Pistol Twist Question

[slowtrack50cal]

My question is simple.  In a pistol, is a faster twist (1 : 20) than a slower twist (1 : 30) in , say, a 10 inch barrel?

[Daryl]

yes, but ---- the 30" will probably shoot just as accurately, but may take another 5gr. of powder to do it.  Even rifle barrels converted to pistols will shoot exceptionally well. I have one such pistol with 2 barrels - one for serious target work and the other for serious work. The .45 has an 18" twist while the .54 has a 66" twist. They will both shoot into 2" easily at 50 yards, but the slow twist .54 requires 60gr. 3F to do it, while the .45 uses 20gr.  I kindq like it that way. The .54 matches my 4" .44 mag for ball vs bullet weight and velocity - 1,200fps. What the modern pistol doesn't have, is diameter. of course, if you need more than one shot, the revolver is superior- but not for accuracy - about even.

[shifty]

I built a pistol using part of an old cva barrel 50 cal. 16" long 1-48 twist will put 3 balls into one ragged hole at 20 yards using 40grns. 2ff powder mink oil lubed patch. I am satisfied with that performance

[Dphariss]

I Have had 66 twist pistols that shot as good as I could want and I am sure would have shot 1.5 at 25 maybe better.
The one I actually put on paper at this distance did 2.5 for 5 shots. But I only did this once.
I know that I and a friend could hit steel sihouettes cut to match the NMLRA Buffalo target buffalo virtually every shot with 60 gr of FFFG (its a 54 he still has it). OOPS forgot the distance, was 75 yards. I killed several grouse with this thing a shorter ranges with head shots.
My sons 45 cal has a GM fast twist in it an shoots good with 40 gr of FFFG. But I need to test it more. It has not been used much though I was plinking with it at 50 yards the other day and it seemed to be doing very well.
I have another 54 with a 9" piece of Douglas rifle barrel (66) that is under construction. It was a 1" straight piece a friend gave me years ago but I milled it to 1" tapered to 7/8". Should have the barrel all in in a few days. I have 2 projects running and the pistol is the second one so I have something to do when not on the other.

I would not worry too much about twist to be honest. I would think that a 48 would be perfect and I consider 20-22 to be too fast-72 too slow. But thats just me and only made one with a 70" GM, it was 54 and seemed to like a lot of powder. The only other fast twist pistol barrels I have used were on a pair of perc. 54 belt pistols at 6" so shooting heavy charges was not important. I did accidentally shoot one with 90 grs FFFG (people talking to me is the excuse) but had muffs on. Cousin standing behind me didn't. Guess blast was pretty bad. I know 50-55 was really bad, painful, for the shooter without protection.

Dan

[northmn]

Before the fast twit barrels came out some would buy a 42 inch barrel and cut off about 9 or 10 inches to get a "free' pistol barrel.  The fast twist were for target shooting with very light target loads.  Revolver shooters were shooting 15-25 grain charges out of their revolvers and single shot shooters seemed to want the same. As to making a pistol for general use, the old rifle barrel saw offs worked pretty good.  One gunsmith I knew mounted a 10 inch 13/16 Numrich 45 with a 56 inch twist on a Remington revolver and shot rings around his competition.  With me twist rate does not matter that much as I can only shoot the d--n things so well and have since used only shoulder arms.

DP

[Daryl]

Taylor has a .60 cal Hawken Pistol he made many years ago. It has a fast twist barrel - perhaps something between 20" and 30" - might be a 28" twist - don't remember that.  With that pistol both of us have made 1 1/5" diameter holes for 5 shots at 25 yards. It stacks them on top of each other.  A couple guys have tried to buy that pistol from Taylor- it's not for sale.  He has used it for the pistol event at Hefley Creek for close to 20 years and has NEVER missed out on first place.  This year might be different, as least I'll give him a good go with my little .45 Flinter. Makes me wish it was a cap-lock - easier, but practise (which I've not done yet) will even the odds.
; Fast twist, slow twist- one must feed them properly. Taylor's fast twist .60 shoots as it does with only 20gr. of powder.

[California Kid]

Daryl,
I have a 13/16" G. M.  barrel about 9" long, 1 in 48" twist .40 left from a ladies gun that I cut the barrel down on. Should I make a pistol out of it? If so, what would be a good charge to start with?
Was going to buy a fast twist barrel, but after reading this post am rethinking that idea. Thanks- kid

Anybody can reply.

[northmn]

They are like any other barrel in taht you have to experiment a little.  some liked a little heavier charge at about 30 grains or so, others got by with 25.  How good are you with the pistol?

DP

[Daryl]

48" in a .40 might require more powder than you are willing to use, but then, as DP says, different barrels require different solutions to the equation. I might add, that different ball/patch combinations also also require different loads for their best accuracy.
: For me, the search for the 'best' load is an on-going series of testing with most guns.  There aways seems to be a better load combination.
: With a slow twist in such a small bore, I'd start around 30gr.3F and probably do from there.  I'd use a .020" spit-lubed patch with a .395" ball as it's an easy loading combination in the rifle and pistols benefit from being easy to load.  A .390" ball might also work as long as the powder charge isn't too great.  The heavier the powder charge, the tighter the combination will have to be.

[Teach]

I'm quite surprised at how the slow twist barrels are working so good, who would have thunk it ?
I'm in the market for a new barrel for my Patriot> I talked to Suzi at The Gunworks,and they can provide me with one of their barrels for $65,AFAIK they bought out Sharon barrel company ?
BTW Daryl just for the record ,  one of the pistol shoots at Heffley last year ?
ahem !some dude from Vanc. Island , who shot with Mike Jaynes , coming back to you now ?
If you can remember who, I'll tell you one of the contributing factors 
Cheers Teach

[Daryl]

Nope- gone with the wind.  BTw- were I going to re-barel one of those, I'd put on a fast twist- 22" to 18" since it'll be for targets out to about 50 yards.  It would also be in .45 - pleasant to shoot and 20gr. to 25gr. is all they need - good speed and very accurate.  Now we need someone to compete against that .60 of Taylor's.

[slowtrack50cal]

What I have is a Lyman Plains Pistol in 50 cal.  I can't remember the twist rate.  All I know is that in order for me to get a decent group, it has to be on bags.