"Swamping" a straight barrel

[Mountain Rifle]

Sorry I took so long to get back., but a few things required my attention.  I`m glad I asked the question as I am learning a lot from the replies of knowledgeable members.  I need to be clear about the swamp.  I am thinking of only a very slight swamp, something you might need a micrometer to detect.  Many such barrels were made.  My two reasons for doing it are easier inletting because of the small variation in thickness, and just the satisfaction of having done it. I have never inletted a barrel before, and inletting for a swamped barrel is the part of building that looks to be the most difficult.

It now appears as if buying a swamped barrel makes more sense with the relatively small difference in price.  I want to carve the stock from a blank.  I know I will not be happy with my first attempt, and so I will buy two stock blanks, the first of cheap ash on which I can make my beginners mistakes, and the second of grade 2 or 3 curly maple which I will use on the rifle.  It will probably be sometime this fall before I start.  Thank you one and all.  This has really been informative.

Regards,
MR

 

[JDK]

If that is your plan, my suggestion would be that you buy both your "practice" and curly blanks in good hard maple.

Best to practice on what you ultimately plan to graduate to.  I think you'll be more satisfied.

Ash is not maple.  Enjoy, J.D.

[Mark Elliott]

I think the idea of buying a new barrel is a good idea.   However,  I think the idea of planning on inletting the barrel twice, particularly the idea of wasting a perfectly good piece of wood, is ridiculous.     I was 16 when I stocked my first rifle from a blank.    That barrel was swamped and I didn't have any significant trouble inletting it.   I had trouble with lots of other stuff, but inletting the barrel was not one of them.  

If you carefully follow the instructions from the various sources available,  you are going to do an adequate jobof inletting the barrel.   You are much, much more likely to screw up a stock drilling the ramrod hole.   The only time I had to start over with a new piece of wood was due to a ramrod hole that I just couldn't get right or fix, no matter what I did.  Other than the ramrod hole,  the biggest problem is properly shaping the stock.  Relative to the proper profiles, I can almost guarantee your first rifle will be an absolute mess unless you get hands on help from an experienced builder.   The bottom line is,  don't worry about inletting the barrel.   There are plenty of other things for you to worry about.  

[Mountain Rifle]

JD and Mark, You both make a lot of sense.  Thank you.

MR

[Old Ford2]

Peter Alexander's book on " Recreating the American Longrifle" will walk you right through it.
Swamped or straight is the same work and effort.
Don't give up now, this is way too addictive.
It is almost as much fun as two women in b......?
Can't remember what I would do with two women............can't remember what to do with one.
Back to making guns.
Fred

[KentSmith]

I second what Mark Elliot says.  Inletting a barrel may be tedious, personally I enjoy doing it, but there are harder things coming.   I wouldn't by a premium value stock blank for my first try, and ash can make a nice stock, ut I'd buy the stock blank I planned to use for my project.

[Nordnecker]

FWIW, It took me 7 yrs to get around to cutting into my first stock blank. I couldn't decide what sort of gun to build. And when I did, I didn't want to screw it up. So, I practiced on scrap. I inlet the barrel into a piece of junk walnut, drilled the RR hole, inlet the lock etc. just for practice.
I agree with what Mark said above. Other things will give you more trouble. To me, the doggone entry pipe area is really hard to get right. Some silly little thing like getting a screw to seat properly or a patchbox spring can really try your patience.
While you are waiting to round up your stuff, read these forum posts. Go back page after page. While I haven't read 'em all, I have been through every page on this gun building forum. There's so much info here. Many questions have been answered before.

[Mountain Rifle]

  I was 16 when I stocked my first rifle from a blank.    That barrel was swamped and I didn't have any significant trouble inletting it.  

When I was sixteen, my big decision was Coke or Pepsi, not straight or swamped.  It seems you spent your youth productively.  I'll bet you have had a little more practice since then.

Thanks,
MR

[Jerry V Lape]

I think you have a good plan.  Buy the ash for the practice stock and a very nice hard curly maple for the 2d stock.  After you have totally frustrated yourself working on that ash I will give you half price for the maple one after you give up the hobby!  (Sarcasm of course).  No reason you cannot practice your first barrel inlet on a piece of 2x4 in a nice piece of plain hard maple which you can probably get at a local wood worker supply house for a lot less than a stock blank, and you could do the ramrod drill experiment on that as well to figure out how that goes.  I think such practice to develop your tools and methods etc makes a lot of sense and will save you money too.  I practiced most every thing on scrap before I did the actual rifle work.  The practice for carving in particular used up a lot of scrap.  

[JDK]

When I was sixteen, my big decision was Coke or Pepsi, not straight or swamped.  It seems you spent your youth productively.  I'll bet you have had a little more practice since then.

Swamped, straight or Coke, Pepsi....same choice!

 

Personally, I perfer swamped!!!  Enjoy, J.D.

[Mountain Rifle]

When I was sixteen, my big decision was Coke or Pepsi, not straight or swamped.  It seems you spent your youth productively.  I'll bet you have had a little more practice since then.

Swamped, straight or Coke, Pepsi....same choice!

 

Personally, I perfer swamped!!!  Enjoy, J.D.

Lol!

[Mountain Rifle]

I think you have a good plan.  Buy the ash for the practice stock and a very nice hard curly maple for the 2d stock.  After you have totally frustrated yourself working on that ash I will give you half price for the maple one after you give up the hobby!  (Sarcasm of course).  No reason you cannot practice your first barrel inlet on a piece of 2x4 in a nice piece of plain hard maple which you can probably get at a local wood worker supply house for a lot less than a stock blank, and you could do the ramrod drill experiment on that as well to figure out how that goes.  I think such practice to develop your tools and methods etc makes a lot of sense and will save you money too.  I practiced most every thing on scrap before I did the actual rifle work.  The practice for carving in particular used up a lot of scrap.  

Thank you, Jerry.  I think practicing on a cheap piece of hardwood, at least the forearm, barrel and ramrod channels, and mortise will be most helpful helpful.  I have refinished stocks and barrels, but I have not done any serious carving. Mark was right about not wasting a goog stock blank, but practicing on something cheap will pay dividends , and at least give me some cofidence, when I carve the stock.

MR