Colerain Octagon to Round

[Hoyt]

Anybody ever use or know how accurate a Colerain octagon to round .58cal. 38" "C" profile barrel is?
I'm in process of planning a lite-weight .58cal. hunting flintlock and was going to use a 31" .58cal. Yaeger barrel..but this Colerain is the length I would rather have and weighs less..3.92lbs. vs 4.1lbs. for the 31" Jaeger barrel.
If I can find someone to inlet it and the barrel is in stock..think I'll go with it in a Buck's County style stock.

 

[Swampman]

The most accurate muzzleloader barrel I've ever seen was a Colerain.

 

[LRB]

Your odds of getting a good barrel from Colrain are not far from being struck by lightning. Every now and then, they stumble and make a good one, but the odds are way against you. Spend a little more, and buy quality. Think about it. There are reasons theirs are cheaper.

 

[Swampman]

I spent a lot more on a very well known barrel, and it wasn't worth nothin'

I'd buy a Rice or a Colerain, but not that other brand.

 

[thomas]

I have only had two colerain barrels, but both have been good shooter's for me.

Thomas

 

[LRB]

Mark, I know which makers barrel you had problems with. I am curious as to what the problems were, and what you were told when you contacted the maker. I have never owned one from this maker, and would like to know what I could run into if I decided to try one.

 

[Cherokee]

Anybody try a Green Mountain barrel? I see they have a swamped 38" 45CAL. B profile 1-60 I was think of getting.

 

[Hoyt]

Your odds of getting a good barrel from Colerain are not far from being struck by lightning. Every now and then, they stumble and make a good one, but the odds are way against you. Spend a little more, and buy quality. Think about it. There are reasons theirs are cheaper.

It's not the money..I can't afford any of them. I've heard good and bad about Colerain barrels so decided to take the gamble and ordered it today.
The reason I decided on it was because it's the lightest and only one..of the one's I wanted..I could get without a month or two wait.
I figure with my old eyesight it ought to shoot good enough.
I wanted a Rice..but he don't make what I wanted.

 

[rich pierce]

Just check it for consistency of the bore diameter when you get it and you should be fine. If you find that a patch on a jag goes down smoothly w/o tight or easy stretches of the bore, you should be fine. Making rifled barrels that shoot decent isn't witchcraft and many brands shoot really well if the maker does their part to make sure everything stays consistent and no mistakes make it out the door. The extras we may want to pay premium prices for are exterior finish and consistency of dimension, special profiling, special treatments, and reputation that adds a little "wow" factor that may or may not mean anything. I have seen Green Mountain barrels that shot wonderfully but it's a hard sell on custom rifles above a certain price range because they are common and you can get them to fit TCs- etc. So they have lower "wow" factor. Plus many of us like to support the guy who is more of a craftsman than a factory.

 

[Hoyt]

Thanks..Rich, for the tip on checking the barrel. I just got off the phone with Fred Miller and he said about 70% of the barrels he inlets for are Colerain..but also said that's probably because you don't have to wait on one. However..with so many Colerains there will be more opinions on them.
I decided to have Fred use his Berk's Co. Henry Mauger pattern for my stock. If I can end up with it looking like this one I'll be happy.

 

[LRB]

Bore uniformity is as important in a smooth bore, as in a rifle. I have yet to see a Colrain smoothy that impressed me, but you certaintly may do as you wish.

 

[rich pierce]

Allen Martin's work cannot be beat in my book. That Mauger is a treasure.

 

[Hoyt]

I have yet to see a Colrain smoothy that impressed me, but you certaintly may do as you wish.

The octagon to round Colerain I ordered is a rifled .58cal.
I do appreciate the heads up..but I do everything the wrong way first and then try to fix it..just my impatience at work.
Just a for-instance..This is the description of a Henry Mauger rifle on Allen Martin's site.."A very bulbous and stocky rifle with a heavier barrel being the norm." I'm building a lite-weight rifle...also got too much drop for a .58cal...but I like the looks and Fred's got a pattern. If it don't shoot straight, is too heavy and kicks too hard..I'll build another one and screw it up.