Pistol Barrel - Rifle or Smooth

[Kevin Houlihan]

Although not exactly a gun building question...I have all of the parts to build a flint pistol except for the barrel.  At the normal ranges that we shoot these of 15 - 25 yds, is there any difference in accuracy between a rifled barrel and a smooth barrel?  Any recommendations on barrel maker?  It's going to be a .54 cal.  Also, what would a minimum (safe) barrel diameter be?
Thanks,
Kevin

[Daryl]

BIG difference. A properly rifled pistol will hold less than a 1" group off a rest at 25 yards - more accurate than ANY modern 'sporting' pistol.  If built with a section of rifled barrel, it can be just as accurate, but will require a LOT of powder & a tighter combination to do it.

A smooth bore pistol is no where near as accurate, in fact, you'd be hard pressed, I'd expect, to shoot a 4" group at the same range, whereas a reasonably long barreled gun with smooth bore can actually shoot a 1" to 1 1/2" group a 25 yards.

Smoothbored pistols are usually without a rear sight, but not always. A rear sight would certainly help, accuracy wise.

Green Mountain makes finely accurate pistol barrels. Track sells them.

[Kevin Houlihan]

Daryl,
That's kind of what I figured.  I just wanted to hear it from someone else...
Thanks,
Kevin

[James Wilson Everett]

Guys,

I like smoothbores, my fovorite is 5/8 inch bore firing a full 20 gauge load with 9 buckshot.  Also, you absolutely MUST yell YAHOO!! after each shot.

Jim Everett

[Rolf]

I've buildt 3 pistols using Green mountain barrels. The barrels shoot fine, but are heavy.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=9799.msg92444#msg92444
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=14643.0

If I was to choose again, I'd buy a 12"long, swamped barrel by Ed Rayl in caliber 0.54 . It is a lot lighter and makes a nicer looking pistol.
Stonewall creek has them for sale. http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/barrels-2/rayl-pistol-barrels/

Best regards
Rolf

[Bill of the 45th]

Troy Roope at Stonewall Creek outfitters, has Rayle pistol barrels in stock.  Also MBS has some profiled pistol barrels.

Bill

[Daryl]

The Add from Stonewall Creek says the Rayle swamped barrels are .50 cal. only but maybe I missed something, somewhere.

[Rolf]

The Add from Stonewall Creek says the Rayle swamped barrels are .50 cal. only but maybe I missed something, somewhere.

Look again. I copied this from his site.:  New! Now available 12 inch, swamped .50 or .54 caliber pistol barrel for $115.00. Includes installed breech plug.

Best regards
Rolf

[Dphariss]

I don't know how much powder a 54 GM pistol barrel will shoot with the 22" twist.
But a piece of rifle twist barrel at 8-9" in 54-58 will make 44 mag ballistics.
They will shoot very well too.
I was talking to a friend about the subject yesterday. He has  58 built with a piece of GM rifle  barrel. He stated that he would have no qualms at all shooting an elk at 50 yards with it.

Dan

[Dphariss]

For a shoot at the range and look good at an "event" light barrels are OK. But if you shoot 60 grains of powder in a 54 a "heavy" straight barrel is preferable.
The stock design must be more careful and the trigger guard must be shaped right.

This "dueler" type will whack the finger pretty hard with anything over about 40-45 gr in 54. Pistol is also 1" at the breech tapered to 7/8" so its light.


This TG will not hurt and with a straight 1" barrel the extra weight helps with heavy loads.


The captured steel rod is also much superior for a working pistol IF the links are made of 3/32 steel.
Dan

[Ezra]

Yeah, well rifled pistols may be more accurate.  But I shoot buckshot in my smoothie, so my odds are better!  I do get strange looks when target shooting though.  They seem to frown on buckshot for some reason...


Ez

[Daryl]

My 66" twist .53 9" pistol barrel, when using buck and ball, ie: .526" ball and 3, .35" buckshot (Hornady's undersized 000) I get a pattern with the RB dead centre and the 3 buck equally spaced 4" from centre, radially around the ball hole which is centred - at 12 yards. It would be a deadly load. I used 55gr. 3f for the charge - it had 'some' recoil, but perhaps a bit less than my 4", M29. Weight of ejecta is about 405gr. The velocity would be quite close to 900fps, I'd expect, but I didn't chronograph the load.