I have been in awe of this monstrous cartridge ever since I learned of its existence. The first time I read about one, I told myself "one day". Well, it's finally "one day". I am now the proud owner of this barrel. Krieger has one in their inventory and told me they may never make them again due to them hardly ever getting orders. Good timing on my part I guess.
This will be one expensive endeavor, but well worth it in my mind as it truly is a dream rifle. The rifle builder I have in mind is Bailey Bradshaw. He specializes in falling block actions and is a phenomenal builder. The plan is for a red pad, English Walnut, color case hardening, and rust bluing for the barrel. I can't decide if I want his side lever or the traditional under lever design. Either way it will make for a beautiful heirloom.
The bit I'm a little disappointed in is the groove diameter. A true 4 bore has a bore diameter of 1.052" where is this is .950" making it closer to a 5 bore. The thing that makes me ok with this is, even back in the BP days when 4 Bore saw real use, their bore diameter was greatly varied with many of them in that .950" diameter range. I don't think anything on the receiving end is going to be able to tell that there is a .102" difference anyways haha And trust me... trying to find a barrel maker that can do a 1.052" barrel has proven impossible.
Next on my list is acquiring the 3.5" brass from RMC. The brass is $45 A PIECE so it will take some time before I can purchase.
After that it will be sourcing a mold. If anyone knows of a good custom mold maker that can make me a mold for a 1750 grain slug, please link them!
After that it will be talking to Mr. Bradshaw to lay out a plan and selling my project car so I can fund this endeavor.
If this build is something that interests you and you want to see a no BS "this is what it costs" total, let me know and I will update with an itemized list with my total investment as I gather parts and pay for the build. I will update with a picture of the barrel in hand once it is delivered.
So far:
Barrel- 29" ×1.34" zero taper = $575 after shipping.