Abstract: A gun barrel is constructed of an inner tubular liner of hard material forming the bore of the barrel and an outer jacket of carbon-fiber reinforced metal matrix material in which the fibers are helically wound about the liner. In a preferred construction the jacket includes an inner region, an intermediate region and an outer region in each of which the fibers have specified wrap angles and specified mechanical properties in order to provide high bursting strength, high torsional stiffness and high beam bending stiffness.