match grade pistol barrel

[smallpatch]

OK, my ignorance may show, but here goes.

I've built several pistols, but never been really happy with their performance.  (may be that I'm just a crappy pistol shot.)  Always seem to fight working up a consistant load to score well. even off the bench.

With that being said, where can I purchase a "match grade" pistol barrel for a target pistol.  Would like it swamped, but not totally necessary.

Wat say you???

[Frizzen]

Tip Curtis has any pistol barrel you want. Several excellcent brands, GM, Rayl ect.

[ERH]

My pistol shoots good in my opinion. Its a 50 cal. .They are all touching as 25 yards but much worse if i try to stand up Its one of bobby hoyts barrel

[smylee grouch]

I have a 40 cal. made by Getz, off the sand bags at 25 yards it shoots a one hole group not much bigger than 50 cal. Off hand I shoot it considerably poorer.     Gary

[California Kid]

Will be a while yet, (want to finish c. hawken build first) but my next is going to be a pistol as well. I want to make it .40 cal. in a Kentucky pistol style not sure what yet though. Most of the Kentucky pistols I've seen are 1790- 1810 period. I was thinking of using a straight GM or Rayl barrel cut to about 10" x 7/8" ATF. On the guns (pics) I've seen of this period the barrels appear to be straight.Any ideas or comments?
A straight barrel would be easier for me to get than a swamped one. So, I too am interested in pistol barrels. I'm trying to build a gun to be used for targets as well, but traditional.

[Acer Saccharum]

Look in the 'for sale' section, Barbie Chambers is offering 13" swamped barrels in 45, 50 and 54.

She's got 40 of them, made by Rice.

Tom

[California Kid]

Thanks, but I saw that when she first posted it. I'm stuck on .40 cal. and around a 10" length. In the time period I mentioned they seem to be mostly straight or very small swamp. For a mostly target , but traditional, a straight barrel might be just the ticket. Don't know, how bout you pistol shooters? Pete Allan are you out there?

[Dphariss]

Thanks, but I saw that when she first posted it. I'm stuck on .40 cal. and around a 10" length. In the time period I mentioned they seem to be mostly straight or very small swamp. For a mostly target , but traditional, a straight barrel might be just the ticket. Don't know, how bout you pistol shooters? Pete Allan are you out there?

Any of the barrels should shoot very well. But like rifles the pistol can be particular about where its rested as far as group size and point of impact.
I would buy a Green Mountain.
As previously stated Tip Curtis is a good place to look.

Dan

[Rolf]

The pistols I'm building have 12" x 15/16", 50 cal, GM barrels. The barrels make the pistols really heavy. I wish I had used swamped barrels instead. I've bought a pair of 10", swamped, 50 cal, Ed Rayl barrel. They weigh alot less, and I think they will make better balancing pistols.

Best regards

Rolfkt

[keweenaw]

One of the mistakes people make is cutting down rifle barrels to use for pistol barrels.   Because pistols use much less powder and shoot at a lower velocity, they should have a different twist than typically found in rifle barrels.  People used to make the same mistake when they would buy an old Stevens single shot target rifle chambered for 22 short and ream the chamber out to long rifle.  Accuracy which had been fine with the shorts went to pot when shooting long rifles with their longer bullets and much higher velocities.

While round balls of a given caliber are all the same length the primary reason to have a different twist in the pistol barrel is the velocity.  So if you want to maximize accuracy in a pistol you go with an appropriate twist for your pistol.

Tom

[Majorjoel]

Dane, I have never had real great expectations about the accuracy of a flintlock pistol. Have built a few. My most recent beat all previous attempts shooting from 25 yards off hand. It just happens to have been made using a 12" long by 3\4"  straight oct. Green Mtn. barrel that I picked up from Tip Curtis. It's a 40 caliber with a small siler lock and a trigger guard and entry thimble from an old original pistol. It is light in weight and the long 12 inch barrel gives a better sight picture than anything I've ever shot before. It has been so much fun shooting this 40 that I have the better part of a 40 cal longrifle completed using an A wt. Green Mtn. swamped barrel that is 38" long. 

[Majorjoel]

[bob in the woods]

I have a 10 inch Green Mountain .50 cal barrel from Track of the Wolf that shoots better than I can hold.
What more could one ask? Also have a Swamped from E. Rayl which is great as well, but at 2 1/2 times the price.  I prefer  the swamped re style but as far far as shooting, it's even money .
The extra length on the Chambers offering is in response to restrictions imposed by some states re pistols
used for hunting.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I once bought a 32" long 15/16 AF Octagonal barrel from Numerich Arms, in .45 cal. x 1:22 twist.  It was meant to be a .45 cal cartridge rifle barrel and so has fine shallow rifling.  I cut it into three pieces, and made pistols with them.  They are incredibly accurate, and have the mass one needs for target shooting.