help for sure. But I wonder if that fluting might have any other use? Have to sleep on it.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Spiral fluting the inside of the barrel would help for sure. But I wonder if that fluting might have any other use? Have to sleep on it.

I bet it causes a lot of fouling ! Best forget it. Won't work.

Wouldn't want those spiral flutes. Would turn those nice knuckle balls into football spirals.

Who would want that???

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:

quote:

Originally posted by The Dane:
The easiest way to lighten a rifle is to remove steel from the barrel.
But to keep the barrel stiff only remove material from the inside of the barrel!

The best way to reduce weight and keep it stiff by removing weight from the inside of the barrel would be to FLUTE the inside of the barrel. With a bit of thinking and tinkering we might even be able to figure out a way to SPIRAL FLUTE the inside of the barrel. I wonder if we could patent SPIRAL FLUTING, the inside of the barrel ?

I have actually read about that in a book manny years ago. I do belive that it has ben patented in different profiles several times.

despite my beginning Alzheimer i think this internal spiralfluting has some funny name. somthing like RIFELING i guess

For $89.95 I'll sent you the helium you need in a envelope.

When you get it just roll it up and place it in the stock and think lighter it well help.

You can get more helium into a space by surrounding it with a sealed, pressurized container.

Imagine how much more weight we can take off our rifles if we can convince Leupold to replace the nitrogen in their scopes with helium. We can lighten ammunition by replacing nitrocellulose with heliocellulose. In fact, we could make even more of a difference if we use helium in place of lead in the bullets.

Hey lighter still just use Hydrogen instead of Helium. Just don't smoke.

It may be possible to use helium to pressure-treat a wood stock. The helium molecule should be able to penetrate the cullular wall and displace water molecules. Ultimately, the result should be a stock which is totally dry and very light.
Of course, this is a relatively simple chemical solution to the problem of heavy, water holding, wood. Nano technology will undoubtedly provide even better answers as minature machines hollow out and seal individual cells. Initial testing seems promising with the little excavators utilizing cellulose for fuel. Unfortunately, some rogue nano-vators have shown an appetite for human cells as well and testing has been put on hold pending developement of nano- plastic surgeons. Regards, Bill

quote:

Nano technology will undoubtedly provide even better answers as minature machines hollow out and seal individual cells. Regards, Bill

I heard that you and a team of rocket scientists and geneticists were working in a top secret lair, on the top of a mountain in Fernie to super miniaturize the Japanese Pine Beetle to do just that task Billy ! We KNOW, what you guys are doing. And we're watching you. Very closely.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:
Hey lighter still just use Hydrogen instead of Helium. Just don't smoke.

You overlook an obvious problem with using hydrogen instead of helium (which is an inert gas). If you use hydrogen, the the wood stands a chance of becoming HYDROGENATED! Just look up what hydrogenated means. Do you want wet or greasy wood to warp and in turn rust your metal, just for the sake of making a gun float in air? NO! Which shows you why the government makes helium a strategic resource under controlled production (no telling what the terrorists could do if they got aholt of enough helium.)

I use balsa wood for a light hunting stock. I only get 1 shot before the stock is shot, but its damn light.

Bloody hell, what the hell have you all been imbibing??

There is HELIUM and there is HELLYUM.

The first is totally useless and the second is the one to use.

According to Wikipedia, it is the only gas that has a NEGATIVE weight, which fits this purpose very well.

Trouble is, it is only found between the ears of some exceptionally intelligent blondes.

And we all know how rare that is

You guys must be bored or something. Lay off the trial runs of Eggnog will ya

one of the more educational threads I have found on AR.

Sheesh! I leave town for a few days and look at what you buggers get up to.