Target pistol caliber

[drago9900]

Planning on building a under-hammer target pistol and want to choose a caliber. I was thinking of a 45 but have been told most target shooters choose smaller calibers. I will most likely shoot at Brady, Tx and wind is always a major factor there. So, I would like to hear from the experienced shooters.

[ratboy]

i am looking into pistol shooting as well. i just had the chance to talk to 3 championship shooters this weekend. while i did ask many questions i did not ask what their preference was regarding caliber however all three were shooting 36 caliber pistols. i dont think it was a coincidence. i plan on going to the nationals in indiana next month and doing some more observing.

[drago9900]

Well maybe there is something to it. I guess you get the velocity up to buck the wind and keep recoil down. Probably more to it than that, bet they know something I don't.

[TCLouis]

32 or 36 caliber and get that ball/conical moving downrange post haste.

[John Taylor]

Many years ago I made an under hammer that shot BBs. Had to use the more expensive polished ones as the Daisy at the time had little flats on the sides and would not shoot strait. With about 4 grains of 4F it would put a BB through a 1" board at 25 yard and was able to hit a standard rifle target at 100 yards. This was a smooth bore with a barrel length of about 3", overall length about 7". There was almost no recoil but it was as loud as a 38 special.
I just got in a 40 cal barrel that will be made into two or three under hammers.

[Coffeecup]

Here in Nebraska, the wind is always a factor as well. The .32s/.36s tend to do well at 25 yards, but fall apart at 50 yards and the occasional longer-range match. Probably as a result, my smallest preferred caliber for pistols is .45 (as in, "Ruger Old Army"); an old friend of mine used to do very well with a pistol barreled with a piece of barrel from a trapdoor Springfield. But on a calm day--which happened about once or twice a summer--we both got beat by another guy who shot a pistol that had the barrel lined with a Dan Wesson insert for the .357.

The two barrels I have set aside for pistols now are in .50 and .54 calibers.

[John Taylor]

I have a couple 72 cal pistol barrels with a fast twist Forsyth type rifling. I think the recoil would be a little heavy.

[drago9900]

Do you have a picture of the rifling? I thought the Forsyth rifling used massive amounts of powder due to the slow twist? Maybe a fast twist with the small lands it fouls less? I bet there is a little bit of recoil.

[ratboy]

32 or 36 caliber and get that ball/conical moving downrange post haste.

one thing the guy i was speaking to stated was that 36 caliber was nice because you could shoot buckshot out of it and not have to worry about lining up the sprue.
so more of a convenience factor than anything else. not having to worry about the sprue is one less variable to deal with.

[4060MAY]

two Underhammer Pistols I made
both .45caliber, GM barrels 1-18 twist
one right handed, the other left handed for my BIL
the parts are available from The Log Cabin in Lodi OH
I used a 11" GM pistol barrel and cut in half, two barrels 5 1/2"
with the plug the rifling is close to 5"...they both shoot well
I made another for a friend in .40 cal GM barrel, 9" barrel length...his has the capability to change barrels easily
this site has more than you need to know http://underhammers.blogspot.com/

[skeettx]

For fun, 38 cal, 358 bore.
Use some of the cut-off pistol barrel
to make a pistol bullet sizing die.
You can use standard 38 special bullets
Pre-rifle your bullets, seat them in the muzzle loader
and have a blast
Mike

p.s. here is one already finished waiting to be cut and threaded
and at 19" lots left over for another pistol and some sizing dies

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/590410.htm#453870

[ratboy]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/958240.htm

this one is 30 buck plus shipping and is not tapered 18-1/2 inches long. i bought one recently for a different project but i might just make a pistol with it instead.
for the price you cant really go wrong.

[Coffeecup]

Mr. Taylor, who made the .72 caliber barrels? I'm afraid I may decide my life may not be complete without one, and I'd hate to not know the source!

thanks,
Jim

[John Taylor]

Mr. Taylor, who made the .72 caliber barrels? I'm afraid I may decide my life may not be complete without one, and I'd hate to not know the source!

thanks,
Jim
The barrel was bored and reamed by Jim Carpenter who bought out Orion Barrel company about 15 years back. I did the rifling when I had my machine set up to do a forsyth barrel for a customer. I moved the sine bar so the twist would be faster for pistol and cut the barrel in half because it was to short for a rifle to begin with. Metal is 12L14 which has been used by many companies for muzzle loading. I looked for the two barrel the other day and all I found was a set of 50 cal barrels that are started as a double barrel under hammer.
about 40 years ago I made a 72 pistol and was shooting a 700 grain hollow base wad cutter. It made nice 3/4" holes in the 25 yard target with 15 grains of 3f. My brother-in-law borrowed it and started loading it up till he got to 45 grain and the recoil was about all he wanted. He shot a little black tail with it and he said it did a complete flip destroying both shoulders.

[Coffeecup]

Thanks for the info, it will probably convince me to be more practical!

Jim

[John Taylor]

The 72 was fun to shoot, especially if you got lots of lead. You did not need a spotting scope to see group size on a 25 yard target.

[John Taylor]

107611107612
A picture of the Forsyth rifled pistol barrel and a few barrels getting ready to make under hammers. The bottom one is a .72. Top is a .40. center is a SXS .50.