Pistol barrel twist

[Steeltrap]

I'll have a 12" piece left over from cutting down a 45 cal rifle barrel. The barrel twist is 1-60 and I'm wondering if that is suitable for an accurate pistol barrel.

[Longknife]

To get the benefit of that slow twist you would have to use larger charges than normally used in a pistol, and recoil would be a problem. On the other hand, it would probably be more accurate with lighter charges than a smoothbore...LK

[Bob Roller]

If you can manage the recoil of a hot modern 44 you can manage anything a black powder pistol can generate.
Bob Roller

[smylee grouch]

I have those thoughts several  times in the past but now with barrel makers willing to rebore and rifle I would send it off to open it up and put a faster twist inn it. Or just cut the rifling out of it and make a smooth bore that could shoot the same ball.

[45-110]

I have built several from left over rifle barrels with similar twists. At the normal 25 yd pistol range they have surprised me how accurate they can be.
kw

[Steeltrap]

Thanks gents!  I own a few 44 mag so that’s no big deal.

I suppose I could build, see how it shoots, and if I’m not happy the go the reborn route.

[smylee grouch]

Good idea Steeltrap. 👍

[bnewberry]

Do you install the breech plug yourself or do you send it out? I have a barrel cut off I have wondered about doing the same with.

[Steeltrap]

I did my own this go-around. (All done and then found a barrel occlusion.....so all that nice work....down the tubes!!)

But it's not difficult. I drilled on my RYOBI desk top drill press using a 37/64 drill that had the shank reduced to .50". Then the regular tap, then a flat bottom tap.

The drill and two taps cost $41 including shipping. A nice new drill makes short work of the barrel metal.

TOTW, if I read there website right, charges $30 to "install breech plug"....but another $40 for "rethread barrel breech for plug". So, if I read that right they would charge $70 total. Then there's the shipping back and fourth on top of that. Of course, the plus is it's done and done right.

I was a machinist in a previous life, so it wasn't all that tough.

[Daryl]

I have a 60" twist flintlock pistol in a .54 and it requires 55gr. 3F to shoot well, and well it does shoot.
I also have a .45 barrel for the same pistol and a conversion to caplock, and that one has an 18" twist and shoots 25gr. 3F perfectly, with
round balls or 35gr. 3F with the 200gr. REAL bullets from a Lee mould. Smacks pretty good, as good or better than a mil-spec .45 Colt BP load.(35gr. and 250gr.
but with a cylinder gap)

[alacran]

If all you want is a pistol for occasional shooting, a rifle barrel cutoff would be fine. If you want one for competitive shooting you are wasting your time.
Yes, you can shoot them with fair accuracy with heavy loads. But you won't be able to do it for very long.
Serious pistol competition is one handed at twenty-five yards, and fifty yards, as well as limited time fire.

[Steeltrap]

I don't do competitive shooting. I target shoot and hunt. A .45 cal pistol here in PA would not be legal for hunting deer. The reg's are a minimum 50 cal for deer hunting.

I have a 50 cal that I built with a 12" barrel. It's very accurate. It does have the recoil using 50gr FF though.

So, even if a pistol won't shoot well with the existing 45 cal, a bore out to 50 cal would be just fine!

Edit: Your carry case is very nice!!