Flea Market Barrrel

[David R. Pennington]

Made a quick trip by the local tailgate roadside flea market this morning. Found a barrel that was inlet into a stock blank with the but section broken off at the lock area. Has breechplug installed not drilled for vent. Looks like probably .45 with 8 groove rifling. Straight barrel. Have not had time yet to pull plug and check it out. Bore has rust in the muzzle where it has been stored unprotected but looks good. Can't wait to pull plug and check it out. The fellow who sold it said he thought it came from Douglas. My question (somewhat premature) is if the rest of the bore is clean should I cut off the muzzle a couple inches? The rough stock blank is darkened from being stored for years. Barrel is well browned!

[rsells]

If it is a Douglas, it should have their name on one of the flats on the breech end of the barrel.  A full length Douglas will measure 44 inches for their uncut barrel.  If it is an uncut Douglas, I would cut it back about 1 inch on the muzzle end.
                                                                                               Roger Sells

[David R. Pennington]

Just pulled the barrel out of what's left of the stock. No Douglas marking but a name I can't quite make out and a date 1973, Buchannon, WV. Looks like inscribed with electric engraver, maybe by the builder, not necessarily the barrel maker.  Looks like .453 land to land. It is 48 inches long 13/16"straight. It was full of dead stink bugs at the breech when I pulled the plug. There are four lugs dovetailed at .053". Wall thickness measures about .183" to groove. That leaves about .130". Would this be safe?  Some light rust mostly at the breech where the bugs were, and at the muzzle, otherwise bore looks great. What do you think guys?
If this is a shootable barrel I'm thinking iron mounted southern mountain? I have not checked breech plug fit yet. Might need rebreeched.

[Dennis Glazener]

Would this be safe?

Naw! You should send it to me and I will make sure you never have it blow-up on you Kidding aside it sounds safe to me. Plenty of metal between the lugs and the bore (I want min of .100"). Since you don't know anything about the maker I would proof test it before I fired it from my shoulder but I suspect it will proof fine.
Dennis

[David R. Pennington]

Yes I plan to proof it. I am really curious about the maker but will probably never know. I will see if I can figure out what the twist is. I keep putting off the smooth .62 oct./round project I've had in the attic for a while now. This might prolong it even more. I keep thinking it's time to hand make a lock maybe.

[rsells]

I don't know anything about the maker, but I think the barrel will make a fine mountain rifle. 
                                                                                                  Roger Sells

[Ghillie]

Jim McCartney made barrels and lived at Buchannon, WV in the 70's & 80's.  I understand he bought drilled and reamed barrels from a major manufacturer and rifled them.  I have on on a .40 caliber flintlock and it shoots very well.  You have a good barrel and should have nothing to worry about.

[David R. Pennington]

I've met Jim McCartney. Very nice fellow. He's into model A Fords now. I don't think he makes barrels anymore. I hadn't thought of him. Good possibility. My best calculation on rate of twist (by pushing jag through) is about 1 in 56".

[Hungry Horse]

I have one of his pistol barrels. Its a dandy. Really nice work. clean up the rifling in the rusty section, before you decide to cut it off. You might be pleasantly surprised.

                     Hungry Horse

[mountainman70]

If any of you guys find a barrel marked like this,or with mcCartney on it,and it is about 13/16 to 7/8,I would be interested.I have a long,slim walnut blank in desperate need of a mcCartney barrel.Dave

[Old Bob]

I've met Jim McCartney. Very nice fellow. He's into model A Fords now. I don't think he makes barrels anymore. I hadn't thought of him. Good possibility. My best calculation on rate of twist (by pushing jag through) is about 1 in 56".

It could be one of Jim's. Have Bob W. have a look at it. He's had sveral of Jim's barrels over the years and can probably give a positive ID. Did you get it out at the Y? I guess I should have gone out there, huh?

[David R. Pennington]

 Yes Bob, at the Y Mall. I havn't stopped over there for a while. I picked up a few files and file handles, and a 3/4" blacksmith's hot punch. I've been cleaning on the bore some.  The lands polished up pretty good but looks a little rough in the grooves yet. What's the best way to clean it up?

[Old Ford2]

Spray some oven cleaner in the barrel, it is good rust remover.
Fred

[Hawken62_flint]

All the J T McCartney (aka Jim McCartney) barrels that I have ever seen were stamped J T McCartney.  Sometimes they were stamped with the caliber and the rate of twist, but none of them I ever saw were done with an electric engraver.  However, maybe very early on, before he got a set of stamps, he could have used an engraver.  I own two of Jim's barrels, one in .32 caliber with ratchet rifling and one in .45 with standard rifling.  They are both excellent shooting barrels and both are stamped J. T. McCartney.  The .32 is stamped .32 cal 1" in 48" right after the name.  But if you are lucky to have one of Jim''s barrels, it is almost certain to be a good shooter.  Wish I could find several more.

