GRRW barrel

[Gaeckle]

For a couple of months I have had my eye on a barrel, unknown orgin, no markings that could be easily seen. The barrel is a 54, straight octagon, 1 inch across the flats and 42 inches long. Yesterday I got the barrel, and began a further investigation.

The exterior has a nice mellow brown patina, no dovetails cut, the breech is threaded. When I examined the threads to determine the plug size I wiped off the breech face with some steel wool I found these markings: GRRW 54  60. As I understand it, that reads Green River Rifle Works 54 caliber 1 in 60 twist.

Did Green River sell barrels at one time? Who made the barrels for Green River? I was always under the opinion the GRRW sold Hawkins style rifles, did they market and sell longer barreled guns?

[Robin Henderson]

http://grrw.org/green-river-rifle-works-barrel-markings/

They did and this link might help you out. One of my older guns has one of their barrels on it.

[Daniel Coats]

Curious what your plans are for this barrel?

[t.caster]

They made a LOT of excellent shooting barrels in a whole variety of lengths and sizes. Good find! I had one that size and length that I thought was too heavy for offhand shooting, so I had Dennis Priddy turn it oct-round on his lathe.

[Mtn Meek]

They made a LOT of excellent shooting barrels in a whole variety of lengths and sizes. They still do don't they?

Nope.  They went out of business in the fall of 1980.

They started making their own barrels in early 1974.



Selling individual barrels became a significant part of their business.

[Daniel Coats]

Most certainly all of the Green River barrels sold by the company were of the highest quality. However, when  just the barrel making portion was later moved to Grand Junction Colorado a number of reject barrel were either given away or left outside near the dumpster. I got the tagline used at the bottom of my posts from one of these employees that made barrels there and he also gave me two of these reject barrels. One of the barrels I hand filed into a trade gun barrel since the defect was only on the outside. The other barrel I made into a 62 caliber 1 inch Hawken. The defect on the 62 caliber barrel was on the inside and you could feel it when loading but it still shot very well.

[rich pierce]

Great barrels. Narrow lands, easy to load. Slight choke at the muzzle so once started, load beautifully.

[Gaeckle]

Curious what your plans are for this barrel?

Build a rifle around it, of coarse. I'd like to taper it to reduce weight. wonder if Bob Hoyt can do this for me.

[Top Jaw]

Charlie Burton can swamp it. 

[Notchy Bob]

One important point that I remember from the GRRW literature years ago, and as noted in the "fine print" of the second ad posted by Mtn Meek, is that these barrels were made with a small amount of choke near the muzzle.  If you need to shorten the barrel, it should be done by cutting off at the breech instead of the muzzle, so you don't cut off the choke.

I think a lot of old time barrel makers finished the bore with a long taper or a slight choke.  Hawken barrels are known to have been made this way, and Ned Roberts wrote about it pretty extensively in his book, The Muzzle-Loading Cap Lock Rifle.  I've been looking through old Muzzle Blasts magazines, and Bill Large mentioned in at least one of his ads that he made barrels with tapered bores.  I think Charles Burton and Bobby Hoyt can also make these, but they are the only barrel makers I know of who are doing this now.

I think its great that you acquired an un-used GRRW barrel!  They were very highly regarded in their day.

Notchy Bob

[Daniel Coats]

If you need to shorten the barrel, it should be done by cutting off at the breech instead of the muzzle, so you don't cut off the choke.

I think its great that you acquired an un-used GRRW barrel!  They were very highly regarded in their day.

Notchy Bob

This is exactly why I asked what the plans were for this barrel. Shorten the barrel and you lose the pedigree by losing the markings.

[heinz]

Gaekel, You can handle a 1" 54cal in a 42 inch length.  My Dad shot one when he was in his 60s.  Give it a light southern mountain or Ohio style butt.  If you screw around with it you might save 1 or 2 pounds and you might also have the barrel warp when you take the metal off of it. 

[alacran]

[

This is exactly why I asked what the plans were for this barrel. Shorten the barrel and you lose the pedigree by losing the markings.
[/quote]
I have one in my .54 Hawken. Also had one in a slender .45. When you fit the breech plug you are going to lose the pedigree any way. I always wondered if they did this on purpose.

[Daniel Coats]

True but there are other markings near the breech for the GRRW student. I suppose it doesn't really matter to me what someone does with their barrel. If it was mine, which it isn't, I wouldn't change any more of it than necessary mostly because I am a student and hold GRRW in very high regard. I've been to their factory when it was running, called them on the phone, knew and still know some of the people who worked there. Plenty of other barrels available that can be modified.

[Top Jaw]

You could probably also sell it at a premium, and buy a new barrel that matched your requirements.

[Gaeckle]

With all the information that is given here, it would be foolish to alter it. The question now becomes what to do with it. Is it a collectors piece, is a just a barrel to be used and just what in eveyones opinion would the value of this be? Any ideas?

[rich pierce]

Contact Mountain Meek here.

[Mtn Meek]

With all the information that is given here, it would be foolish to alter it. The question now becomes what to do with it. Is it a collectors piece, is a just a barrel to be used and just what in eveyones opinion would the value of this be? Any ideas?

Several good questions, but not easy to answer.  Value could be established by putting it up for auction.

I paid $150 for this barrel that I wanted for my collection and to use to illustrate how GRRW marked the barrels they sold individually.  But there may be someone out there that is willing to pay twice that for yours.  I've seen other vinatage barrels sell in the $300 range.



If one wants to build a rifle around it and still preserve the markings, I can think of a couple of options.

I believe it was Herb Troester that used a spacer, think of a thin washer, between the face of the breech plug and the internal shoulder of the threaded breech.  This way he didn't have to file off the markings to get the breech plug fit and the timing on the flats he wanted.  He adjusted the thickness of the spacer.  Of course, if one uses a patent breech, it will cover the markings.  If a flint plug and tang is used, some of the markings will possibly show.

Another option if the threaded section of the breech is deep enough, like 5/8", is to cut off slightly less than 1/8" of the end of the barrel with the markings and save it with the finished rifle.  If the rifle is made with a patch or cap box, this piece could be inlet into the cavity of the box to document that it is a GRRW barrel.