A gun barrels performance can only be considered satisfactory provided there is sufficient heat-dissipation, thus not hindering the tactical use of the unit and the weapon itself. The added energy to the barrel can potentially permanently change the material structure of the steel and create a hazard.The thesis evaluates air cooling concepts relative to a barrel blank to assess its ability to handle heat flow and heat flux. The concepts have been designed in such a way that the ergonomic and practical weight limitations of a soldier have been taken into account. The results will provide a basis for future product development.The scientific work was limited to the section of the barrel nearest to the bore where the majority of the heat will be concentrated, hence that section with the biggest need for heat dissipation. For this to be done an assumption was made that the heat can only dissipate radially. The metal in this short section of the barrel is assumed to be heated equally along the barrel axis relative to the surrounding sections. The thesis was divided in two parts, a literature study and one with a deductive approach, where the research resulted in calculations in an iterative process.The calculations determined the cooling and heating time for each concept. Finally, the heat flow in and out was calculated.Based on the information that the calculations provided, a comparison could be done and an assessment for each concept to be a potential solution if it were to be applied in a sustained fire role. The conclusion was that an air cooled concept could never provide the heat flux needed to sufficiently cool a barrel in a sustained fire role due to all the thermal energy added for each shot fired.The composite concept that was evaluated has great potential in a lightweight weapon system. It provides quadruple cooling capability with no additional weight. It also has good potential for future development of the concept.