Seeking opinions from the sages

[357maximum]

What do you guys think of building a frontstuffer out of one of these.....like say a nice light underhammer barrel being made out of it?


http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=928830&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

[Gerry N.]

1:14 is too fast by far for a muzzleloading barrel and 26" is too short. Looked interesting for a minute there, though.

That diameter would need a twist of about 1:56 or 1:60 for roundballs. Maybe 1:48 for a minie or similar conical. And you'd want a length of at least 30" to get reasonable velocities with black powder.

Gerry N.

[northmn]

It would make for an interesting gun. A 1-14" twist makes it a slug gun. 13/16" barrel makes it light weight for a slug gun. It can be done and would make it an interesting project. It might also make a good small game gun with patched round ball as most small bore ML barrels have too slow a twist. The groove depth would likely give some problems as modern guns are about .004 deep and the ML barrels are shallow at .008. If the barrel were longer I would cut off an inch so that I could use prerifled slugs in it. Since it has an offcenter boring you would have to locate the runout if that is the problems and put the runout up or down, otherwise you will shoot off to one side. Had that problem once, you cannot really sight in the rifle as it shoots to one side at close range and the other farther away. Personally, I would recommend that if you want an underhammer ML that you bite the bullet and get a good ML Barrel. They come with the breech predrilled and tapped and in 36 or 42 inch lengths in any caliber you might want. You may find that the difference in cost would be eaten up by getting the modern barrel to shoot.

Northmn

[bobk]

I'm not a sage, but it could work. The regular .375 twist seems to be 1-12, and they have a reputation as being a dandy cast boolit caliber. The problem is, what do you feed it? Minies in that caliber seem to be scarce.

Bob K

[rick/pa]

If you haven't already read it, get a copy of "The Muzzleloading Caplock
Rifle" by Ned Roberts (the Roberts who gave his name to the .257 Roberts). Very interesting study of the type of rifle you are considering.

[357maximum]

Thanks Fellas


This is what I was thinking.....my 35's are all 1/11, 1/14,1/16, 1/18 twists


they will all throw a 180 to 200 grainer at 16 to 2300 fps accurately....I was wonderin if a similar situation could happen in that barrel...I am almost thinking of taking the bet to see...still on the fence though.

[357maximum]

I'm not a sage, but it could work. The regular .375 twist seems to be 1-12, and they have a reputation as being a dandy cast boolit caliber. The problem is, what do you feed it? Minies in that caliber seem to be scarce.

Bob K

I was thinking...slug it and get a mould made that is kinda sorta like a maxihunter/maxiball/ boolit hybrid....brainstorming at this point is all.

[bobk]

They also have some 45 barrels, 24" and 30", might make life a bit easier. Similarly inexpensive.

Bob K

[357maximum]

They also have some 45 barrels, 24" and 30", might make life a bit easier. Similarly inexpensive.

Bob K

yeah, but I don't have stuff in 45...know what I mean

[Charlie Sometimes]

Front stuffer barrels I've been looking at are (from slow to fast twist)- 1:70, 1:66, 1:60, 1:48, and 1:28 ratios. The bigger the bore the slower the twist, but never anything I've seen under 1:48 so far. Check out Dixe Gun Works web site they have lots of barrels, too. The 45 are running around 1:60.

[Underclocked]

http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=982460&chrSuperSKU=&MC=

?

Make a really weird inline. ;)

[Hang Fire]

With a long heavy paper patched slug that barrel should make up into a shooter.

[mooman76]

I might work best with sobots but I don't even know if you can get them in that caliber. A round ball may work with a real tight patch with low powder charges or even a maxi might work but you may have to have it custom made. Would be interesting though. I tried maxies in my 32 with a 1-48 twist and the twist wasn't enought to stableize but does RBs well.