[Ghillie]

My .40 caliber McCartney barrel does not have his name on it and I know he made it.  I bought it directly from him at a Mountain State Muzzleloading match years ago.  So it could be his.  He is the only one I know of who made barrels in the Buchannon area of the state.

[Dennis Glazener]

I've been cleaning on the bore some.  The lands polished up pretty good but looks a little rough in the grooves yet. What's the best way to clean it up?

I would buy a small qty of J-B Bore compound. http://www.amazon.com/J-B-Non-Embedding-Bore-Cleaning-Compound/dp/B0018L9UOW

Works great on barrels that are a little rough, won't take out pits but should take care of most anything else.
Dennis

[Hungry Horse]

 My pistol barrel is electro-engraved simply McCartney, with no initials or caliber. i have seen rifle barrels that were stamped though.

                    Hungry Horse

[David R. Pennington]

The rearmost lug was dovetailed in over top of the first part of the name, but it looks like "(something) Henry maker 1973 Buchannon, WV". I don't see any other marking on barrel. I think this might be the builder's name and not the barrel maker. I pulled one of my stock blanks down out of the shop rafters this evening and it has enough length for a four foot barrel. I told myself I wasn't going to start another rifle project till I get some other projects done, horns, bags, boxes etc..,. but I think I've got the bug again.

[P.W.Berkuta]

Yes Bob, at the Y Mall. I havn't stopped over there for a while. I picked up a few files and file handles, and a 3/4" blacksmith's hot punch. I've been cleaning on the bore some.  The lands polished up pretty good but looks a little rough in the grooves yet. What's the best way to clean it up?

You might have a problem cleaning up the grooves depending on what you have called "a little rough" -- I would try making a lead lap (3" long) up on the end of a wood rod and using lapping compound (try 400 grit - only a guess) make about 20 passes start from the breach end (don't let the lap exit the bore on either end) then remove lap and clean the bore good and check her out. You very well will still have pits in the barrel but they will be smooth pits  .

[mountainman70]

I aint gonna rain on Dave's parade,so I will let him tell y'all what he found out at the shoot today about this ol barrel.It already has a very interesting history,and has yet to fire a shot,best we can tell.hey Dennis,yep,he can send it my way too.Too bad about the stock,fairly nice piece o th curly.Dave F

[David R. Pennington]

As Mountainman says I think we may have identified the flea market barrel. One of the fellows in the club recognized the name. (We also found it electro engraved under the breech plug tang.) The name appears to be Boyd M. Henry. Our friend says as he remembers, Boyd Henry developed the rifling machine that Mr. McCartney used. He said the transmission that operated the machine was an ingenious design that utilized a twisted v belt that could be instantly reversed with out changing motor direction or with any sort of gearing. He also says that this Mr. Henry was a descendant of the famous Henry family of gunsmiths contemporary with the Hawkins.

[mountainman70]

Before Dave R left the shoot,he had a couple offers to open the billfold,and dig deep!I wouldnt sell it either,but I got a real good feelin dave is already planning an iron mtd longrifle.Dennis,I tried to get him to send it your way,to no avail.lol.Best regards,Dave F

[Old Bob]

It sure had some purty rifling in it! I'm heading out to the mall early in the morning to see if lightning won't strike twice.

[David R. Pennington]

Well Bob, did you find anything?

[Old Bob]

As a matter of fact I did. An almost new in box (no box) ArmiSport 3 band Enfield. The guy wanted $450 for it at first but later said he'd let it go for $400. I was really tempted as that's like half price, but I need to watch my money what little there is of it. I called my wife and told her and she said,'We have the money in savings but you'll need to pay it back. I suppose if you get those locks made that Bob and that other feller wants, that would be a start'. Yeah, about half of it, I says. I need a barrel worse than another musket and this one needs defarbed and sling swivels. It does have a nice stock and the rifling looked good at the muzzle. I pretty much talked myself out of buying it while I was on the phone. I think she was surprised I didn't get it. I do need to get that German lock made for Bob and finish that mule ear and that would get me closer to another barrel. Then maybe I'll talk to Bobby Hoyt up at the PA chunk gun shoot about another one. Did you find anything in your travels today?