Restoring original fowler barrels to use

[rich pierce]

I am working on a group of original fowler/musket/trade gun barrels with the intent of restoring them to use in future builds of composite or parts guns. I’ve started work on 2 and am sharing my process and observations.

After making sure an old barrel isn’t loaded, the next step is unbreeching it. Invariably heat is required. I soaked these 2 in acetone/ATF for a week and neither breechplug would budge. So I hit the breech end with a propane torch and heat until it turns blue then gray on a spot I file on it. Then the plugs come right out.

Barrel 1 is a French fowler or trade gun round barrel with a bit of a sighting plane. It’s about 46” long and .610 right now. Note that in the 1700s on smoothbores there was no shoulder counterbored into the breech. The plug is threaded very nicely but it’s more of a pipe thread arrangement. Plug and breech look good. On both barrels after removing the plug there was a “washer” of baked on hard residue, probably fouling, just in front of the breechplug and attached to the barrel. It crumbled easily.






Barrel 2 is English, round, and has been converted to percussion. As usual, there’s terrible pitting from corrosive primers. This barrel will be more work to restore to use. The plug is buggered up but the threads of the plug and breech are ok. I cannot yet predict whether either barrel will need re-breeching and new plugs. It depends on how far I will have to go with reaming to get a clean bore. That will be the next step. Note the bore is not centered perfectly. That’s common.

[Daryl]

The threads on these old blisters is quite amazing.

[HSmithTX]

That's what I was thinking Daryl,  holy smokes the top one is being generous calling it a thread, but if it will get tight it will seal.  The taper at the back of the plug will assure that LOL.  Makes you wonder how bad they would have to be to fail or conversely how good it actually needs to be to work fine. You have to think both of those barrels have thousands if not tens of thousands of shots on them. 

[Daryl]

For comparison, this is a MODERN Indian thread. There were only 3 1/2 threads engaging and all were VERY sloppy, one having only .0025" engagement
and the best one a mere .0225". The other was in between. The threads on these old guns are great when compared. The grey is powder fouling. The groove between
the rear PLATE and the last thread was full of fouling to the top of that last thread.
One other "minor" thing, the OD at the breech is .100" and it has a .750" bore. Might have been 1.1", but I don't think so.

[Lone Wolf]

Any idea what year they date to?  And how do you go about determining they are safe to be used again?

[NDduckhunter]

Neat project Rich, thanks for posting about it!

[Pukka Bundook]

Rich,
This will be interesting to me.
I tend to clean most old barrels just with emery or such on a rod, as the bores are very often not a true cylinder.
I Have had to resort to fine boring on occasion.  With a smooth boring bit sharp one side only.
I don't look for a clean bore as in a new gun, just no great big pits if possible!

[rich pierce]

Any idea what year they date to?  And how do you go about determining they are safe to be used again?

There are some posts on these barrels over in the Antique gun collecting forum. They seem to date 1760-1800 based on dimensions, form, and proof marks.

So far as safety, they’ve been proofed once. I will proof them again after reaming out and addressing any breeching issues. I’ve used a couple original barrels myself and restored a dozen or so to use (mostly rifles).

One quick and unscientific test is the “does it ring” test. This has mostly been used on old shotgun barrels which are often quite thin on doubles. A thunk is a bad sign. These ring. But the test will be a proof load. I’d be amazed if they are not good.

[Realwarrior]

I will be following this thread. I have some old double barrels that I have been hesitant to do anything with. Thank you for sharing.

[Daryl]

I always thought the "ring" test was to see if ribs were loose on double barreled guns?

[rich pierce]

I always thought the "ring" test was to see if ribs were loose on double barreled guns?

Probably so! But imagine if a barrel went thunk!!

[silky]

Rich,

What does the ring test tell you? Thanks so much for documenting this.

- Tom

[Daryl]

No loose ribs, no cracks, scars or tattoos. Well, might be a tattoo or two.

[rich pierce]

Rich,

What does the ring test tell you? Thanks so much for documenting this.

- Tom

It might be only related to doubles. But if a barrel has a “tink” sound somewhere along its length that’s probably a thin spot where pitting is nearly through. For me the first few passes of an adjustable reamer tell me whether this barrel can be restored with less than 10 hours of work.

[Tumbledown]

Lack of any ringing could indicate cracks.

[silky]

Got it -- thanks!

[Pukka Bundook]

Yes, Ring test whether double or single, will tell you if the barrel is sound.
Had one Swedish barrel rang like a wind chime, but a nice deep long tone is very nice, and comforting to hear!

[alacran]

Hard to tell from the photos but the barrels do not appear to have shoulders at the end of the threads. Is that true or just the photos?

[rich pierce]

Hard to tell from the photos but the barrels do not appear to have shoulders at the end of the threads. Is that true or just the photos?

Absolutely correct. They are like pipe threads. They did not typically counterbore smoothbore barrels to a shoulder before threading. Yet the threads are good. I did clean the breechplug up on a very fine wire wheel but that just removed patina.

[Daryl]

That is the same as the short piece of mid 1800's John Blissett barrel I have(19bore).

[bluenoser]

Thanks for that comment Rich.  I pulled the plugs on three fowler barrels yesterday and none were counterbored.  Two were originally flint and the threads on all were in good shape.  Assumed all were straight thread - mainly due the way they felt coming out.  Will have check to see if they are tapered.

[Pukka Bundook]

Re breechplugs,
When fitting them for the last time, (if you know what I mean)  warmed stockholm tar on the threads will prevent them ever rusting in place.
Some originals were done this way, and even when the barrel had been used to fill a hole in a hedge for a hundred years or more, with heat the plugs come out easily and the threads still shiny.
Know this from experience.

[bluenoser]

Good to know.
Are Stockholm tar and pine tar one in the same?  Pine tar can be purchased at equestrian supply stores.

[rich pierce]

Re breechplugs,
When fitting them for the last time, (if you know what I mean)  warmed stockholm tar on the threads will prevent them ever rusting in place.
Some originals were done this way, and even when the barrel had been used to fill a hole in a hedge for a hundred years or more, with heat the plugs come out easily and the threads still shiny.
Know this from experience.

Sounds like I should get some!

[Pukka Bundook]

I think pine tar is close enough and since coming to Canada it's what I use.
Stockholm Tar was the common sort in the UK.
Stockholm  might be sticker, but if you heat the plug and breech a bit and apply it, it spreads out for full coverage.
screw it together warm.