Why are autococker barrels designed the way they are?

[magman007]

HA HA heres an interesting one Kiddies! Why is the autococker barrel designed the way it is? If you look on most 1 piece autococker barrels about half the way down the barrel there is a ring, it is a thick ring right around the whole barrel. Why is it there? does it serve a specific purpose? Can some one please enlighten me?

[ProjectMag]

It has something to do with the shroud I believe, if someone decides to keep the ugly thing on.

[FeelTheRT]

i hate cocker threads, their threading is sooooo long, takes forever to unscrew one.

[Webmaster]

Orginally the Sniper barrels - like many barrel of the day where a thick 1" OD barrel (iirc on the size) After market barrels would sometimes make it lighter by making the barrel thinner, but they still kept a ring up front for the pump arm to ride against.

When the cocker came out the front ring was used to retain the shroud.

since shrouds are hardly ever used anymore, its just an obsolete feature that still lingers.

[magman007]

cool, thanks guys, i appreciate your insight