.50 cal moody

[hortonstn]

Any info on bill moody 50 cal barrels
Anyone know what the 055 means on the end of barrel

[alacran]

I have a .54 Bill Moody pistol barrel. It is 1 in 18 if I remember correctly. Tiny lands and wide grooves. Shoots very well. I also built a pistol with a moody .45, also a great shooter. Never have had a .50 or a rifle barrel by Moody. Very pleased with the pistol barrels.

[rich pierce]

Sought after barrels back in the day.

[Daryl]

From what I can see of the grooves, they do not look to be .025" deep, however the 550 stamp suggests the groove diameter.
since there is no . ahead of 550, but there is a . in front on .500, suggests he forgot to stamp it or it means something else = anybody's guess.

[hortonstn]

Daryl
Groove dia is .55 just measured the .500 is bore dia 50 cal
Lands are .165 wide total of 7 grooves
Grooves are very shallow lands wide
Any idea on load size i think I’ll try .500 ball .20 ticking no clue to powder chg any ideas

[Daryl]

Difficult to measure groove depth with narrow grooves and wide lands.
The grooves sound deep though,  with a .500" bore and .055" groove depth.
The difference is .025".
.500" ball might be difficult with wide lands. I'd suggest a .490" ball and 12 to 14 ounce denim.
My go-to starting load for a .50, is usually 75gr. to 80gr. 2F.

[Badenpowell]

Mr. Moody favored using 12L14 for his barrels, didn't he?
Twenty or more years ago I corresponded with a gentleman named Robert Wyant, of Huntington, WV, about the Billinghurst-pattern target rifles he built using Moody barrels with false muzzles. I never did put together a Billinghurst, but Mr. Wyant sent me a tracing of his stock pattern that I still have.

[Ted Kramer]

That barrel will  load and shoot very well. I had Bill make several .50 & .54 barrels back in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. Went to his shop in Seymour MO to pick a couple of them up while on a trip down that way. Very interesting gentleman and he had a great shop with lots of the machinery made by him. His barrels are scarce now, enjoy shooting it.
Ted K

[Bob Roller]

Mr. Moody favored using 12L14 for his barrels, didn't he?
Twenty or more years ago I corresponded with a gentleman named Robert Wyant, of Huntington, WV, about the Billinghurst-pattern target rifles he built using Moody barrels with false muzzles. I never did put together a Billinghurst, but Mr. Wyant sent me a tracing of his stock pattern that I still have.

Bob Wyant was a friend and he passed away several years ago from a heart attack.I saw that barrel and I don't remember if he gor a gun made with it or not.I think I also have the butt stock profile.Bob made some nice long rifles too but I don't know if his widow,Susan kept them or sold them.He earned his living as a school teacher but I forget the subject,
Bob Roller

[Badenpowell]

Bob, thank you for passing on the information about Bob Wyant. I am sorry to hear he is no longer with us. I will start a separate thread about him and his rifle so as not to step on Mr. Hortonstn's thread.