Rifle to musket, making a smooth bore?

[troy_mclure]

How hard would it be to remove the rifling from a .50 ml barrel? An acquaintance has one that the rifling is badly corroded on and is willing to part with it cheap.
I'm thinking a .50 smooth bore might be fun.

[gnoahhh]

It's not something I would recommend doing out in the garage with a hand drill, but a good lathe man could ream it out and polish it. If you do it, don't feel you are limited to loose shot. A PRB in a smooth bore is deadly accurate, a lot farther out than you might think.

[x101airborne]

If the rifling is badly corroded, I would try to fire lap the crud out of the barrel and see if it could be salvaged. Find just about any lead 50 cal boolits and lap that puppy out. THEN make a decision as far as going smoothbore. And I agree, it would be cool to have one. What size would that be? Maybe 28 gauge?

[stubshaft]

I have thought of much the same thing. I have a couple of barrels that were given to me because they are rusty and pitted. The guy who owned them followed Fadala's method of using alcohol to clean them (doesn't work in Hawaii).

I was thinking that it doesn't really matter what the bore size ended up as. As long as there is sufficient material left in the barrel. In a 15/16" barrel I know you can take it up to .60 caliber.

[Boerrancher]

The very thought of the OP was one that I had come up with if I found one with a crappy barrel. I was going to have that sucker bored out to a 28 ga, and have a trade gun. I just haven't found one to do it with yet. I want it to be a rock lock, and those are few and far between in poor but useable condition.

Best wishes,

Joe

[troy_mclure]

Well the guys wife is making him keep it as it was her dads or something. It sounds like the hunt is on tho.

[John Taylor]

I ream them out every once in a while, just took a 1" barrel out to 62 smooth bore ( 20 gauge). You need to make sure the breach plug threads are still there and that the sight screw holes don't extend into the new bore.

[Boerrancher]

Just out of curiosity, how much would you charge to take a 50 cal barrel out to a 20 ga smooth bore? I have been looking for a beater ML to make into a trade gun. There are lots of old Traditions, TC's and CVA's out there for little to nothing. Heck I would be happy with a 28 ga smooth bore if the barrel wouldn't go to 20 with out problems.

Best wishes,

Joe

[HARRYMPOPE]

Investarms of Italy made 50cal Smoothbores.

George

[troy_mclure]

well wheres the fun in that?

[HARRYMPOPE]

well wheres the fun in that?

I agree !

I would go 54 cal smooth as 28ga components are easier to come by. A patch and .535 ball will work well to 50 yards and so will shot (to about 25 yards)

[Boerrancher]

If one was not pitted to badly, it should be easy enough to open up to a 54cal smoothy, and 25 yards would work well for rabbits with #4 shot. Be a bit larger than a 410 shot gun.

Best wishes

Joe

[KCSO]

I did one a while back with a tapered reamer and a hand drill and let me tell you that was a job. Used three different reamers to come up to the finished bore and it took all day cranking on the drill. On the lathe I just use a piloted drill bit and then a reamer and ream from the breech in two steps to get the choke.

[2571]

Just out of curiosity, how much would you charge to take a 50 cal barrel out to a 20 ga smooth bore? I have been looking for a beater ML to make into a trade gun. There are lots of old Traditions, TC's and CVA's out there for little to nothing. Heck I would be happy with a 28 ga smooth bore if the barrel wouldn't go to 20 with out problems.

Best wishes,

Joe

Just got a barrel back 2 weeks ago. Went from .54 to .62 but I had my barrel rifled.

Cost me $139.

[Boerrancher]

2571, I wouldn't have mine rifled, I want a smooth bore so I can shoot PRBs and Shot, but that is not a bad price at all. I am sure I can pick up an old beater for around $50, and I could have a good smooth bore for less than $200. My next question I have is a smooth bore percussion acceptable? I can find Percussion rifles cheap, flinters are hard to find around here. I would prefer a flinter, but would settle for a cap lock.

Best wishes,

Joe

[troy_mclure]

well i have a line on a lyman gpr in .54 for $50. and ill have john taylor ream it out for me.

[bob208]

joe it is acceptable. back in the day bannerman reamed many muskets out to make cheap shot guns.

[troy_mclure]

2571, I wouldn't have mine rifled, I want a smooth bore so I can shoot PRBs and Shot, but that is not a bad price at all. I am sure I can pick up an old beater for around $50, and I could have a good smooth bore for less than $200. My next question I have is a smooth bore percussion acceptable? I can find Percussion rifles cheap, flinters are hard to find around here. I would prefer a flinter, but would settle for a cap lock.

Best wishes,

Joe

ive had tons of offers for inlines, even as low as $35 for s ss knight american.

[x101airborne]

I would be down for some of those deals. My Dad would like that Knight SS. If you can find em, Im sure people could use em.

[troy_mclure]

I had an ad up on bayou shooter. Com and the firing line .com . I forget what forum I got the offer from, the bore was really badly pitted by 777 iirc.

[John Taylor]

I have been charging $80 to ream a barrel out. I have the 28 gauge and 20 ,with choke if needed. The barrel is set up in the lathe and bored with a piloted drill to remove most of the metal and then the reamer is pulled through the bore while cutting oil is pumped through it.

[Boerrancher]

I have been charging $80 to ream a barrel out. I have the 28 gauge and 20 ,with choke if needed. The barrel is set up in the lathe and bored with a piloted drill to remove most of the metal and then the reamer is pulled through the bore while cutting oil is pumped through it.

I am still looking for one to do that with, but I will shoot you a PM when I find one. Thank you good sir and best wishes,

Joe