50 or 54 slow twist barrel?

[longcruise]

I have a .50 Green Mountain barrel in my TC Hawken. It's very accurate with both round balls and conicals out to 100 ads. (the longest range I can shoot at). I'd love to find a 54 Green Mountain barrel.

Track of The Wolf has the 54 drop ins in stock. You can make a drop yourself with not much effort. That way you can pick the exact barrel that you want.

It's not a money saver though. Cost of the components to DIY is a very few dollars less than buying the drop in. OTOH, there's a few of us misfits who think it's fun!

[rfd]

i've sent several .50 barrels to bobby hoyt for a ream to .54 and all were excellent and lots cheaper than buying a new barrel.

[LAGS]

@ rfd.
I second that.
Especially if you find used barrels that are not in that great of shape.
He will let you select the Rifling Twist you want also

[brewer12345]

So a silly question on Bobby Hoyt: I kind of want a 58 barrel for round ball. Would this be as simple as buying a 54 barrel for my Grey Hawk (would buy a new Englander barrel) and ship it off to him?

[LAGS]

Kind of.
You should call him first.
Tell him what you have , and he will discuss your options like Twist and kind of make suggestions of what you are looking for in a final product.
Like shape and projectile weight, even patch thickness or if you are shooting without a patch.
He is a little hard to get hold of on the phone because he is so busy.
But it is well worth waiting for him to call back..
He will quote you a price for the work , and you will only pay the return shipping which he can't give you a hard number for at that time.
Trust me.
He does great work , and is very easy to talk to .
Once you get the barrel you want rebuilt , then give him a call and discuss what you want.
Once I get totally finished with my new shop , I will be calling him about more work that I want done.

[rfd]

So a silly question on Bobby Hoyt: I kind of want a 58 barrel for round ball. Would this be as simple as buying a 54 barrel for my Grey Hawk (would buy a new Englander barrel) and ship it off to him?

a very valid question. probably not if the breech is a patent one. one of the .50's i sent bobby we discussed going to .58 and it was too marginal with the threads of the investarms (lyman, dgw, cabela, etc) patent breech plug. no problem going to a .54 with a patent breech.

[longcruise]

I just sent three off to Hoyt. One is a 54 that is a bit iffy because someone drilled and tapped for a scope. Generally to get to a 58 the barrel needs to be 1" wide. Probably are exceptions to that but just leave it for Hoyt to decide.

[rfd]

...Generally to get to a 58 the barrel needs to be 1" wide. ....

really, if it's a typical offshore trad ml, it's all about the breech plug and few (if any?) will allow safely blowing a patent breech out to a .58 bore.

[longcruise]

Hoyt does i regularly with TC barrels. I'm not sure why the patent breech would be a limiting factor?? Most barrel makers make a .58 with a 1" ATF blank.

[rfd]

Hoyt does i regularly with TC barrels. I'm not sure why the patent breech would be a limiting factor?? Most barrel makers make a .58 with a 1" ATF blank.

because the patent breech's open front end screws into the barrel and to go from a .50 to a .58 means compromising the breech threads.

[jjarrell]

Call Joe Williams at The Gun Works. He will build a drop in to your specs. He made mine. A 36” .54 caliber round ball barrel with a 1:79 rate of twist. It will group 2” usually less at 100 yards.

[longcruise]

That doesn't seem to resemble a GPR patent breech. It's what a CVA/Traditions breech plug would look like but the Gpr looks like this.

[bob208]

the breach plug threads have to be larger then the intended bore. if not you lose them when you bore and ream the barrel.

I don't under stand this got to have a bigger bore thing. a .54 will kill just as dead as a .58. a .50 will kill just as dead as a .54. poor shooting can not be made up for with a larger bore.

[rfd]

THIS is a GPR barrel and patent breech plug ... see the issue with attempting to bore larger than the ante-chamber?

[indian joe]

THIS is a GPR barrel and patent breech plug ... see the issue with attempting to bore larger than the ante-chamber?

Trash the patent breech - use a plain plug and nipple drum and the "problem" ceases to exist

a 58 barrel needs to be minimum 1inch across the flats tho.

[rfd]

Trash the patent breech - use a plain plug and nipple drum and the "problem" ceases to exist ...

i'm NOT a fan of patent breech plugs, but attempting to replace one with a classic flat breech is NOT an easy row to hoe because of location Location LOCATION - that's a lotta modifying work as the barrel will dramatically shorten, as will the lugs and pipes, and etc etc. easier to have a new "drop in" barrel built. might as well just have bought a diff'rent "correct" gun to start out.

the prime difference tween a 50, 54 and 58 is the ball - .490/175, .530/225, .570/280 - that's a Very hefty difference 'tween a 50 and a 58, and a serious consideration for Large game hunted. if yer stuck with an offshore 50 and want to hunt moose or elk or bear, getting yer patent breech gun reamed to a 54 makes some serious sense.

[Good Cheer]

the breach plug threads have to be larger then the intended bore. if not you lose them when you bore and ream the barrel.

I don't under stand this got to have a bigger bore thing. a .54 will kill just as dead as a .58. a .50 will kill just as dead as a .54. poor shooting can not be made up for with a larger bore.

Got a 32" long .61 Green Mountain smooth bore drop-in barrel that's had round ball rifling cut in it on a TC Hawken flintlock.
Removing that much metal from a one inch across the flats barrel makes it handle perfect so yeah, I reckon it's about big enough.

[indian joe]

i'm NOT a fan of patent breech plugs, but attempting to replace one with a classic flat breech is NOT an easy row to hoe because of location Location LOCATION - that's a lotta modifying work as the barrel will dramatically shorten, as will the lugs and pipes, and etc etc. easier to have a new "drop in" barrel built. might as well just have bought a diff'rent "correct" gun to start out.

yep yr right - I wasnt payin attention there - my 54 is a single wedge 28inch barrel - only the one wedge/lug to relocate and hack an inch off the under rib - but the lock plate fitup could turn into more of a headache than it looks at first too.

the prime difference tween a 50, 54 and 58 is the ball - .490/175, .530/225, .570/280 - that's a Very hefty difference 'tween a 50 and a 58, and a serious consideration for Large game hunted. if yer stuck with an offshore 50 and want to hunt moose or elk or bear, getting yer patent breech gun reamed to a 54 makes some serious sense.

........

[Good Cheer]

Measured the screw holes' depths in a pyrodexed New Englander barrel today.
Rebore to .52 or .54 will work. .58 would only leave about .025 on a couple of those under rib screws.
Don't think I need more .52's or .54's though.
Reline to a smaller bore (maybe a .377 or a .411) or a longer .577 barrel could work.

[brewer12345]

the prime difference tween a 50, 54 and 58 is the ball - .490/175, .530/225, .570/280 - that's a Very hefty difference 'tween a 50 and a 58, and a serious consideration for Large game hunted. if yer stuck with an offshore 50 and want to hunt moose or elk or bear, getting yer patent breech gun reamed to a 54 makes some serious sense.

There is more out there than round balls. Maxi Balls and great plains bullets provide a LOT more penetration and energy in 50 and 54 cal if it is needed.