Rice barrel question

[Eric Krewson]

I picked up what I think is a Track Issac Haynes kit at a bargain, it is a .50. I already have two .50s and don't need another so I am thinking about selling or trading the barrel that came with this kit and replacing it with a .54 which I do need.  Track cut all the dovetails for the underlugs and installed the sights.

The barrel inlet is very tight in the precarve and barrel wouldn't drop out without a lot of persuasion. It looks like my barrel is  close to the profile Rice gives on the Rice web page except in the thinnest part of the swamp where it is about .010 over sized.

Do you guys  think a barrel .010 undersized if I buy a new one will make a sloppy fit in the precarve barrel channel.

Here are the profile measurements, Rice first and mine;

From the muzzle; .957 .961   .772 .783   .772 .782   .862 .868  1.062 1.067

Another thing; when I bought the kit the guy  who had it said the barrel had square bottom rifling.

Sure looks round bottom to me, what say you?

[Stoner creek]

I had a barrel that was around 0.010 under sized and bedded it with JB wood weld. After bedding I draw filed a tiny little on the side flats. That stuff stains so it came out undetectable. I’m sure my dyed in the wool traditionalists gun maker buds are wanting to slap me right now but there’s my option.

[flinchrocket]

I wouldn't count on a different barrel being the exact measurements. I got a 38 in.54 and it measured
.745 in the waist. I would call Rice and tell them what I was wanting to do, then he could take some measurements on what he has in stock.

[Mauser06]

If you draw file the one you have, I bet you get close with Rice's measurements. 


I just did a barrel that was tight like you described.  Once draw filed, it goes in without any persuasion.   


I believe Rice barrels come finished to andecent sanding and shouldn't need draw filed...?


But like was said, how exact are barrel specs from barrel to barrel?  i don't know...maybe the tolerances are pretty dang exact?

[smylee grouch]

My eye's don't work as good as they used to but I would say square. A radius groove cut would look more like half a pipe or U-trough. Yours has straight 90 degree cut down from the top of the lands to the bottom of the cut.

[tlallijr]

It may be worth looking into getting the barrel bored out to 54.

[smallpatch]

Eric,
I gotta agree.... send it to Bobby Hoyt, and have it bored to a .54.  Costs a lot less, and you know it'll fit.

[Marcruger]

Send your barrel to Jason. He can reproduce pretty close the exact exterior dimensions, but in the new caliber. Of course, it has to be a reasonable profile for the desired bore. Call Jason at Rice and ask. It has been done before.
That is square bottom in the photo. I found the square bottom Rice to be much more forgiving and easy to work up a load versus round bottom. Your mileage may vary.
I hope this helps. God Bless, Marc

[Gary W.E.]

I purchased a Rice barrel last year and can't say enough good about it! I would strongly suggest you contact Rice to see what they say about the fit, add that to all said on this forum, and make your mind up from all opinions.

[rich pierce]

I’d look at cost and time.  What will you pay for a Rice barrel with shipping and how long will it take?  What will you get for a Track swamped barrel with dovetails?  What will Bobby Hoyt charge plus 2 way shipping and how long will it take?

We all have preferences but you’d have a Bobby Hoyt barrel and they are great too if you go that way.

Or build it up and sell it here or on track.  You’re good enough to do that,

[Mike Brooks]

Eric,
I gotta agree.... send it to Bobby Hoyt, and have it bored to a .54.  Costs a lot less, and you know it'll fit.

There's the solution. Cheaper than a new barrel and no work refitting.

[flinter49]

 I called Jason Rice with the same problem. I gave him measurements from the barrel I wanted to replace and he made me a new one. I just sold the other barrel. If memory serves I was out around $40.00 and had what I wanted.

[Eric Krewson]

I got a tip from a member here that after the twist marking on the barrel there would be an R or S to denote rifling type, mine has an R just like I thought.

I thought of Bobby Hoyt last night, he did a barrel for me last year and it came back an absolute tack driver. Probably a better option, the barrel will fit the stock and I will already have my dovetails cut.

One thing I didn't mention; who ever bought this kit went with a nice stock wood upgrade, I am planning to make this gun my primary deer rifle. Using Tracks online order form, the parts come to $1100, track installed the butt plate, sights and cut the dovetails, I don't know what they would have charged for this work, and then there is the stock wood upgrade.

I paid $650 for the kit shipped, bought it off an archery site classified. As soon as I saw it I knew what it was, the guy who initially bought it realized he didn't have the skills to put it together and traded it to another guy for three vintage bows. Owner #2 said he build flintlocks and had more barrels, stocks and parts than he could use in a lifetime and wanted to turn the kit over for some cash, I obliged. I asked him what kind of barrel it had and he said Rice, my ears perked up, lock, he said Chambers, turned out to be a Deluxe, sometimes we get lucky.

[Daryl]

Well done, Eric.

[hanshi]

Back to the rifling issue, that's square cut rifling.  I have two radius groove barrels and they look nothing like that.  Not a good photo but see how scooped the grooves look; a Rice barrel.

[smylee grouch]

The few Rice barrels that I have looked at had a R stamped on them as ,what I thought at the time, a Trade Mark or logo of sorts.

[Eric Krewson]

Nope, different, big sweeping "R" for Rice, 66 for twist and a small R for radius grooved rifling. The guy who gave me the tip called Jason to ask him. I have a Rice barrel in .54, round bottom, looks the same as the picture I posted.