Barrel Id?

[Stone River]

Hello all,
     Anyone know who made/makes a barrel marked Alleghany XX?  I inherited a nice .50cal. longrifle, the barrel is 43" long and the only marks on it is a stamp that says Alleghany XX.  Just looking for who made it, the barrel and if anyone else has one what patch/ball combo might work best.  The gun was a custom build as far as I know.

Thanks again!

Stone River

[Daryl]

May or may not be a Douglas barrel.  They are the only barrels I've ever seen marked with a XX, which for Douglas was supposed to mean the drill went straight down the octagonal blank. Douglas drilled octagonal stock and did not cut flats after drilling and rifling.
Douglas barrels are said to like oversized balls and about a .015" patch, ie: a .50 would shoot a .500" to .504" ball with a .015" patch.  I have no actual experience with Douglas ML barrels - the above is here-say evidence.

[patchbox]

  The Douglas barrel I purchased in the mid 70s was also marked with a double x and was referred to as premium..........Chuck P.

[Stone River]

Thanks guys.  Sounds like a Douglas.  Now that I have a idea I'll see what I can find out about them.  I've read alot on here and as I believe that Douglas no longer makes barrels?  I remember when the guy who built the gun gave it to my father, which would have been around the late 80's.  He wasn't much of a builder, so maybe he bought the barrel way before that and decided to do something with it.  I should have said no swamp to it.  As an aside, only two pins hold the barrel to the stock, on by the nose cap and one about 9" up from the breech.  As you can imagine on a barrel that long, the middle of it is loose in the stock.  When squeezed even with little pressure the middle of the barrel moves a good 1/4 to almost a 1/2".  I know that the barrel supports the stock, not the other way around, but I don't dare shoot it for fear of cracking the stock or something, any thoughts?  I guess putting another lug and a pin might be an option, but little or no wood on the forestock sneak one in.  I guess my question is, shoot or no shoot.  The patchbox is all engraved with my late fathers name etc, so should I just hang it or hunt with it?  Pa wasn't much for wall hanging, but.....

Thanks
Stone River

[rsells]

I would put it to good use in the field.  Using the rifle will give it character.  I have used a bunch of Douglas barrels in my life and have never had one that would not shoot good.  I have always used a .495 ball with pillow ticking in the 50's with good success.  I purchase my ticking from a fabric supply store and wash it using detergent and fabric softner before using it.  I use salava to saturate the patch when shooting targets, but switch to melted Crisco to hunt with.  Long story, but I didn't saturate the patch with a different lubricant during hunting season the first year I deer hunted, and set the woods on fire when I shot my first buck.  Bummer!!!  Had to play fireman before I got a chance to look at the buck.  Lesson learned the hard way some 40 years ago.
                                                Good luck with your dad's rifle,
                                                Roger Sells

[Clowdis]

If I remember correctly Allegheny would buy barrels from Douglas and then recut the outside (swamp) and resell. At the time I think they were competing with Paris? Anybody remember who Paris became?

[Daryl]

Ummmmmm - Getz!

[Clowdis]

A Gold Star!!!

[Acer Saccharum]

Is this a test? 

[Don Getz]

You're right on the first one, but, who bought them the second time?...........Don

[C Wallingford]

Colerain!!

[Eric Fleisher]

I agree with Charlie, Colerain.

[westbj2]

S.R.
Mark Matteson owned and operated Allegheny Rifle Barrel Co in the late 70's, as noted above his barrels profiled to swamped using Douglas blanks.
Jim Westberg