Author Topic: Tapered barrel use  (Read 3680 times)

Offline Ezra

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1579
Tapered barrel use
« on: July 28, 2010, 09:35:20 PM »
I have a .25 caliber, 48", tapered rifle barrel coming from Bobby Hoyt.  I intend to use it on either a Tennessee or N.C. style squirrel gun.  Went to a taper because of weight issues with a swamp.  Anyone ever done this on this style of rifle?


Ez
"Rules are for the obedience of fools and guidance of wise men"

Offline KentSmith

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1005
    • Augusta Gunworks
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2010, 09:55:41 PM »
Fred Harrison made me a 7/8 to 13/16 tapered TN rifle once.  Nice gun.

Offline Dr. Tim-Boone

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 6538
  • I Like this hat!!
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2010, 11:01:48 PM »
So will the tappered octagon be lighter than the swamped octagon??  I have never used a tapered barrel.
De Oppresso Liber
Marietta, GA

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others. – William Allen White

Learning is not compulsory...........neither is survival! - W. Edwards Deming

Offline rich pierce

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 19540
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2010, 11:11:18 PM »
Depends on the taper.  if you take a swamped barrel and cut off the swamped bit, you have a lighter tapered barrel, for sure!   ;D

Joking aside, most swamped barrels taper faster than most tapered barrels available, so might be lighter despite the flare.  I have a .45 caliber tapered barrel, 42" long, 15/16" at the breech down to 13/16" at the muzzle.  Of course it weighs the same as a 7/8", .45 caliber barrel, but the balance is closer to the breech.  It's no lightweight gun, probably 9 pounds in this case.

If there's too much taper with no flare the front sight has to be high and looks goofy to me.
Andover, Vermont

northmn

  • Guest
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #4 on: July 29, 2010, 02:03:47 AM »
I ahve a 54 tapered from 1" at the breech to 7/8 at the muzzle.  It is a very pleasurable gun to shoot and balances better than a 15/16 straight would.  Only problem I have with the gun is that it is jinxed when I take it deer hunting broke a firzzen spring one year and had a couple of misses with it because the builder built it when he could see those fine target sights.  It now has sights that can be seen, but then no deer show when I carry it.  Like I said jinxed.

DP

Offline Don Getz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6853
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2010, 03:12:10 AM »
A straight taper barrel will have, at least, less muzzle weight.   I would consider using a straight taper barrel when building a copy of a gun that had a straight barrel, such as one built in the mid 1800's.    It would kind of give you the
same look as a straight barrel, but would balance much better.  One disadvantage, it will require a higher front sight......
Don

Offline rsells

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 681
Re: Tapered barrel use
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2010, 05:51:57 AM »
I have used a couple straight taper barrels on Tennessee rifles in the past.  They made a good rifle.  I have another one in the works now.  It is a copy of an original with a straight taper 48 inch barrel.  As a whole, the balance point of the rifle using a straight taper seems to be about an inch and a half forward of what I have using a 44 inch swamped barrel.  I guess it could be less if the taper were more.

                                                              Roger Sells