Octagon barrel v.s. Round barrel

[cowboys1062]

 I hope Im in the right area to ask this question. I was just wondering if someone can give me a little history lesson on the use of Octagon barrels. When they were first introduced and why they were made in great numbers of rifle models during the 1800' like the Hawken or Plains rifles going out west. Or Kentucky or Ohio rifles as well as many others. I know that they were using Round barrels also back then like during the Revolutionary War back in the 1700's or Civil War in the 1800's. I was just wondering about Octagon barrels. Why alot of gun builders back in the day used Octagon shaped barrels instead of Round barrels or in the Military guns using Round barrels instead of Octagon barrels? Just wondering. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

[Jerry V Lape]

From my view point I would have asked why did they go to round barrels and away from swamped octagons. 

[JTR]

I'd say because round is harder to make, and octagon is easier and looks better.
John

[Bob Roller]

I'd say because round is harder to make, and octagon is easier and looks better.
John

I can turn round barrels on a lathe,octagon is impossible. What part of octagon is easier
and the appearance is in the eye of the beholder. I think a 36"tapered round barreled
Rigby is an elegant thing but then so is the octagon barreled Alex Henry.

Bob Roller

[David R. Pennington]

The original barrels were forge welded and shaped with hammer and anvil. The natural process when forging creates flat surfaces. My blacksmith mentor taught me to use this to my advantage. The face of the anvil and face of the hammer are relatively flat surfaces. When drawing out you rotate stock 90 or 180 degrees hammering evenly creating square profile. This is visually easier to keep even than trying to go all round. If you want round next you begin on the four corners and end up with octagon. It is easy to see if one flat is wider than another and you can by eye and hand affect even taper or straight even profile. Next step is roll and hammer to round. Leave off last step and you have octagon. I think it was partially just style as well.

[rich pierce]

In gerneral smoothbores were more likely to have round barrels and rifles to have octagonal barrels.  Factories are required to make round barrels as your average one man shop would not have a lathe.

[Bob Roller]

In gerneral smoothbores were more likely to have round barrels and rifles to have octagonal barrels.  Factories are required to make round barrels as your average one man shop would not have a lathe.

There is a way an octagon can be done on a lathe but it requires some special tooling and takes a good bit of time but it is doable.

Bob Roller