Barrel profile

[nathanbowenarrow]

I have decided on a southern style rifle. I need some help with my barrel profile. I want as light weight .54 cal I can get! What profile weighs the least in a 38" barrel. 7/8' straight, 15/16" to 13/16" taper or Issac Hanes swamped? I will use this rifle for hunting.

 

[Zonie]

Track of the Wolf's catalog says the smallest straight barrel you can get with a .54 caliber is a 15/16 inch octagon.
In 36 inch length, it weighs 4.93 pounds.

A Green Mountain C profile .54, 38 inches long weighs 4.2 pounds.

A Colerain 31 inch Jaeger swamped barrel weighs 4.4 pounds
A Colerain 37 inch Marshall swamped barrel weighs 5.2 pounds
A Colerain 38 inch Haines swamped barrel weighs 4.2 pounds.

Some of these have rather radical swamping so I don't know if they would be right for your Southern gun?

 

[nathanbowenarrow]

Would a tapered barrel be better suited to the rifle?

 

[BS]

I can remember seeing a 7/8x54 and the comment was made that you should use light loads only in it. I doubt that you will find anybody to make you one either. I would think that a nice tapered 15/16 to a 7/8s would make a nice hunting gun.

Have you thought about a 1" 62cal? Might be a little big for a southern style rifle. I think that a 28" barrel is long, that is why most of mine are 27 or shorter.

BS
my web page

 

[tg]

That is a good point Jim, if you drift to far from the "norm" of the originals in the barrel selection then you no longer have a "Southern" style gun...