Chopping down a Bess.

[aloyalistdawg]

Hey guys
well I would recommend that you leave the Bess that length or sell it, and use the cash to purchase a Bess trade gun. These are the same as you plan to do (and have already a nice nose cap). The full length Bess should bring you about the same price as the cut down version, and save the bess for the loyalist dawgs ...
my thoughts any ways
my best regards a loyalist Dawg :hatsoff:

 

[aloyalistdawg]

Heyy well
the Rodgers unit simply made what is now concidered the short pattern Bess.. so as I said , Pedersoli makes a shorter version yet...
:hatsoff: a loyalist dawg

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I have barrels of 42", 39",36",32",30",28",26" and 24" and where I most notice the difference is when packing them into my truck. :haha:

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Roger's Rangers chopped 7 to 8 inches off the barrels of their Bess. A small pile of barrel ends was found on Rogers Island by Archeologists. Looks like you can cut down the barrel and still be historically accurate. That will also give you an opportunity to solder a better front sight on.

Many Klatch

Rogers' lads were cutting 1st model Brown Bess muskets with a 46" barrel which gave them something really close to what the Pedersoli Bess is now or as was said earlier the 2nd model. If historical accuracy is not an issue and it sounds like it isn't, do your thing. As the missus said "it's your gun". I know more work would be involved but have you thought of shortening the barrel say 4-5" to see what the effect is as opposed to taking more off the barrel? Just a thought.

 

[preston cook]

24" and still shoots good enough to take deer at 65yards i have taken 4 with it and for close up duck it is fantastic so short bbls will shoot well

 

[Mike Brooks]

OH THE HUMANITY! :shocked2: :haha:

 

[Maverick3855]

OH THE HUMANITY! :shocked2: :haha:

LMAO!!!! :rotf:

 

[wayne1967]

It'your gun. Do what you want to with it. Have fun with your toys!

 

[Maverick3855]

24" and still shoots good enough to take deer at 65yards i have taken 4 with it and for close up duck it is fantastic so short bbls will shoot well

That is Sweet!
I have to admit I compromised this morning.
I took mine down to 36 inches. It may go to 34 I haven't decided yet but the deed is done.
I'll play taps and bury the sawed off section in my yard with full military honors for future archeologists to find like on Rogers Island.

 

[old ugly]

atta boy :thumbsup:

 

[torn moc]

OMG !!!

 

[preston cook]

:blah: you cant judge something you have never shot :rotf: :rotf:

 

[torn moc]

:rotf: I have 3 Blunderbusses with 20" barrels and a Mowrey Georgia tree gun with a 24" barrel...
I like the carbine lenght so Dont Assume I havent shot short barreled carbines... its just that I Cant Believe
you would chop a Bess ....especially when you can Buy them with that barrel lenght !!! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Maverick3855]

:rotf: I have 3 Blunderbusses with 20" barrels and a Mowrey Georgia tree gun with a 24" barrel...
I like the carbine lenght so Dont Assume I havent shot short barreled carbines... its just that I Cant Believe
you would chop a Bess ....especially when you can Buy them with that barrel lenght !!! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Mine was a gift so It came with the 40 or 41 inch barrel, whatever it had.
I would have bought the shorter one had I purchased it myself but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
I also wanted a different look.
I left the wood all the way to the muzzle and want it to look kind like a trade gun. No nose cap, fullstock etc.
I am REALLY happy with how it is turning out and even at 36 inches it is noticeably handier.
I'm going to polish up the sears in the lock, put a touch hole liner in to speed up ignition and solder a turtle trade gun sight on it before I re-brown the barrel.
The barrel and lock have been browned for 10 years now.
It could turn out to be my new best friend for brush busting and trekking.
I'm really liking it.
I agonized over it, prayed to the Gods, I wept! Finally I just bit the bullet and grabbed the hacksaw.
I'm glad I did now.
I'll post pics when it's done.

 

[torn moc]

to each his own... :v

 

[preston cook]

i would make a pistol of it if the desire struck not to offend you but opinions are useless to me. :dead: :2 and i never said you had not shot a short bbl before. i meant you had never shot mine. so any conclusion you have about it , is nothing in reality :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

"I wept! Finally I just bit the bullet and grabbed the hacksaw."

I would suggest saving the cut off section, these work well for experimenting with various barrel and funiture finishes/aging/patina. Good luck with the short gun when hunting season opens.

 

[Maverick3855]

"I wept! Finally I just bit the bullet and grabbed the hacksaw."

I would suggest saving the cut off section, these work well for experimenting with various barrel and funiture finishes/aging/patina. Good luck with the short gun when hunting season opens.

Thanks.
I kind of chickened out on my original 31 inch plan though.
It's a pretty normal 36-1/4 inch barrel now.
Not even what you could consider carbine length.
I like it a lot better though.
And I really should practice my sight soldering skills on that barrel section. :wink:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

i would make a pistol of it if the desire struck not to offend you but opinions are useless to me. :dead: :2 and i never said you had not shot a short bbl before. i meant you had never shot mine. so any conclusion you have about it , is nothing in reality :thumbsup:

I think some folks often overlook the amount of wallop these .70+ caliber balls deliver at the ranges you are talking about. 10 and 11 gauge balls are serious medicine and once a man learns his gun, these ranges become quite reasonable.

 

[J.D.]

I would leave the tough hole alone. Those bess' usually have a pretty BIG TH that gives good ignition of the main charge and superb reliability.

If you don't like the way the bess performs with the existing TH, you can always change it. I think you will be surprised at how fast and reliable it is, just the way it is.

God bless