need some helpful suggestions

[Michigan Flinter]

 I need some suggestions, on my next build. I have a nice chunk of maple that is only long enough for a 42 inch barrel and i have a 44 inch douglas barrel i want to use for a mountain rifle i want to make. would you cut the barrel back to 42 inches,or add 2 inch section of wood to the forstock? if adding a 2 inch piece to the forstock how should i go about doing this ?I appreciate all the help that you give me .This rifle is for my grandson so i want it to come out looking as good as i can make it.

[ken]

First how old is your grandson and how big is he?  Is the barrel straight  or swamped? And how tall will this young man be?  A little hard to add wood but it can be done.

[gunmaker]

Add a piece of wood & make a nose cap 1/2" or so longer than the splice to hide it.  Done that a few times. ....Tom

[Don Stith]

Douglas used to recommend cutting those barrels to get rid of the bore runout at the muzzle. They bored octagon blanks rather than current practice of planing a round blank to octagon.

[westbj2]

When Douglas was making M/L barrels they recommended that the barrel be shortened 2" at the muzzle.  This was to remove the end of the barrel which related to their rifling procedure.
The length will be just right for your wood.
Also, barrel should be breeched so that the G.R. Douglas marking is on the bottom flat.
Jim

[Acer Saccharum]

Before cutting, you should run a tight patched ball down the barrel. This will run easier in loose spots, and push harder in tight spots. If, as you push brom breech to muzzle, it gets tight, and the last few inches loosen up, Definitely cut that section off. If the ball keeps getting tighter right to the end, keep the whole barrel, and extend your wood.

[Michigan Flinter]

thanks for all the info .i have pushed a tight patch through from breach to muzzle and find no loose or tight spots.this rifle will be for my grandson when he is full grown he will have a smaller one to start out with.his dad is sixfootfiveinch and my grandson is four and he is bigger than his dad when he was four. i will recheck the bore to make sure that it is the same diameter full length.

[t.caster]

Hey Eric, where you been lately?
Look closely at the rifling at the muzzle. I have had to cut off a couple Douglass bbrls. because the rifling was indexed incorrectly and grooves overlapped on the lands on the first 1 1/2".
If it looks good, you can splice on some wood and make a 2" long nosecap. Done that.
Have fun at rondy this weekend....I am going to stay home & work on Sticky's new rifle, and give someone else a chance to win!!!

[Gene Carrell]

I had the same problem using a 44" Douglas bbl. in a precarve mountain rifle. Barrel was good full length, so I added a piece of maple and grooved it for poured chevron nose cap. Cannot see or notice it is added. I dowelled the added piece using small bamboo dowels and epoxy.

[TimLau]

thanks for all the info .i have pushed a tight patch through from breach to muzzle and find no loose or tight spots.this rifle will be for my grandson when he is full grown he will have a smaller one to start out with.his dad is sixfootfiveinch and my grandson is four and he is bigger than his dad when he was four. i will recheck the bore to make sure that it is the same diameter full length.

I grew an inch!  Dad...I'm 'only' 6'4". =)

However you solve the problem, I'm sure it will be perfect.

[t.caster]

Tim L, Your dad can't help it, that's just the way dads are! Our pride in you youngsters swells and since we can no longer see the top of your head....it's just hard to measure you
Good to see you here! Welcome to the sight!

Tom C