Firearm barrel having at least one barrel gas port and method of manufacturing the same

A barrel for a rifle configured to fire a bullet from a cartridge, comprising:

• an inner surface comprising rifling, the inner surface defining a bore configured to guide the bullet as the bullet is propelled through the bore by pressurized gas;
• and
• a barrel gas port having a gas port depth extending between a port entrance defined by the inner surface of the barrel and a port exit, wherein the barrel gas port is configured to fluidically communicate with the bore and an action of the rifle,
• wherein:
• a first length dimension of the barrel gas port is defined parallel to a longitudinal axis of the barrel at the port entrance,
• a second length dimension of the barrel gas port is defined parallel to the longitudinal axis at an intermediate location between the port entrance and the port exit,
• the intermediate location is the narrowest location parallel to the longitudinal axis along the gas port depth of the barrel gas port, and
• the first length dimension is between 1.1 times and 5.0 times greater than the second length dimension.

A rifle configured to fire a bullet from a cartridge, the rifle comprising:

• an action;
• and
• a barrel comprising:
• an inner surface comprising rifling, the inner surface defining a bore configured to guide the bullet as the bullet is propelled through the bore by pressurized gas;
• and
• a barrel gas port having a gas port depth extending between a port entrance defined by the inner surface of the barrel and a port exit, wherein the barrel gas port is configured to fluidically communicate with the bore and the action of the rifle,
• wherein:
• a first length dimension of the barrel gas port is defined parallel to a longitudinal axis of the barrel at the port entrance,
• a second length dimension of the barrel gas port is defined parallel to the longitudinal axis at an intermediate location between the port entrance and the port exit,
• the intermediate location is the narrowest location parallel to the longitudinal axis along the gas port depth of the barrel gas port, and
• the first length dimension is between 1.1 times and 5.0 times greater than the second length dimension.

A method of machining a portion of a barrel for a rifle, the method comprising:

• providing an initial barrel for the rifle, the barrel comprising an initial barrel gas port having a gas port depth extending between a port entrance defined by an inner surface of the barrel and a port exit, wherein the inner surface defines rifling;
• and
• removing, via one or more subtractive manufacturing processes, an amount of material along at least a portion of a muzzle-side edge of the port entrance to form a machined barrel gas port such that:
• a first length dimension of the machined barrel gas port is defined parallel to a longitudinal axis of the barrel at the port entrance,
• a second length dimension of the machined barrel gas port is defined parallel to the longitudinal axis at an intermediate location between the port entrance and the port exit,
• the intermediate location is the narrowest location parallel to the longitudinal axis along the gas port depth of the machined barrel gas port, and
• the first length dimension is between 1.1 times and 5.0 times greater than the second length dimension.