AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Longrifle Collecting => Topic started by: HunterFort on December 07, 2025, 12:04:22 AM
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I came across several HE Resley Barrels.
Anyone know about these barrels? One of the ones I have is threaded for a breech plug but all others not.
(https://i.ibb.co/XxXK4WYS/IMG-8725.jpg) (https://ibb.co/F46yWhHg)
(https://i.ibb.co/VWcrpmRg/IMG-8726.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5WgtxFmr)
(https://i.ibb.co/KzxSfZRJ/IMG-8724.jpg) (https://ibb.co/S7wGMTWz)
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Texas came to mind. So I did a search in the Gun Building area. https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=41617.25
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Off the top of my head, Judge H. E. (Horace Ernest) Resley (1897-1991 I think) worked from sometime prior to 1947-sometime in the 1980s. All the references I have put him in Fort Stockton TX, but I think he was born in New Mexico. There was a bio published in Muzzle Blasts at some point. He is like an icon down in TX, the TMLRA even had (may still have) a match for folks shooting rifles with his barrels.
In his later years he was known to use Douglass and Numrich barrel blanks among others, but was also known to re-bore and rifle older barrels. He was known to lap the barrels before rifling, choking the last 6" or so at the muzzle. His rifled barrels were sometimes described as appearing a bit rough, but they shot well.
His rifles used a lot of original locks, various combinations of match sights and older style sights (or multiple sights to allow use in different matches). He made a variety of rifles. While the heavy bench rifles may have been otherwise, the "conventional" rifles I've seen/owned/used were rifled with a 1:48 twist, grooves typically .011-.015 deep depending on the barrel.
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Are these barrels available to purchase?? Caliber, etc...
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I’d be open to selling some of the barrels. The challenge, all but one of them have not been threaded for breech plugs. They range from .433, .45, .50 and what appears to
Be ~62cal but I didn’t measure that barrel and it’d be good for bench rest only.
The bores are a little direct but the one I ran steel wool and patched through cleaned up and polished.
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And one is .36cal in what appears 13.
/16th across the flats. Almost all others are 1”
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I’d be open to selling some of the barrels. The challenge, all but one of them have not been threaded for breech plugs.
Hunter Fort,
If you wish to sell them here on ALR just create a For Sale ad in the classified section, here https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=7.0
The lack of breech threads shouldn't be a problem for some, as long as you let them know in the ad.
Good luck with your sale.
Ron
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Wow! How many of those barrels do you have? I count nine in the foreground of the second photo, with a couple more muzzles visible in the background.
Most reputable gunbuilders (which would not include me…) can counterbore and thread a breech with no problem.
I remember the Muzzle Blasts article, I think from the late 1960’s. There was a photo of Judge Resley on the cover of that issue. I remember thinking he looked a lot like Lyndon Johnson, with his Open Road Stetson hat. He was legendary in his day, for the barrels he bored and rifled, and for his completed rifles. He was known to favor heavy, Hawken-styled rifles, but I know of some target rifles attributed to him, also.
I can’t add much to what has already been said. I’ll see if I can find a more accurate citation for the Muzzle Blasts article. I might also be interested in one of the heavier barrels in the .45-.50 caliber range, if you elect to sell them for a reasonable price.
Thanks for posting!
Notchy Bob