A barrel blank is a rifled tube of steel, cylindrical in shape, with no contour, and a rough lathe turned finish.

The inside diameter, outside diameter, rifling twist and length will be dependent upon the caliber of cartridge the finished barrel is intended for. Barrel blanks are used by gunmakers who turn and shape their own barrels.

Footnotes / Sources:

“Glossary ⇒.” Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute. Ed. SAAMI’s Technical Committee. Web. 15-18 Jan. 2011.