A or B weight

[drago]

Having a new rifle built and am trying to decide which barrel weight. Early Virginia with a 44 or 46 inch Rice barrel and a nice maple stock, Whats your preference?

[heinz]

3 things to consider, 
Caliber: 38 and under  13/16 at breech;  45 and under 7/8 at breech; .54 and under 1 inch at breech
style: The earlier the bigger at the breech relative to caliber
Intended use: lighter for hunting if you need to, * to 10 lbs total rifle weight for a serious hunter shooter, Over 12 pounds for shooting from a rest, chunk, cross sticks (prabaly too light or light bend rifle.

You will get lots of help here on the issue

Heinz

[drago]

I guess I should have said thinking of a 45 or a 50, probably a 50. Mostly for off-hand target shooting. Hopefully some hunting.

[mark esterly]

you're not likely to find a .50 in "a" weight.   that narrows it down some

[WadePatton]

I guess I should have said thinking of a 45 or a 50, probably a 50. Mostly for off-hand target shooting. Hopefully some hunting.

and there's the Quandry.  Methinks that folks tend to prefer a little more bbl weight for off-hand target shooting, but yet and a little less weight for hunting.  So make the tradeoff to your main use.  Your preferences may change later...

and then tha's a fine excuse to buy more guns.

[Kermit]

Yup. Pretty sure you can scratch off A-weight for .50. I know you can find A-weight in .40 cuz I have one. Does someone make an A-weight .45? I sort of think you may be considering B- or C-weight for .50.

Just to confuse things, I have a 44" .50cal that's octagon-to-round, and it's sweet. I also have a .42" .54 OTR that's the best handling rifle I own. I like the sight radius combined with quick handling. Just an option.

[Virginiarifleman]

go with a B weight, you will not regret it in the end. they weight difference is not that much. if building a 50 Cal look at Rices Southern Profile .

[galamb]

I like the B weight in either caliber at the barrel length you note.

Which barrel?

I would carefully study the profiles of both the Dickert (44") and GA/York (46") - if you are definitely going with the Rice and figure where about's you want you sights.

Now that may seem like an odd way to choose a barrel length, but 44"/Dickert profile flares much more severely at the muzzle (and more quickly) than the 46" GA.

That may cause you to alter where you put your rear sight or have to use an extremely tall front/rear sight etc to get them on a similar enough plane.

So just maybe an overlooked factor that may be important to you if the difference between 46 and 44 is not a "major factor" (like recreating a particular rifle).

[WKevinD]

You may want to check out Rice's Southern Classic. It's a nice light and slim .50 but it's a 42"

[Dennis Glazener]

The Rice Southern Classic is stamped "A" profile but its not the same profile as most "A" profiles. I think the breech dimension is why its marked "A" profile. It comes in both 45 and 50 caliber. Check it out here http://www.ricebarrels.com/chart.html its the last drawing on the page.
Dennis

[jamesthomas]

You may want to check out Rice's Southern Classic. It's a nice light and slim .50 but it's a 42"

  I have a Rice Southern Classic Radius groove Barrel in .45  and it is very nice. I think if you check out the .50 caliber its getting mighty thin on the barrel walls for me, not much left there in radius or square groove. JMHO of course, I  don't like thin barrels walls, want them at LEAST .10 or more after sight and bottom lug dove tails. Kaintuck is going to make me a steel Sheetz rifle with it as soon as I can get it to Knob Mountain to put in a Lefty A. Figthorn  stock. Its the closes I could find in that profile.

[Dennis Glazener]

I  don't like thin barrels walls, want them at LEAST .10 or more after sight and bottom lug dove tails.

Even with a .50 caliber you should have .125" wall thickness in the thin mid-section. I usually solder tenons that fall within that area.

Dennis

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When I built my Mark Silvers "Chambers" Virginia rifle, that was designed for a 58 or .62 cal barrel, I asked Barbie if they had a .50 cal barrel to fit the stock.  She did, and it is my favourite offhand rifle @ 10 pounds even.  The barrel is 1 1/8" at the breech x 42 " long, and it holds really nicely.  I call it "Voluptuous Virginia"!

[Daryl]

I will attest to the way that rifle holds. Trouble is, he doesn't use enough powder in it - for me, and it is sighted to hit about 4" low at 50yards - for me again. HA!

[hanshi]

I have a wonderful .50 rifle from TVM that is the sweetest and best balanced rifle I ever owned.  It is what I consider a "featherweight".  It's not muzzleheavy or slow.  My measurements of the barrel indicate a 1" diameter at the muzzle and just a hair over that at the breech.  The barrel is a radius rifled .50 from Rice.  I don't have a way of knowing right off hand but I'm thinking it's an "A" weight?  It is much lighter feeling than my EV .50 straight barrel 7/8" x 42" was.  That EV was the best off hand rifle I've ever fired but at 9lbs was too heavy, IMHO, for a hunting rifle.  this EL is perfection (it's a fairly small rifle; what is often referred to as a "youth" rifle with its 12.5" lop. .

[Virginiarifleman]

 an A Weight in a Rice 50 Caliber ?

[bob in the woods]

Those dimensions seem to me to be a "B" weight

[Dennis Glazener]

Those dimensions seem to me to be a "B" weight

A "B" profile has a 1.00" breech and the Southern Classic has a .937 breech which is the same as a "A" profile barrel. The rest is close to the B. I guess they mark them "A" to indicate a difference in the standard "B". It really makes for a nice handling rifle. (as does the Getz "light" which is about the same profile and calibers).
Dennis

[Vomitus]

 I have a sweet little .50 in a "B" weight, 44"bbl.X 66" twist. Maybe weighs an ounce over seven pounds. A little light for some but handles well for me and my buggered shoulders and wrists. 80grns of 2f makes her happy.

[hanshi]

Well, I guess my .50 barrel is a "B" weight, then.  I just figured it must be an "A" weight but those dimensions, as many of you mentioned, must really make it a "B" weight barrel.  It's 38" and I'm not sure which one of the Rice barrels it is.  Could be a "transition" barrel as they are apparently 38".  Does this sound probable? 

[bob in the woods]

I have built more rifles around a "B" weight swamped 38 in  .50 cal barrel than any other.  Most of the ones I've built are used for general shooting and deer hunting. I prefer my 42 in barrel, but let folks handle the 42 in 50 , a 44 in .50 and my 42 in and they usually end up ordering the 38 in B in 50  cal
They surely do make a nice rifle.

[hanshi]

Easy to understand, Bob.  "Delightful" is the only word I can think that fully describes my little .50.