tapered barrel

[Michigan Flinter]

I have a .45 X(1 15/16 to 13/16 tapered ) X 42 inch long barrel would that barrel be proper to use in a mountain rifle?Also would a flint lock be proper ? I plan on using all metal mountings. If it is not correct what do you suggest I make using this barrel? Thanks for your responce and staying on the subject . Eric D. Lau Riverdale Mi.

[deano]

I have used a straight taper barrel on several builds and it both reduces the overall weight of the gun and with some surgical hacksawing you can really tune in the balance for a solid hold. With a slightly tapered barrel the forend just looks slimmer too, something we all aim for anyway. Straight tapers are cheaper than swamps too, appealing to those of us with a more frugal side.

BTW, do you have the measurements correct?  I have never seen a barrel tapered that much 1 15/16"X13/16", your gun would be massive in the wrist.

[Don Getz]

Eric.......I assume you are talking about a southern mountain rifle?   I would use it, can't see anything wrong with it, will feel
better than a straight octagon barrel.   You have to realize that many of those guns were made using hand forged barrels, and
you might see any kind of barrel on them.   Even swamped barrels, and I have seen some where the muzzle was bigger than
the breech.....strange, but they did it nontheless.   So, how could you go wrong in using your straight tapered barrel?   I would
use it, should work out great............Don

[Ken G]

I'd use a tapered barrel in a heartbeat on a Southern Mt. rifle.  Flintlock would be fine so long as it is a English styled lock.  I'm partial to the Chamber's Late Ketland lock myself. 
Ken

[Michigan Flinter]

I need to make one correction the barrel is 1 inch at the breach and 13/16 at the muzzle X 42 inches long. Must of had a senior moument when posting the first time.

[Bill of the 45th]

Eric, Good thing you corrected that, as I was gonna say that with a breech that big, it would only be good for Bench, over the log, and maybe artillery.    It would be right for a southern flint or cussin, as Ken said, or Ohio/ Michigan or plains gun also of a later config.  Boy I sure missed the York shoot, even though you traded the rain and mud for wind, and cold, but I committed to see the grand kids in Iowa at Easter, and am going to the show in Norris next week.

Bill

[northmn]

I have a Southern rifle with a tapered barrel at 1" to 7/8 in a 54.  You can hardly tell its tapered over that distance but it holds much better than a straight barrel.

DP

[t.caster]

Eric, that sounds like one of the tapered Getz barrels Mike Swift had while in the Guild. I had one too, but sold it to one of the Guild members who just had to have it for a Maryland rifle. It would have been SUPER for a ladies or youth rifle! That was my intent for it at the time.

[rich pierce]

I have a flintlock with a Green River Rifle Works tapered barrel in .45.  It is 15/16 at the breech and 13/16 at the muzzle, and it is not a light gun.  Probably just right for Roger Fisher for an offhand rifle.

[Dennis Glazener]

Here is a link to an original in the ALR Virtual. It is flint with a tapered barrel:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=4165.0
Dennis

[G-Man]

As the others said.  I would not hesitate to use it.  The taper will make it easier to acheive nice wrist archtitechture as well.  Some of those mountain rifle swamped barrels you have to look really hard at to see the swamp anyway.

Guy

[Michigan Flinter]

Dennis  what a great rifle I think I will try to make one similar to it . I know it won't hold a candle to the orginial but will try my best.