Pistol barrel Twist rate

[Scota4570]

Will a cut off rifle barrel, 1:48", shoot as accurately as a real pistol barrel 1:20"? 

[Daryl]

It will/might, if you use a rifle-type load in it. Even a 60 or 66" twist will shoot quite well, but the load has to be much tighter
than most pistol loads.
I have a 60" twist .54 barrel for my flint English-type pistol. With 55gr. 3F, it will hold 5 into 2 1/2" at 50 yards.
I also have an 18" twist .45 barrel for it (with replacement cap-lock), that I made a 1 1/2" group at 50yards using 25gr. 3F and a tightly patched .45" ball.
Using 30gr. 3f GOEX, and a 200gr. R.E.A.L. bullet, 1 1/2" was the group of 6. I lost count & couldn't distinguish the # due to a large 3 or 4-shot hole in the group.
So- the cap-lock .45 tight twist bl. was more accurate for target shooting, but uses a useless for anything but punching paper load.
The flint .54 bl. was OK for rendezvous, but a much better belt-carry while hunting.

[bgf]

For hunting, it should be fine, but I really like how the pistol twist barrels will shoot accurately at pistol ranges with tiny charges...just fun for an afternoon of plinking at targets and easy cleanup afterwards.  For a while I was experiencing daily the results of aging eyes, and often pistol sights were the only ones I could see clearly!  They have stabilized for now with a new prescription (bifocals), but pistol sights are easiest to pick up and relax. 

That said, if you have a barrel that needs cut off, might as well give it a try.  If it's accurate, it will make someone happy for something!

[alacran]

I have a .54 flint pistol with a Bill Moody barrel. It is a fast twist, 1 in 18. It shoots very well with 25grains 2f, and also with 40 grains of 3f.. I have shot it with 25 grains of 2f in pistol matches. That is one handed at 25 and 50 yards and the recoil fatigues me after about 15 shots. Not knowing the caliber of your barrel cut off, it is hard to say if you will be able to tolerate the recoil long enough to learn to shoot it. Just realized I have never taken photos of that pistol.

[Scota4570]

45 cal  10"  Long 1:60,  GM rifle barrel cut off.  I just looked it up on the GM site.  It is slower than I thought. 

[Daryl]

A .45 with 60" twist would most likely need a descent length of bl. to get the vel. up so it will shoot.
In ratio, a .50, .54 or .60 would need less powder for the slow twist. Going ahead and building it,
then finding out would be a good exercise. It can always be replaced later on if it does not satisfy.

[Dphariss]

Will a cut off rifle barrel, 1:48", shoot as accurately as a real pistol barrel 1:20"?

It will shoot fine. I think the 1:20 twists are for the REALLY serious shooters. For PRACTICAL use I would just as soon have a cut off rifle barrel. You can shoot more powder. A 66" twist pistol I built years ago would shoot into 2.5" at 25 and had enough velocity with that load. 60 gr of FFF Goex to get the job done if needed in a hunting situation. Could head shoot fool hens with it.
AND if you sight the pistol for a "plinking load" and then load it for some more serious purpose. Upping the charge 15-20 grains it will not shoot to the point of impact.
I have a Green Mountain 50 cal pistol barrel that shoots pretty well with 40-45 gr of FFF but I have it sighted for less since I was using it at matches and people were whining. With a rest and a heavy charge it will shoot well enough to kill a deer to 50 yards.
I had a GM 54 36" rifle barrel that I bought off the WWW with a poorly rifled bore. I had it recut to 62 with a 48" twist and will make pistol barrels from it. Probably 9". Have a pair of Hawken percussion pistols I want the make.
These  J&S Hawken were 66 cal. I figure they were for running Buffalo.

Dan

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have seen a lot of pictures of muzzleloading pistols over the years, Dan, but that pair is right at the top of the best of the best.  They are not the fanciest, or the nicest made, but they have an appeal that is hard to describe.