Barrel work

[oldarcher]

I need a little advice... I have a 1 1/8" barrel that I planned to make into a cross stick rifle, however I recently came into a great birdseye maple 1/2 stock that I would like to use it in. The problem is that it is a .50 Cal and it is really heavy for an offhand gun. Can anyone recommend a barrel maker that can machine the barrel to 1" or do you think that I would be better off just purchasing a new Colrain 1".  Your thoughts???
Thanks  <--------------------<<<<<<

[FRJ]

I would probably be looking for any decent machinist, it shouldn't take a barrel maker. Next I would probably have it swamped or tapered to cut even more weight off of it. Last but not least, why not do it yourself with a draw file? FRJ

[T*O*F]

Unless you are good friends with a machinist, I would buy a different barrel.  Paying a regular machine shop will cost you as much or more to have an existing barrel profiled.

As far as drawfiling goes, I wouldn't even bother.  If you wanted to do it yourself, I would use a machinist's scraper and then finish with a file.  It ain't near as much work.

[Don Getz]

Your best bet would be to sell it and buy what you want.   Speaking as a former barrel maker, I wouldn't even attempt
to make a swamped barrel from it.   If you want to make a swamped barrel from it using a scraper and a file, call me in
about 6 months and let me know how it's going............Don

[Acer Saccharum]

Buy a new barrel. Sell yours.

Any old machinist should NOT be doing this, if they are not familiar with the results of milling long bars of steel and the inherent stress relief problems. By the time you're done milling it down, you've spent twice as much on it as a new barrel cost, and the darn thing looks like a banana.

[Kelhammer]

I am a decent machinist, and would recomend you buy a new one.

[oldarcher]

I think that I will follow the good advise and buy new barrel, it's nice to have other good opinions.
Thank you all.

[Chris Treichel]

Having recently tried to get local machinists to do some barrel work for me... (tap breech) they won't its a gun, too many liabilities...

Heck... I bet someone would trade you for that barrel...

[gusd]

Did a swamped bbl. with a file once!!!
Approx. 40 hrs . never again!!
Gus 

[Don Tripp]

Just curious, how long is the barrel and who made it?

[oldarcher]

The barrel is 34" long and has been tapped for a plug and has been crowned. I purchased it from a member and was told that he purchased it in the early 90's and was told that it was a H & H. I just don't know, I thought that Hoppy stamped all of his work?? but the rifling is superb, bright and crisp, whoever really made it did a great job. The reason that I wanted to have it reduced in size to 1" is it is soooo nice and I wanted to use it.

[okieboy]

 I am a little confused. You wanted a cross stick gun, but got a great piece of half stock wood. Is there a reason not to make a great wood half stock cross stick gun?

[oldarcher]

Hi Okieboy,
 I think that the wood that I have found will make a rifle that I will want to shoot much more than a single purpose gun. The barrel that I have is so good that I wanted to use it, but it is simply too heavy to be a practical plains off hand gun. I wanted some opinions on weather it would be feasible to machine the barrel to 1" to make it more user friendly. The opinions here are valued and I think that I will use the barrel as I originally intended and purchase or trade for a new barrel for the birdseye blank. I have parts for three full stock flinters and most everything that I need to make two half stocks right now, just looking to complete parts for the half stocks. I have more work than time. Thank you for your input.