Hexagonal NAVAL brass rod and milling/reaming advice

[Wapenshaw]

Wanted to buy a hexagonal piece of naval brass approximately 1” diameter (can be slightly more) by 10-12” in length for around $50 and best/easy way to ream/mill out a .506 bore. Thanks for your interest.

[HSmithTX]

I just bought some but it was a $400 minimum at the only place I know of to get it.  I bought 1.125" round, I might have a bit left. 

[J Shingler]

Sorry I am of no help. But just clarify your looking for six sided. Hex and not 8 sided Octagon like a barrel?  Just trying to clarify your request.

Jeff

[Wapenshaw]

I just bought some but it was a $400 minimum at the only place I know of to get it.  I bought 1.125" round, I might have a bit left. 

Thanks HSmithTX…let me know the length you have in the 10-12”-ish range and shoot me a price.
Much appreciated, sir!

[Brian Jordan]

Once you find your material. Look for a local machine shop that has a "gun drill". They will be able to drill the brass to any ID size you want with an excellent finish. Depending on there drill inventory you may have to buy the drill.

[Wapenshaw]

Great advice and much appreciated, Jordan…HSmithTX, I would pay shipping costs for the hex naval brass rod.

[HSmithTX]

To be clear the bar I bought is round bar, 1-1/8" diameter. 

[Wapenshaw]

Ah, I was hoping to save some filing time by going with the hex rod.

[T*O*F]

Ah, I was hoping to save some filing time by going with the hex rod.

Are you making a gun barrel?  If so, as others have mentioned, gun barrels are octagonal, not hexagonal.  That means they have eight flats, not six.  Perhaps you can share what your project actually is.

[Wapenshaw]

Well, I’ve been known to be wrong before, so it might be an octagon rod is what I am needing for my pistol build, which, I might as well fess up, has been inspired by Runar Stava from Finland (?) who, IMHO, is part DaVinci, Prometheus and Gandalf all rolled into one (now, please don’t get me wrong - as members of the ALR Forum, the majority of you have WAY more talent than I can ever hope to achieve, and you’re up there with Runar - I’ve seen some of the names on this Forum, and many are legendary in this pursuit of emulating and honoring the old ways)…but anyway, I put out the call in my first posting on this forum for help in trying to duplicate the 1720 Scottish all-steel dag with silver inlay, and with Runar’s encouragement and photographic chronicle of his fabricating the Murdoch-style Scottish pistol, convinced me that I might have a chance @ pulling this off (with all and any of you, if you are so inclined to offer advice).
Not sure if this is some kind of a humble screed, but thanks for your time and patience.

[Wapenshaw]

Here is the brass barrel from an earlier project…Can anyone extrapolate whether this is a hex or octo barrel (made by Ed Rayl circa 2015)i

[Wapenshaw]

I only ask as I am away from home and don’t have the actual barrel in front of me right now…

[Ky-Flinter]

Here is the brass barrel from an earlier project…Can anyone extrapolate whether this is a hex or octo barrel (made by Ed Rayl circa 2015)i

It certainly looks octagonal to me.

Ron

[rich pierce]

A hexagonal barrel would be extremely rare, if ever. The side of the barrel needs to be flat where the lock snugs up to it. With a hex, you’d be sighting down a ridge, not a top flat.

[bluenoser]

Definitely octagon.  No two sides are at a right angle to each other in a hex.

[J Shingler]

If it is a barrel it just about has to be an 8 sided octagon. I have never need a hex barrel. Just no reason for it. Hard to inlet and the sights would be on a point and not a flat. 99.999 % it is a eight sided octagon.

Jeff

[Wapenshaw]

Thank you Jeff, Rich, bluenoser and ky-flinter for verifying the barrel as octagonal…besides hand-filing the brass rod from round to octagonal, I’d welcome anyone’s input as to other methods in creating the three-stage barrel based on the picture of the original Scottish dag that I posted earlier.

HSmithTX
If you would still consider selling me some of your round naval brass stock, send me your address and preferred payment method and I will pay shipping as well.

[Ky-Flinter]

I’d welcome anyone’s input as to other methods in creating the three-stage barrel based on the picture of the original Scottish dag that I posted earlier.

If I was going to file out an octagon barrel, I'd start with a square bar.  (Less filing than round!) 
Contact metalsupermarkets.com   They will sell you 1" square brass or bronze bar stock in any length you want. 
A friend with a milling machine would be fortuitous, indeed. 

If I needed an octagon brass or bronze barrel, I would contact a barrel maker.

Ron

[Wapenshaw]

Ron,
That is a brilliant idea, sir!