I came across a 1961 "Handbook" on guns and a section in it was on the fiber glass barrels my question is why aren't they still

[C.Hillman]

I came across a 1961 "Handbook" on guns and a section in it was on the fiber glass barrels my question is why aren't they still in production The article reads as follows "Fiberglass Barrels Increasing the strength of the shotgun barrel without adding weight has always plagued the gun designer.Winchester's model 59 autoloader has been made with a revolutionary new barrel called the "Win-lite", which is made of fiberglass. Several layers of fiberglass cloth are wrapped over a very thin walled steel tube that has been pre-wound with miles of fiber glass filaments. It is then heat cured, ground to size, and finished. The result is a barrel twice as strong as a comparable one in steel,yet only half as heavy. It wont heat up and is not affected by weather. and if under extraordinary conditions, the barrel should blow up there is no fragmentation as occasionally happens to steel." So if they were so great why aren't they still in production?

[Edward J. Palumbo]

The process of filament winding a metal core or tube has proven effective in manufacturing pressure vessels and is a proven, accepted method of containing compressed gases. It's employed on every shuttle launch. The shooting sports community is very conservative...one might say "resistant to change" in some traditional issues. Though a filament-wound barrel employing Spectra or Kevlar is entirely workable, it is not less expensive and the savings in weight (over an all-steel or aluminum clad steel barrel) isn't significant enough (to me) to make it a reasonable option at this time.

[jay]

good question. I know of a few makers (christiansen arms) that are wrapping a barrel in carbon fiber.

[99explorer]

I believe the reason Winchester dropped the Model 59 from the product line was that it was so light that many shooters had trouble with the recoil.
Also, there were reports of cracks in the aluminum receivers.
Just too much of a good thing.

[Treestand]

99E is Spot-On...Aluminum Receivers and Hi-brass loads(steel)shot.Fast Hard Recoil on a lite Receiver. I Remember "talk" of a Recall on the Win M/59. and some say the best Grouse Gun ever made.