Gain Twist Schooling

[Pvt.Jack]

Can someone school me on gain twist. I understand what it is and how it works. What I don’t know, is there a certain ratio or percentage of gain per caliber, or something to that effect? Or a certain starting rate based on the ending rate?
Hope this makes sense.

[Dphariss]

Gains for round balls and picket bullets can be pretty aggressive. For bullets with long bearing surfaces 1/2” gain has been proven to work well. But these are much faster twists than found in MLs.
IIRC correctly many picket rifles had a starting twist around 48” and an ending twist in the 30s. The faster twist shot better and the slower starting twist helped eliminate blown patches. Picket rifles usually needed pretty large charges of powder to shoot well considerabley more than the RB from the same rifle. Or so I was told and found out in the straight 48 twist 40 cal I was playing around with at one time.

Dan

[hanshi]

I still own a .45 gain twist barrel and the accuracy is beyond reproach.  IMHO it would not be such a bad idea for prb rifling to have just a trace of gain anyway.  On most all the barrels available to us it's not needed; but nothing is worse than any amount of slowing toward the muzzle.

[Bob Roller]

I still own a .45 gain twist barrel and the accuracy is beyond reproach.  IMHO it would not be such a bad idea for prb rifling to have just a trace of gain anyway.  On most all the barrels available to us it's not needed; but nothing is worse than any amount of slowing toward the muzzle.

Bill Large made a number of gain twist round ball barrels but I can't remember the ratio and I helped make the machines.
After Bill passed away,20 years later Jim McLemore in Hebron,Indiana bought all in Bill's shop except the cobwebs and he
also made round ball barrels that really perform.Harry Pope's muzzle loaders were entirely different and used long bullets and usually started with a 1 in 16 and ended in 15 and 3/4.Pope always said the last inch of any barrel will determine the accuracy and he was right.
Early versions of the German 88MM gun that was such terror had a gain twist and Bill Large and some Army officers checked out one and
Bill told me the first time he heard it go off he knew what was going on with it.Not all 88's had this system,probably because it took longer to make and by that time Russia was a major problem for them.The 88 was originally intended and was used as an anti aircraft gun and after that it appeared on the Panzer 6-1's and 2's better known as the Tiger tank.
Bob Roller

[Carl Young]

Hello Jack, if you really want an education on barrels begin by read this: https://www.wolfeoutdoorsports.com/the-story-of-popes-barrels/.

Carl

[Pvt.Jack]

Many thanks for the responses.

[Dphariss]

I have two of Jim McLemore's gain twist barrels 1 1/4" straight 44".
The 50 cal I have shooting really shoots well and I think would win any chunk gun match any where if the shooter did his part.

[Daryl]

Dan- what is the rate of twist and load combination you use in that "plank" rifle, please?

[Pvt.Jack]

It is my understanding that Jim McLemore is out of the barrel making business. Is that correct?

[Longknife]

I have an original Ohio rifle stamped on the barrel, J Hayden Oxford Ohio. I had Bobby Hoyt bore out and rifle with a gain twist. It is .40 cal and the twist goes from 1-60 to 1-40 in the 36-inch barrel. I only shot round balls in it. I won a lot of shoots with that rifle back in the '80s. when I could see!!  It would shoot just about any powder charge you wanted to stuff in it with the superb accuracy...Ed

[Dphariss]

Dan- what is the rate of twist and load combination you use in that "plank" rifle, please?

Jim would not tell us the twist. And I have not bothered to check. Gains being such a pain to check. At least for math challenged types.
Load was 109 gr  FFF Swiss. .500 RB, ticking patch lubed with WS oil I think 5:1 mix. Wiped, damp patch both sides, dry patch both sides.
McLemore used teflon coated patches and 120 gr when he test fired the barrel and told me it would cut the same hole at 100. He uses a Pete Allen action with a scope rail mounted on it to test fire the barrels in the round.
I have not heard from him since the Chinese flu attack started. Was talking to him about a new barrel for the 16 bore. Since its a Moody in 12L14. We, guild members, were dealing for some swamped barrels as well. I just sent him an “how are you doing” email.

[Daryl]

Tks Dan - please keep us abridged of Jim's "status" when you find out.

[Levy]

I have a percussion half-stock with no maker's name on it anywhere.  it is fitted with all German Silver and curly maple.  Looks like NY to me.  It is about .34 cal. and the only thing written on the barrel is "Warranted Increase Twist".  Do you think that means it's a gain twist barrel?  Barrels in pretty good shape, but haven't had a chance to really see if it shoots well.  James Levy   

[Daryl]

Sure sounds like a gain twist to me.

[smylee grouch]

For years I have wanted a gain twist big bore rifle. I always thought that the amount of gain I was reading about was too much. I had it in my head that a 58 or 62 cal. with some thing like 2 inches of gain would work, like from 70 to 68 or 72 to 70 or you get the picture. Has any one made up and shot one with only that little of gain and if so how did it perform?

[Daryl]

Gain or straight twist. If I was to buy another large bore rifle barrel, 16 bore or larger, I would be interested in an 80" to 85" rate of twist with .007/8" deep square or rounded rifling.

[hanshi]

At one time I did know the gain twist rate in my rifle; but its been a long - a good 55 years or so - time and my memory ain't what it never was.  I do recall it sounded very aggressive to me at the time.  I generally keep all my paper info on the guns and likely still have it boxed up in the basement.  I'll rummage through it when I get the chance and see.

[recurve]

Talk to Mr Bobby Hoyt  he does gain twist here's two barrels in 54 he did for me and the sight in target for the brown barrel

[Pvt.Jack]

Recurve,
What is the twist on that barrel?