Author Topic: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel  (Read 4548 times)

Offline A.Merrill

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Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« on: January 04, 2011, 01:51:15 PM »
    Not wanting to steal a post I thought would start a new one. If a guy wants to build a HC, J. P. Beck, shouldn't he worry more about the avg. dimensions of the barrel more than the avg. cal.? That would determine the over all appearance of the gun, would it not? And what are the avg. dimensions?    AL
Alan K. Merrill

Offline Don Getz

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2011, 04:28:52 PM »
I have looked at a lot of Beck rifles and something did strike me as unusual.   Most of them had a barrel with a breech
under 1" in size.   This is not meant to say that they were all done that way.   Several years ago there was a "big" Beck
rifle at the KRA show which had a rather large barrel.   I was only commenting on the general run of the mill Beck rifle
that we occassionally get to see.   Most are not that big, robust gun that they appear to be............Don

Offline Jim Kibler

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2011, 05:52:29 PM »
Perhaps what makes the typical 1" breech of a Beck barrel seem unusual is his tendency to hold on to earlier building and stocking styles.  Many of these Beck guns are likely from a time period where a 1" barrel was the norm.

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2011, 06:56:32 PM »
    Not wanting to steal a post I thought would start a new one. If a guy wants to build a HC, J. P. Beck, shouldn't he worry more about the avg. dimensions of the barrel more than the avg. cal.? That would determine the over all appearance of the gun, would it not? And what are the avg. dimensions?    AL

The barrel is the least of your worries in making a proper JP Beck. Its not as if they all have the same barrel profile.
Don Getz points out one problem. The PHOTOS are often distorted due to the lens used and make rifles look heavier than they actually are by foreshortening the gun.

Dan
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Offline t.caster

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2011, 08:55:05 PM »
A few of them are oct. to round "smooth rifles" too! Quite a variety actually.
I would build it with whatever size I, or a customer wanted to use, within reason. First question I always ask is...what are you going to use it for?
Tom C.

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2011, 10:34:43 PM »
The Beck smoothrifle I have had the chance to look over had an octagon to round barrel...and boy was that barrel thin at the muzzle...hard to find one today like that....Oh well I guess I could file/sand it down... Sure is a nicely balanced, light and slender gun.
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Offline Lucky R A

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2011, 01:17:05 AM »
Here are the dimensions from my Beck and that of a friends Beck.  Both are octagon to round smooth rifles.  Mine is plain Jane w/ no box.  My friends has a whale tale box and has some carving.   Mine is 48" long 1.022 at breech, .885 at wedding band wedding band is 16" from breech on both barrels.  .865 round at front of band,  .744 at muzzle. bore is .534    Friends is 47-1/4 long.  .949 at breech  .781 at wedding band .753 round in front of band .736 at muzzle bore is .513

Ron
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Offline ptk1126

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Re: Avg. dimensions of a J. P. Beck barrel
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2011, 03:27:07 AM »
  The dimensions of the JP Beck "George Washington" rifle at the Frazier Museum are:

44 cal Octagon 1" at breech tapered to .805 then flared to .865 at the muzzle

All the best
Paul