Reading rifle barrel order

[Dan Fruth]

I'm trying to get enough fellas interested in comitting to an order of reading rifle barrels from Jason at Rice barrel co. The Reading profile he once made was a great profile taken from an original Reading rifle owned by Earl Lanning. Jason also scaled that profile down to a smaller breech dimention, and the 1-1/16" breech barrel was a dandy! The taper on that barrel was the same degree of taper I measured on another early (1760ish) barrel on the gun affectionately dubbed "woodsrunner". It is an early Virginia rifle that was owned by Wallace Gussler. That gun was built in one of Wallace's classes. Needless to say, the early rifles had a more severe rate of taper than the later "golden age" barrels, and the finished product reflects the difference...a much nicer wrist and "flare" with the more pronounced swamp.. So I'm asking if there is enough interest to put together an order...Jason says he will run the profile if I can get 20 barrels ordered. I've got a comittment from Mark Wheland and that makes 3 or 4 barrels. Please jump in and thanks.    Dan Fruth

[David Rase]

What are the rest of the dimensions?  Available calibers, length?
Dave

[Eric Laird]

Dave,
They still list it on their specifications page. Here's the link. If you scroll down you'll see all the dimensions and calibers available. It's 40 15/16 inches long and available in four "weights".

http://www.ricebarrels.com/chart.html

Eric

[Dan Fruth]

The Rice barrel site lists the reading profiles, breech, length( 40 15/16 ) and calibers available. The nice thing about this barrel is the rate of taper. It is similar to the early transitional, but a smaller muzzle. I have measured several original early barrels, and they all seem to be within this rate of taper. Not all have the muzzle dimentions, some smaller, but the Reading muzzle allows for a lower front sight because of the muzzle size. The transitional barrel in 1 1/16 breech has a muzzle that is almost .05/side larger than the 1 1/16 breech reading....WOW...thats huge!! The straight section is only .02/side larger...not a big deal there, but the smaller muzzle along with the taper of the breech is what makes this barrel so great.

[rallen]

RCA 21 is my favorite rifle.  I have one of Dave Dodds last works made from the Rice .58".  It is a beautiful handling gun for such a large, heavy barrel.  I have been thinking of calling Rice for a .58" and a .36".  Maybe I could presuaded for 3rd.  You are right, that it has the period correct slight swamp that most profiles exagerate today.
Ryan

[JDK]

You are right, that it has the period correct slight swamp that most profiles exagerate today.

If reading the OP correctly and the specs on the Rice website, this barrel has a more exagerated swamp than most of the other barrels....closer to the transition series.   J.D.

[Dan Fruth]

The taper is greater than the later barrels, or the golden era barrels. If you look at smoothbores they always had big breeched barrels that slimmed way down, and the early swamped barrels are the same....Large breech size that tapers way down, then a more gradual rate of taper. I just got off the phone with Fred Miller, and he says the same thing....The older barrels were tapered this way. That is why they look and handle so well....It is like getting a B and C weight barrel in one...or a C and D weight....large breech...rapid taper forward, then a milder flare, with enough to put the rear and fore sights in relationshiop with each other regarding height above the barrel plane.

[m. reaver]

I try to talk them in to doing a run of Reading barrels every year at Dixon's.  Count me in for a barrel.