Sawing off a swamped barrel?

[northmn]

In looking through barrel dimensions and such I have wondered about shortening a swamped barrel to get more of a tapered barrel profile.  While I realize they are pretty thin walled through the waist, that could be handled.  Has anyone ever done this?  The current offereing in tapered barrrels is 1 1/8 to 1" over 36 inches.

DP

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I built two English Sporting rifles for a fellow in Kansas, and the first has two barrels - .32 and .40 cal.  and the second is a .54.

I bought Green Mountain's 42" swamped barrels and cut them at 32".  This gave me a straight taper that is perhaps a little radical (more than necessary) but was the easiest and cheapest way to go.  As a warning, you'll need a high front sight if you use this method.  BTW, there was no run out - the bores are dead centre at the cut-off.

[huckfinn]

I guess it depends on what you want to do.  I built a 20 gauge fowler from a Colerain octagon to round swamped barrel.  It came 44" and I had them cut it to 36". ( I actually called back to change my order to be a 44" but they had already cut it!) It functions as I intended both as a shotgun and a punkin' slinger. I did use solder on underlugs.  Not sure if I would want to put dovetails in there.  I did notice the hole isn't exactly in the center but at least it is aligned vertically probably to that the sight would be in the middle of the barrel rather than off to one side.  It is pretty good for 65 yards with a round ball and ok at 30 yards with shot.  I have kicked around the idea of building a rifle from a swamped barrel cut to 30" but I have found swamped barrels that are as short as 34".   Hope that helps!?

[J.D.]

Mark DeHass will make any barrel of nearly any length or taper you might want.

If you need a barrel in the near future, check with Dixons to see what they might have in stock.

God bless

[Lucky R A]

I have cut a number of swamped barrels to get a tapered barrel,  If you go with the 44" c profile and cut it back, you get a nice tapered barrel.  As Taylor said on some of the more radical swamps you will need a high front sight to compensate if you cut it at the waist.   Ron

[northmn]

Nice to see some have done it and it not taht novel of an idea.  Getting where I just like shorter barreled rifles.  Personal thing.

DP

[flehto]

Built a Stith LH S. Hawken and the  .54 bbl was tapered from 1" to 7/8" and was 36" lg. Don't recall the bbl maker....Fred

[Ed Wenger]

For those of you who have cut barrels, how do you recommend this be done?


             Ed

[billd]

Ed,   I've only cut two.  I hacksaw it about 1/16" long, put it in the lathe, indicate the bore, face and recrown it.   Never did it without a lathe.

Bill

[Don Getz]

Why not just sell that swamped barrel and buy a straight taper barrel of the size you want.  It just makes me want to cry
when I see someone cutting up a neat swamped barrel, knowing that someone went to a lot of pains to make it.  Even
after you shorten it, you don't have a "straight taper" barrel..............Don

[JB2]

But then you end up with TWO tapered barrels.  One for a rifle, and one for a pistol, in matching calibers even!

Just kidding.

[northmn]

Why not just sell that swamped barrel and buy a straight taper barrel of the size you want.  It just makes me want to cry
when I see someone cutting up a neat swamped barrel, knowing that someone went to a lot of pains to make it.  Even
after you shorten it, you don't have a "straight taper" barrel..............Don

Availiability and price.  Depends on when a custom barrel maker can deliver and how much they charge as compared to something available. 

DP

[Jim Kibler]

I don't know if I've had any exposure to a "straight  taper" barrel on original rifles or not.  If so I haven't made not of it.  I wonder if they tend to have the appearance of swelling in the middle.  Straight lines used in this fasion will sometiems have this appearance.  An example of being aware of this is how the Romans constructed columns.  Instead of them being just a straight taper, the sides were actually bowed in slightly to appear straight to the eye.  Interesting stuff huh?  Sort of like if the lower toe line on a stock is straight it actually looks like it has a fish belly. 

[northmn]

I have a staight taper barrel, 1"-7/8 over 42 inches that if anything appears more like a straight barrel.  It holds very well for off hand as it is a 54.  It was tapered in a machine shop and one flat is slightly off.  I put it on the bottom.

DP