design thoughts

[tiswell]

     I do a bit of trekking and when i get together with my cohorts there is often a woodswalk type of shoot. They have been cleaning my clock as I shoot a smoothbore with just a front sight. I don't want to alter the smoothbore, but I am thinking about building a rifle, probably .50 caliber, preferably a budget type of build.

      I know that most of these guns utilize a swamped barrel but if I was to use a green mountain straight barrel, say 42", 7/8", .50cal, could a plain jane rifle be built that would  resemble an 18th century rifle and wouldn't look like a frankenrifle? and if so what school and maker would it emulate. 

     I apologize if this is a poorly formed question.

                                                                                                            Thanks, Tiswell

                                                                                                         

                                                                                                 

                                                                                             

[Mike Brooks]

I think a swamped barrel will only run you another $75 or so, no reason not to go with a swamped barrel these days for and "early" gun. Or, slap a rear sight on your existing gun and give those walnut heads a spankin'.

[WadePatton]

The ONLY drawback to the advantages of using a swamped bbl (WHERE one is appropriate) is the additional time letting it into the wood.

This can EASILY be avoided by paying another person to let in the bbl!

yeah.  it's that simple. 

[bob in the woods]

What style of smoothbore do you have ?   [ just interested  ]
If you want a .50 cal rifle, considering what you use it for, I'd strongly urge you to go with a B weight swamped barrel in either 42 or 38 in length

[tiswell]

Bob in the woods,
       I shoot an Early Virginia style fowler, made by a local guy, Dave Crispin, who has since become a very good friend and trekking buddy. He made it with interchangeable barrels, 20 gauge colerain turkey choke and 20 gauge straight for round balls or shot. I love it. I used to be all about deer hunting and still enjoy that, but let me go squirrel hunting with this thing and I am in heaven!

                                                                                     Blessings, Bill

[smart dog]

Hi Tiswell,
Years ago I made a rifle with the exact same barrel by Green Mountain.  It was horribly muzzle heavy and unbalanced, although the target shooter for whom I made it wanted the weight.  He had a rather large waist and his elbow rested nicely on his natural shelf and the weight was all good for him.  To carry that gun while hunting or during a woods walk would not be so nice.  The other problem with a skinny straight barrel is that it is hard to shape the wrist and lock area like early long rifles, which usually had barrels with much larger breeches.  The wrist will end up much more of a vertical oval (like a modern side by side shotgun) than round.  Unless you or your builder are good, the guns often end up looking very slab sided.  I am facing your exact same issue except the barrel is 40 cal, even heavier.  My solution is going to involve swamping the barrel heavily for the first 10 inches from the breech, then a long slow taper to the waist and slight flare at the muzzle.  Folks may cringe at doing that but the Rev War unit for whom I am building the gun has strong sentimental attachment to this particular barrel as it comes from a founding member.  I really don't mind repetitive, mind numbing tasks on occasion.  It is therapy, kind of like "meditation". 
   

[tiswell]

   Thanks for the input, swamped barrel it is! Any thoughts on early guns that were on the plain side?

                                                                           Thanks, Bill

[Mike Brooks]

Plain guns were probably the norm, but they got all used up and few exist today. Just copy any "fancy" gun of the correct period and eliminate the patch box and carving and you have a correct gun.