Barrel Swap

[BmH62Chasse]

Greetings,

I am new to this type of traditional firearms environment and would first like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to all of those on this forum as my experience has been outstanding with everyone freely sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Now down to business - I have a smoothbore Fusil de Chasse and was just curious with regard to hunting applications; can the barrel currently installed on the gun be swapped with a rifled barrel of equal diameter and appropriate length and weight?

My apologies as I know this is far from authentic/original however it is more of a general curiosity.

Thank you for your time

 

[Rifleman1776]

Probably less than a practical idea. A gunsmith could fit a barrel for you. But in the end, a new gun is probably a wiser route for you to go.

 

[gunmaker43]

It can be done--for $$ A barrel maker might copy your bbl. profile on a rifled tube. Is it a 20 bore ? you might get a .50 .54 out of it then. Bobby Hoyt 717-642-6696 or Ed Rayl (long wait) 304-364-8269 both are legends in this craft. I've made guns like this in past, but I had both bbl. on hand. Good luck...keep us posted...Tom

 

[wmaser]

What you're describing can be done fairly easily. I did it once, fitting a .54 caliber rifled barrel to my smoothbore Fusil de Chasse. After several months, however, I couldn't stand seeing one or the other barrel gathering dust on a shelf in a closet, so I built the spare barrel into it's own stock. after all, you can't have too many guns.

 

[Birddog6]

Greetings,

I am new to this type of traditional firearms environment and would first like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to all of those on this forum as my experience has been outstanding with everyone freely sharing their knowledge and expertise.

Now down to business - I have a smoothbore Fusil de Chasse and was just curious with regard to hunting applications; can the barrel currently installed on the gun be swapped with a rifled barrel of equal diameter and appropriate length and weight?

My apologies as I know this is far from authentic/original however it is more of a general curiosity.

Thank you for your time

YES.... You can have another barrel made to fit that gun, but must be SURE to tell the builder NOT... to modify the stock at all. This way you can interchange the barrels.

That being said, I don't know a single person that has interchangeable barrels that utilize both barrels. All if them I know swap the barrels once or twice & then the extra barrel sits in a closet for years. (like I did til is decided to build another rifle & utilize that barrel..... :redface: )

Keith Lisle

 

[ChrisPer]

That being said, I don't know a single person that has interchangeable barrels that utilize both barrels. All if them I know swap the barrels once or twice & then the extra barrel sits in a closet for years. (like I did til is decided to build another rifle & utilize that barrel..... :redface: )

Keith Lisle

I hope to have two swap-barrel sets any moment - a Pedersoli Charles Moore pistol with flint and percussion barrels/locks, and a Pedersoli Mortimer flint .54 rifle with 12G spare barrel. I haven't found that the pistols stay fixed one or the other. Cant say I am keen on the 12G, but it
is apparently devastating with a round ball.

 

[Birddog6]

A 12 ga is devastating with ANYTHING in it. :shocked2:

Keith Lisle

 

[roundball]

This way you can interchange the barrels.
That being said, I don't know a single person that has interchangeable barrels that utilize both barrels. All if them I know swap the barrels once or twice & then the extra barrel sits in a closet for years. (like I did til is decided to build another rifle & utilize that barrel..... :redface: )
Keith Lisle

Hey Keith...well, now you know one...LOL...as busy as you stay building guns for other people its understandable, but for blue collar guys like me, my Early Virginia with matching 42" Rice B-weight swamped barrels, one .45cal rifled, one .54cal smooth is a great combo for me...need to take a turkey with it this coming spring to finish rounding its capabilities here where I hunt.

 

[BrownBear]

...can the barrel currently installed on the gun be swapped with a rifled barrel of equal diameter and appropriate length and weight?

Sure, but by someone skilled enough to make the fit truly interchangeable. A bud of mine worked with TVM and Longhammock Barrels to put together an in-the-white 12 gauge (72 cal) with interchangeable smooth and rifled barrels. Lots of attention to getting the various screw- and pin-holes aligned, but the results were worth all the effort in his eyes. Mine too! :thumbsup:

 

[longcruise]

I have a smoothbore Fusil de Chasse and was just curious with regard to hunting applications; can the barrel currently installed on the gun be swapped with a rifled barrel of equal diameter and appropriate length and weight?

depending on what barrel was originally used for your fusil, there may be one readily available that would fit pretty well. Colerain makes their a barrel is both smooth and rifled version. If yours was built with a Colerain it could be a simple project.

Still, I would not want to mess with such a changeover if the barrel is installed with pins. You might better change to keys.

I like the idea of just gettin another rifle!

 

[Birddog6]

I knew when I posted that, you would chime in. :grin:

Keith

 

[roundball]

...can the barrel currently installed on the gun be swapped with a rifled barrel of equal diameter and appropriate length and weight?

Sure, but by someone skilled enough to make the fit truly interchangeable. A bud of mine worked with TVM and Longhammock Barrels to put together an in-the-white 12 gauge (72 cal) with interchangeable smooth and rifled barrels. Lots of attention to getting the various screw- and pin-holes aligned, but the results were worth all the effort in his eyes. Mine too! :thumbsup:

Matt Avance and company did an outstanding job on mine...from the helpful tips on a couple forums, and being certain I had the correct size pin punches it's really just a 60 second job.
Lay it across my carpeted work bench
Push the 4 pins halfway out
Roll it over and pull them the rest of the way
Remove the tang screw
Gently bump the stock away from the barrel

Deer with the .45 rifle and .54cal S/B
Doves and squirrel with the .54cal S/B
Need a turkey with smoothbore shot & PRB (can't use rifles here)
If I start selling things off as I get older, this 2 barrel EVA's versatility will make it a keeper...worst case they only get swapped twice a year.

 

[wmaser]

[quote Still, I would not want to mess with such a changeover if the barrel is installed with pins. You might better change to keys.

quote]
Pins or keys...Makes no difference. They both should be using the same holes in the stock