45 Caliber Fast Twist Barrel Question......Who Made it?

[oldracer]

This story started this past April when I bought a really nice walnut partially cut out stock that was in the Hawken style, cost all of $4.00 so not bad. On the way to the car one of our shooters, Eric Keel said he had a 45 caliber fast twist barrel with false muzzle, bullet starter, breech plug with a very long lollypop end to it. Said it had never been shot but he had bought it from one of the local schuetzen/muzzle loader men about 12 years ago. It had no markings anywhere at all? So for $300 I got it and it had Russ Hooks (Schuetzen meister) name in magic marker pen on one flat and "gain twist" written after it. We looked and looked, no info on any of the parts (even in the thread area at the breech), anywhere so I called Russ and he said he had it for 10 years probably and had sold it. He can't remember who made it and none of the other old timers in the San Diego club had any idea either? So I am asking around various message boards to see who might have been making barrels like this 20 to 25 years ago? I have called all the muzzle loader barrel makers with no luck.

Here is the barrel info: 31 inches long, 1 1/8 across flats, false muzzle that looks just like Pope's, bullet starter that looks like Pope's also, gain twist that is 1in 18 at breech and 1 in 15 at muzzle. The rifling looks like Pope's with 8 very wide grooves that are very shallow (0.003) and bore is 0.446. The breech plug is a snail type with a shallow patent breech machined into it. There are a pair of alignment marks on the bottom of the barrel/breech plug. No holes for scope blocks or dovetails were in the barrel. It is not stainless as I was able to blue it with Oxpho Blue with several coats. There is no engraving anywhere on any part??!! I looked at the interior of the barrel with my bore scope and it is as smooth as glass and the edges of the rifling are very sharp

It shoots amazing and after 4 range sessions I am getting shots in a 4 inch bulls eye to 200 yards with 80 grains Goex FFG, BACO 540 grain grease groove creedmoor nose bullet and a fiber wad. The bullet slides down the barrel with very slight resistance. I have a 20 power Unertl scope mounted on it right now.

Here are several pictures that show the false muzzle, bullet starter and the breech plug. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated and my email is oldracer@att.net.

[Hanshi]

Congratulations, it looks like a winner to me.

[Dirty30]

I know Colerain and Sleepy Hill barrels have offered them over the years. I have always been interested in them, but never had one myself.