Actual barrel weight

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joeboleo1

40 Cal.
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Planning a squirrel rifle build --- .40 caliber barrel in either 3/4 or 13/16 flats. The length will be anywhere from 36 to 39 inches long. I am trying to find the actual weight of several barrels to determine a comfortable offhand rifle weight.....without getting a swamped barrel. Does anyone have access to a chart of some type that lists various barrel weights? Appreciate any info, thank you.
 
the Track of the Wolf catalog has, if memory serves, the weight of each of the barrels they offer (as well as the dimensions and the threads for breech plugs and so on) ... this should give you a pretty good idea of where you're going.

as regards straight barrels, I once thought that they were the coolest thing ever, but having built a .40 with an "A" weight swamped barrel, I would urge you not to reject a swamped barrel out of hand...

free advice, and no doubt well worth the price.

good luck with your project!
 
if you have a different length in mind than what they state there, a rough way to do it is to just do a simple calculation for the various straight barrels, and come up with a "weight per inch" and adjust from there. Look at Rice's site too. They have the data published. The calculation gets a bit trickier when you go to a swamped barrel.
 
If you would consider something "a little different" and don't mind spending a bit more, Rice makes a special swamped "Squirrel Barrel".

It's 46" long - so a real "long rifle".

The dims on the swamp are:

breech .8125" (13/16") tapers to .685" (12" from the breech) - waist is .625" (5/8") and then flares back out to .700" at the muzzle.

Comes in 32 (3 lbs 12 oz), 36 (3 lbs 8 oz) and 40 (3 lbs 3 oz) calibers.

Not "cheap" - round bottom rifled $295, square rifled $275 - breech plug installed (flared) and outside flats polished to 120 grit.

Jason just finished a run of these (like in the last day or two), so available "now".

Would make a very unique rifle...
 
Hey, that sure would be a neat looking looong squirrel gun. The weight of that thing is amazing for one so long.
 
You do have a couple other options to keep the weight down in a 40 cal.

Have you considered a tapered barrel?

I'm having a 38 cal built right now by FCI - 7/8" at the breech tapering to 3/4" at the muzzle, 32" long (for a S. Hawken Squirrel rifle) will come in a couple ounces under 4 pounds (about 1.9 - 2.0 oz per inch for that taper).

FCI/Charlie Burton or Oregon Barrel (The Gun Works) will build the length, caliber, rifling depth etc that you want.

Charlie is currently running about 8 months lead time with a cost of $205 for tapered (must of just went up - was $185 in May when I ordered).

Oregon is usually a little quicker 3 or 4 months (sometimes less - depending on what they have going on) - $225 for a tapered 40 cal.

Ok, a little more than the $165 for a "straight" Colerain (includes the plug), $150'ish for a Green Mountain (no plug) if you can find one - on par with a "straight" Rice @ $245 (round bottom rifled with plug installed) BUT....

In all the years to come you would never regret a tapered or swamped barrel for the way it holds and carries and will have long forgotten the 50 or 60 extra bucks it cost.

If you go with a straight barrel 36" or longer you may always "wish" you had of gone with a taper/swamped and the few bucks you saved won't even be a consideration.
 
It is still there! :idunno: Dixie hasn't removed any of their charts that I know of. Which is why so many people buy the catalog. Just for the information even if they don't buy anything.The information in it is worth the price. :idunno:
 
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