Swamped barrel ?

[cowboys1062]

 I have a question. I was on the TOW website and saw a muzzleloader for sale that says it has a swamped barrel. I dont know what a swamped barrel is. Can anyone tell me what swamped means?

[Marcruger]

It means that the barrel is "normal" diameter at the breech, tapers down to a thinner profile in the middle, and flares back out at the muzzle. 

I believe the purpose is reduce overall weight on a long barrel, while preserving sight radius and providing weight where needed for steadiness. 

I know they feel better than a "normal" straight barrel, and don't weight down your front hand.

They do cost more, and are harder to inlet. 

Hope this helps!    Marc

[cowboys1062]

 Thankyou Marc. That explains it pretty much and makes alot of sense to me now. I have read it on the forum befoe but never knew what a swamped barrel really was. cowboys1062.

[Bob Roller]

There's another configuration called tapered and flared that is often confused with swamped.
It has a starting dimension at the breech,tapers and then flares  at or near the muzzle. The
"Daniel Boone"rifle in our art museum here has this tapered and flared type of barrel and it's
51" long and handles really well.

Bob Roller

[cowboys1062]

 Thanks Bob. I appreciate the information and education.

[Marcruger]

The link below from Rice barrels has some diagrams that will help explain this a little better. 

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

I asked the same question as you a while back, and know how confusing it was until I could see it and handle one. 

Beware, if you don't want to own one, don't handle one.   ;-) 

Best wishes,   Marc

[Kermit]

There's another configuration called tapered and flared that is often confused with swamped.
It has a starting dimension at the breech,tapers and then flares  at or near the muzzle. The
"Daniel Boone"rifle in our art museum here has this tapered and flared type of barrel and it's
51" long and handles really well.

Bob Roller

Bob, have I understood correctly that "tapered and flared" lacks the straight section that swamped barrels have? I've never knowingly handled a rifle so equiped.

[bones92]

While we're at it, what is the advantage of a radius-bottom groove versus a square-bottom rifling groove?

I assume this means the groove surface is curved or flat.  I would think there would be slightly better seal between the PRB and surface metal with a radius-bottom groove.

[J I]

Beware, if you don't want to own one, don't handle one.   ;-) 

This is very true. I made the "mistake" of handling a swamped barrel and it balanced a lot better than a straight barrel. I have picked up several rifles with straight barrels but I think the swamped barrels lay and balance better.

[J I]

While we're at it, what is the advantage of a radius-bottom groove versus a square-bottom rifling groove?

I assume this means the groove surface is curved or flat.  I would think there would be slightly better seal between the PRB and surface metal with a radius-bottom groove.

If you look at the Colerain web site they give an explanation of what radius/round bottom rifling is. It cuts down on fowling and makes it easier to clean from what I understand.

[Waksupi]

The difference with a swamped barrel is, the rifle will handle like a magic wand, rather than a crowbar, as a straight cut barrel feels.

[moleeyes36]

I think we're getting a little heavy into describing swamped barrels as almost mystical and straight barrels as real dogs to handle.  Many guns with straight barrels handle well and hold very steady, I own some myself and have shot many others as well.  While I like my guns with swamped barrels as well as the ones with tapered barrels, don't be too quick to sell short a gun with a proper weight straight barrel.  You'll notice that the barrel makers offer straight and tapered barrels as well as swamped.  To my way of thinking, if people didn't want them and they couldn't sell them, they wouldn't be making them.

Mole Eyes

[P.W.Berkuta]

How true -- they all have their place in the muzzloading world

[David Rase]

I built a SW Virginia rifle with a 42" x 7/8" .50 caliber barrel that I will defy you to tell the difference between it and a swamped barreled rifle when shouldered.
David

[kaintuck]

I built a SW Virginia rifle with a 42" x 7/8" .50 caliber barrel that I will defy you to tell the difference between it and a swamped barreled rifle when shouldered.
David

I second that with my GM barrel in my TVM
tomtom n marc

[okawbow]

I've always shot straight barrels, and wondered what the fuss was all about for swamped barrels, until I made a 48" barreled Shreyer inspired Long rifle with a 1 1/16" x 7/8" x 15/16" swamped 54 cal Charles Burton barrel.

That rifle hangs out there so nice and steady, that I went from a mediocre offhand flintlock shooter to shooting better than I ever did in my life. I'm sold on swamped barrels.

[WadePatton]

While we're at it, what is the advantage of a radius-bottom groove versus a square-bottom rifling groove?

I assume this means the groove surface is curved or flat.  I would think there would be slightly better seal between the PRB and surface metal with a radius-bottom groove.

When you boil down all the love/hate smoke and mystical conjecture into hard facts, the fact is-some shooters prefer one and other shooters prefer the other and some shooters don't care which. 

 

Now as to swamped...I would change "school of pursuit" if indeed swamped bbls were not appropriate for the path I am on.  IOW I would change my "likes" in order to be able to shoot the proper bbl.  The pain of the letting in quickly fades as the shape of the gun emerges and the heft and balance get all

good on ya.   

[kaintuck]

I've always shot straight barrels, and wondered what the fuss was all about for swamped barrels, until I made a 48" barreled Shreyer inspired Long rifle with a 1 1/16" x 7/8" x 15/16" swamped 54 cal Charles Burton barrel.

That rifle hangs out there so nice and steady, that I went from a mediocre offhand flintlock shooter to shooting better than I ever did in my life. I'm sold on swamped barrels.

Aahhhh....magic word was 'Burton'........

Tomtom