Ed Rayle barrels?

[gunnut]

Any info on Rayle barrels and bob roller locks?

 

[Swampman]

Rayle barrels are supposed to be very good. There's only one major barrel maker that I shy away from. I do like Rice and Colerain barrels.

 

Bob Hoyt makes real nice barrels too. I'm real happy with mine!

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

I heard good things about this maker. :hatsoff: :applause: :applause:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Methinks we may have the same personal feelings towards this unnamed bbl maker.

 

[8905c]

I have an Ed Rayl barrel that I bought about 6 years ago. It is .38 cal. 13/16 X 42". I had it made into a percussion - southern mountain rifle. It is my all-around rifle (shooting paper & hunting) The rifle shoots real well and I like a great deal. The barrel shot well from the start, but got even better after I fired several shots through it. I would recommend Ed's barrels to anyone.

 

[Roy]

Both are great. I have used 5 Rayle barrels (two were custom) no complaints at all. I have a Bob Roller lock as well, sort of waiting for me putting it in a stock, the quality is top notch. :thumbsup:

 

[guncobbler]

I have two Rayl barrels and they both shoot great. He made an 11 gauge rifled barrel for me and it's great. I had to wait for them but they were well worth it. GC

 

[Wehrmacht]

I can't comment on the locks,but...

Ed Rayle barrels are top quality.I have two,and another on the way...a 50 inch New England Fowler barrel. Buy the Rayle barrel,and if you aren't satisfied I'll buy it from you for what you paid!!!

The important thing is that if Ed Rayle tells you he'll do something,by God he'll do it....and that's the main problem with the "unnamed" barrel maker of which I have eight or nine barrels of excellent quality. I also have a couple of Rice barrels which I think very highly of.

Just my thoughts....

 

[Zonie]

I only have one Rayle barrel.
It is the .40 cal X 3/4 octagon X 10 inch pistol barrel I used on my last pistol.

His barrel was the only 3/4 inch octagon I could find and Vernon Davis's price on it couldn't be beat. The outside finish wasn't great but with some draw filing it cleaned up nicely. It shoots as well as I can (probably much better than I can).

 

Ed Rayl's barrels are great and his service is too. Ed usually delivers a barrel BEFORE the agreed delivery date and he answers the phone and/or calls you back when you leave a message for him. He's a great guy to do business with all around.
Don :thumbsup:

 

[Hoyt]

Does he make swamped barrels?

 

Yes sir, he will make anything you want. Any length you want. For example, I have a barrel from him that is .50 cal. and 52.5" long in a oct. to round. I calibrated a original barrel at every 2" and he made the barrel an exact copy of the original rifle barrel. I hear he even makes them longer if you want a Looooooong rifle. :grin: I have seen a lot of his swamped barrels and they are beauties.
Don

 

[Hoyt]

Does he keep an inventory of any size? Seems like I heard there was a pretty long wait on one of his barrels. I've heard nothing but good about them, just never seen a big selection from any of the suppliers.

 

Just got off the phone with them. The original barrel I'm having rebored is being breeched and will be sent out this week. I originally wanted it in .58, but after he checked it out, he felt it wasn't safe so has cut it at .56, an old original caliber. Now I need to get a .550 mold. Ed will make you any size barrel you want, and even brass barrels ( He built one for Peter Alexander, The Gunsmith of Grenville County, they start about $300). You can check with Barbie at Buckeye Barrels or try Vernon C Davis (614-761-2568) This is my second rebore, and I am very satified with his work. Bill

 

[nchawkeye]

Ditto on what has been said on Ed Rayle....I have 2 of his barrels, one a 13/16x42 inch in .40 caliber...This one is on my Bob Watts rifle that originally had a .45...The other is a 1 1/16 tapered to 15/16x38 inch .54 that I finished in 1990...Both shoot as good as you can hold and the bore is smooth...

But...He is a true gentleman as well...After I finished my .54...I took my Bob Watts gun to the guy that I had bought my parts from, for the .54 (Bob Hunt) who used to own Salem Riflesmith in Winston-Salem....Well, Bob had liver cancer and was dieing...Bob had sent the gun to Ed...but wasn't well enough to pickup at this time...Ed took the time to bring Bob my rifle, during Bob's last days...Didn't charge a dime extra...Ed's a good man...

 

[Mike Brooks]

I personally prefer softer steel than the steel Ed uses. The stuff he was using a couple years ago would wear out a brand new file just draw filing the machine marks off of the flats. I was having to use two brand new hack saw blades to cut four dove tails, that's just way too hard for the requirements of a muzzleloading barrel. The last couple of his barrels I've used aren't quite as hard, but still too hard for a muzzleloader barrel, in my opinion, of course. :winking:
I'll stick with "the un named barrel source", when I can, I generally have a couple years lead time, so I can get what I need when I need it.
Roller locks are made by Bob Roller by hand, one at a time and are quite expensive. I've built guns around three or four of them, they work exceptionally well.