Normal swamped barrel characteristics ?

[mbokie5]

Folks, this is the stamp on my barrel, which I believe to be a quality barrel:



is the daylight in between the ruler and the barrel, normal?









I've draw filed it a bit and bent the tang. I haven't done much to the barrel.

[smshea]

If its a swamped (Tapered and Flared) barrel there is going to be daylight between the the straight edge and the barrel. If not,you have a problem.....or a straight barrel......or a bent straight edge...... .

[Don Getz]

Yes, that's the way they are made.   I am still trying to decipher the stampings on the barrel.  I take it that it is an Ed
Rayl barrel, just don't understand the other markings...........Don

[Bennypapa]

The stamp shows that to be a .54 cal Rice barrel with a 1:66 twist and possibly round bottom grooves (radius bottomed).  The 1.080 and the "P" markings are a mystery to me but I suspect they indicate the "swamp" style (see below).

It looks in your photos as if the gap between barrel and straight edge also exists between the barrel and the bench. If you roll the barrel one flat at a time you should see the gap remain the same all the way around. Each flat should have the same gap. If not, as previously stated, you have a problem.

Rice makes just about any type of barrel you can imagine and many of them are "Swamped". Swamped barrels have a gradual variance to their flat-to-flat dimensions. At the breech they will be largest. About 1/3 from the muzzle they will be smallest and the muzzle will be between those two measurements. The exact placement and difference in flat to flat dimensions at those locations will vary with barrel style.

If you send that 1st photo to Rice in an email and ask them to explain the markings I bet you will get a prompt response. They were very nice when I purchased a barrel from them a couple years back. If your barrel is anything like the one I bought it is well made and I couldn't be happier with mine.

here is their contact page from their website
http://www.ricebarrels.com/contact.html

Ben

[Don Getz]

OK, am embarresed that I didn't recognize the "R", but it seems like a strange way to show the info about the barrel.
I think the first set of numbers designate the size at the breech..... 1.080  or one inch, 80 thousands.   Not sure about
the "P", might stand for Poor (Quality).    Now before you jump all over me, it's a JOKE.  You have to realize that I don't
really use their barrels in my guns............Don

[Mike Gahagan]

You are right Don,that is the breech width and the 1.66 is the rate of twist or 1 turn in 66".

[Dennis Glazener]

According to Rice's spec sheet the only 1.080 breech they sell is for the Chambers Lancaster kit. See this link http://www.ricebarrels.com/chart.html and look under the Lancaster Dickert Series.

is the daylight in between the ruler and the barrel, normal?

I will gladly trade you a straight barrel for that one Kidding aside I think if you compared a straight barrel with swamped barrels you can quickly understand why the swamped barrels are so popular.
Dennis

[mbokie5]

Thanks Dennis, but I'll hang onto that barrel. 

Greenhorns ask greenhorn questions.   

Thanks folks.

[Jerry V Lape]

If you go to the builder's own website, like Rice or Getz (I think he has one) you can find a chart showing you the dimensions of the swamped barrels available. 

[mbokie5]

OK, am embarresed that I didn't recognize the "R", but it seems like a strange way to show the info about the barrel.
I think the first set of numbers designate the size at the breech..... 1.080  or one inch, 80 thousands.   Not sure about
the "P", might stand for Poor (Quality).    Now before you jump all over me, it's a JOKE.  You have to realize that I don't
really use their barrels in my guns............Don

Thanks for responding, Don.

Not to worry, I can handle that joke. 

There's also B E stamped underneath the tang.

[Long John]

You got the specs from the other posts ahead of me.  Rice, 54 caliber, radius groove rifled at one turn in 66 inches.  That barrel is a honey!  It will yield a real fine rifle.  Once I handled a rifle with a swamped barrel I never wanted to go back to a gun with a straight octagon barrel again! 

If you are letting the barrel in by hand a swamped barrel is no more difficult to let in than a straight octagon barrel.  Figure about 3 to 4 hours per foot of barrel for a hand inletting job.  If you want some guidance on how to do it let me know, I have an MSWord file that is a set of instructions on hand in-letting a barrel that you might find helpful.  I can email it off to you.

A word of caution - on every barrel I have ever used, regardless of vendor, I have found it advisable to pull the breech plug and polish the breech-plug face.  Sometimes this changes the seating depth of the breechplug!  Do this FIRST, before letting in your barrel and putting on your lugs.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[mbokie5]

Long John, please email the word doc. All knowledge is valid.

Thanks!

[mbokie5]

Thank you kindly, Long John.

Well laid out doc with good illustrations.