Does anyone make stainless octagon flintlock barrels?
- Thread starter Dartwick
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
I think the Hawken brothers used to.
Robby
Robby
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
Why would you want a stainless barrel?
There's been a couple of stainless in-lines made over the years. Don't recall any stainless flinters. Friend who ran an automotive machine shop told me the problem with stainless is that it "work hardens" (whatever that meant) and was rough on his cutting tools.
Perhaps some of the benchrest, non-traditional M/L folks would know of a source. Good luck.
Perhaps some of the benchrest, non-traditional M/L folks would know of a source. Good luck.
Have you tried contacting any of the muzzleloading barrel manufacturers and ask them if they could make a barrel for you? It might be expensive since it would likely be a one-off run. That said, stainless barrels in the in-line muzzleloading and centerfire world are extremely common. So rifling a stainless tube isn't anything new.
jimhallam
Pilgrim
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2018
- Messages
- 329
- Reaction score
- 367
STAINLESS flintlock barrel ? Not very "authentic" 19th Century. And then people get their knickers in a twist when someone mentions a capping breechloader, or even WORSE -- a cartridge conversion from the period.
I doubt you will find a stainless barrel or a stainless breach plug. I know you said stainless is what you'd like, but please explain your reasoning.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2019
- Messages
- 2,017
- Reaction score
- 4,783
You will definitely need to hit up one of the custom barrel makers. My first *guess* would be that you'd have your best shot with Ed Rayl as he often uses a much tougher steel grade than most of the other makers using 12L. Bob Hoyt might also consider it. I also suspect it will cost quite a bit if you can actually find someone to do it.
Tacksman45
Pilgrim
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2014
- Messages
- 373
- Reaction score
- 164
John Taylor is currently making me a 42" 416 stainless barrel, I asked Green Mountain about making a stainless barrel and he is the person they recommended. He does not do swamped barrels currently, but straight octagon should be no problem. Also I had Bobby Hoyt cut a barrel out of a 30" .50 416 stainless barrel blank that Green Mountain carries (currently sold out), and had Dale Nincehelser in Florida make me an English Sporting Rifle with it and I love it!
https://johntaylormachine.com/
https://johntaylormachine.com/
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2012
- Messages
- 928
- Reaction score
- 1,286
This is just an idea my buddy had the same thought process as you do. What he did was draw filed it and sanded it smooth like you would a bare metal finish on a muscle car. Once this was done, he layered it with the same clear coating used on the finish of the car and it looks stunning if you're into the raw finish like that. Just an idea you can get what you want with limited cost. Hes owned it for 12-14 years now and the finish has held up well.
Sure you could have that done. Thomson Center used to make what I think is a version of the New Englander, and it was called the Greyhawk, percussion, and it had a stainless barrel, full length round, 26" and 1:48 SO..., you could find one and perhaps have it converted to flintlock. Barrel would be sort of short though. Maybe you want that?
It's a lot less expensive to make non-stainless barrels for "traditional" muzzleloaders, as there are special problems with stainless steel so when there isn't a demand for such barrels it's not very cost effective for the manufacturer. Problems increase when you try to make the barrel octagon to round or octagon full length. BUT for the person who wants a custom barrel done, it should not be a problem if you could use a round barrel, other than the cost. Depending on the finish, it might look very much like a barrel left "in the white" except it's not going to rust.
LD
I have a TC Greyhawk, easiest to clean muzzleloader I own. Not HC, but I don't have to worry about rust on any of the custom guns if I'm hunting in crappy weather.
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2005
- Messages
- 7,128
- Reaction score
- 5,431
We seem to be happy enough to buy the definitive stainless steel revolver - the Ruger Old Army - in huge numbers, and to occasionally sing the praises and benefits of owning other, more archaic-looking revolvers like the Remington Model of 1858, made by the likes of Pietta, in stainless steel.
So I don't understand the problem some of us seem to be having with a s/s flintlock pistol.
So I don't understand the problem some of us seem to be having with a s/s flintlock pistol.
I think there was a special edition TC Hawken made in stainless, and I know Lyman/Investarms made the Deerstalker in stainless. I looked at the Deerstalker for years. It was not HC, but it sure was pretty if you like the look of stainless and dark walnut guns.
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2008
- Messages
- 430
- Reaction score
- 399
History trivia:
FWIW a form of stainless steel has been known since ancient times but was extremely rare. It came from nickel-iron meteorites that were heated and hand hammer forged into jewelry or knives.
King Tut's tomb contained a 3,300 y.o. rust free knife. The large amounts of nickel and cobalt it contained strongly indicates meteorite iron . . . but I've never read of any gun parts being made from this type of material, plus the non-metallic inclusions would probably make it weak in tension . . . not good properties for a gun barrel.
FWIW a form of stainless steel has been known since ancient times but was extremely rare. It came from nickel-iron meteorites that were heated and hand hammer forged into jewelry or knives.
King Tut's tomb contained a 3,300 y.o. rust free knife. The large amounts of nickel and cobalt it contained strongly indicates meteorite iron . . . but I've never read of any gun parts being made from this type of material, plus the non-metallic inclusions would probably make it weak in tension . . . not good properties for a gun barrel.
N.Y. Yankee
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2013
- Messages
- 626
- Reaction score
- 719
Even if you did get a SS barrel, you will still need to clean it soon after firing. A friend of mine loaded some .44 mag cases with 3f and they shot well but he didnt clean it for some time. It pitted his bore quite a bit and stained the metal badly.
Yes, I think you would need to polish the SS to almost a chrome like finish to prevent pitting/staining. The flip side is if you polish most modern barrel steels they provide a similiar level of protection. We had a house fire in 2014 and I've had to completely refinish all my firearms. I have several (including BP) that have been left in the white for years, and I just wipe them down the same as my blued and browned firearms without problems. And just like blued weapons, as long as the corrosion is kept from starting it's never a problem.
