.50 cal 13/16" across the flats

[bob in the woods]

I've heard about those 13/16th  .50 cal barrels that Getz made. Never heard of anyone having trouble with one.  I wouldn't have safety concerns as a flintlock , but can't think of too many uses for one.

[Bob Roller]

What are the exterior dimensions of an 1886 Winchester barrel in 50-90??  I think it is thinner than this.  I don't have one in my lap to measure though.  The pressure would be much higher than a patch ball muzzleloader.  Modern shotgun barrels are also very thin for the bore size.  The pressure is similar to a patch ball rifle.  Not trying to be a jerk, just throwing out some obvious cases were thinner barrels are safe. 

Now that I think of it,I had an 1886 Winchester in 50-110 years ago.
I don't recall or if I ever knew the barrel size ATF.

Bob Roller

[Candle Snuffer]

I've heard about those 13/16th  .50 cal barrels that Getz made. Never heard of anyone having trouble with one.  I wouldn't have safety concerns as a flintlock , but can't think of too many uses for one.

Probably would make a good parade rifle for the 4th of July for shooting blanks.

I can't see it as a viable target rifle simply because of potential heat mirage happening pretty frequently on a hot day. It's probably safe enough for a deer rifle, but because of the barrel thickness I think you'd be limited to charge -vs- allowable distance for a clean kill.

I'm just not a fan of 13/16 x .50 caliber, but who knows - use it, test it, see what it'll do.

[bob in the woods]

I just remembered !  I believe that Rich Dillon offered a barn gun type rifle with the 13/16th .50 cal barrel  as a special order item. Getz made the barrels for him.

[Bob Roller]

I've heard about those 13/16th  .50 cal barrels that Getz made. Never heard of anyone having trouble with one.  I wouldn't have safety concerns as a flintlock , but can't think of too many uses for one.

Find out from Getz just what they made those extremely thin barrels.The liability incurred from the use of uncertified materials for the dedicated purpose of gun barrels is scary.I know that Don or John told me they made bullet gun barrels from a certified material and I do know they are NOT stupid about such things.

Bob Roller

[Fyrstyk]

This could be a really dumb question, but where was the "across the flats" measurement taken?  At the muzzle?  Is it possible that this is a tapered barrel, i.e. thicker at the breech?  Just throwing the question out there.

[bob in the woods]

straight oct.    A .50 cal swamped barrel with 13/16th's at it's narrowest area wouldn't be suspect, since it has ample strength in the breach area.

[HAWKEN]

If you are afraid to shoot it would you consider selling it?  I might be interested......robin   

[ssettle]

I'm surprised no one mentioned looking for proof marks. They are known for using good steel in their barrels.

[Gun_Nut_73]

I'm surprised no one mentioned looking for proof marks. They are known for using good steel in their barrels.

Ninth post from top, I did mention the barrel has proof marks.  My only concern about the rifle is that I have not seen such a barrel before.

Sorry, Hawken, I have no intention of selling at this time.

[frogwalking]

I am a little late to this discussion, but I have not seen anyone address the fact that this is a mule ear rifle.  This means the nipple is threaded directly into the barrel wall.  If the groove depth is .01, then I calculate the barrel wall to be .146 inch thick.  This is less than 3/16 inch and is all that is available to hold the nipple against the pressure. This may be safe when the rifle is new and the threads are tight, but how long will that remain with the removal and reinstallation of the nipple over the years?  If there is a patent breach with a reduced diameter powder chamber, then this concern goes away.

[Bob Roller]

I am a little late to this discussion, but I have not seen anyone address the fact that this is a mule ear rifle.  This means the nipple is threaded directly into the barrel wall.  If the groove depth is .01, then I calculate the barrel wall to be .146 inch thick.  This is less than 3/16 inch and is all that is available to hold the nipple against the pressure. This may be safe when the rifle is new and the threads are tight, but how long will that remain with the removal and reinstallation of the nipple over the years?  If there is a patent breach with a reduced diameter powder chamber, then this concern goes away.

WHAT thread diameter will work in a 13/16 fifty caliber barrel?? My drill/tap chart says a 31/64 for a 9/16x12 thread.
The whole thing sounds like a bad idea to me and I would never take on such a job in my routine shop work.

Bob Roller

[Leatherbark]

I had a Pedersoli Blue Ridge once in .54 caliber.  It had a 7/8ths in barrel. What mitigated the danger was the chambered breech. The main problem was mirage after firing just one shot with a hunting load.  The heat shimmer was so bad.

Bob

[GANGGREEN]

I had a cheap Italian .50 that I didn't care for, so I took the barrel from it and made it into a half-stock rifle for my son's 20th birthday.  It's not quite 13/16" and not quite 7/8", somewhere in between.  There really isn't that much pressure built up and I'm not concerned.  I have told him that 75 grains of FFFg should be considered the absolute maximum load and that 65-70 is plenty (I sighted it in with quite a few shots of 70 grains of FFFg without the least concern).  I don't know that I'd rush out to purchase a barrel like that, but this one was free and again, I'm not even remotely concerned about safety or I wouldn't have given it to my son.  I have little doubt that there were tens of thousands of these things made and many of them are still floating around out there and in use.  If they were dangerous or prone to accidents, we'd know about it.