Green River Rifle barrel
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They were among the best available at the time, and there hasn't been anything new learned about barrel making in a long time- so they are still among the best ever. Sell it to me instead!
JOHN L. HINNANT
45 Cal.
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Greetings Husqvarna,
I have two 50 caliber Green River Works barrels that are as accurate as any barrel, I have ever used.
In most cases involving 50 caliber barrels, a .500 size produces my most accurate load. My two GRW barrels however, have a definate preference for .495 size ball.
If your GRW barrel is in good shape, use it and do not look back. Load it properly, and you will not be dissappointed.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
I have two 50 caliber Green River Works barrels that are as accurate as any barrel, I have ever used.
In most cases involving 50 caliber barrels, a .500 size produces my most accurate load. My two GRW barrels however, have a definate preference for .495 size ball.
If your GRW barrel is in good shape, use it and do not look back. Load it properly, and you will not be dissappointed.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
Green River at its time was one of the best if not the best, great barrels . Just saw John had a post here, what he tells you is right. the( green river)post makes me feel old or are they just young john? :rotf: I sure feel old. Fred :hatsoff:
JOHN L. HINNANT
45 Cal.
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Well Frank,
I do not know about this "old" business; Guess I will find out about that when I get to as old as you and Davy. Of course in Davy's case it would help a lot if he would slow down on that business of driving fast sport cars, chasing wild women, and drinkin that high priced Scotch. I know he is not going to stop all (or any of it) of that completely, but it would help if he just slowed down a bit.
As a shameful matter of fact, I must admit that I was not old enough to know about those Green River Works barrels when they were being produced.
I have had to rely on the "oldtimers" to tell me about them. I am sure you and Davy know, first hand, more than me about the GRW'S Barrels history.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
I do not know about this "old" business; Guess I will find out about that when I get to as old as you and Davy. Of course in Davy's case it would help a lot if he would slow down on that business of driving fast sport cars, chasing wild women, and drinkin that high priced Scotch. I know he is not going to stop all (or any of it) of that completely, but it would help if he just slowed down a bit.
As a shameful matter of fact, I must admit that I was not old enough to know about those Green River Works barrels when they were being produced.
I have had to rely on the "oldtimers" to tell me about them. I am sure you and Davy know, first hand, more than me about the GRW'S Barrels history.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
Guest
Just add my 2 cents, I have two Green River barrels on rifles, a .50 and a .45. The .45 is the most accurate rifle I have by far. The .45 I made back in 1978 and the .50 was made by Casteel in 1974 and I have not shot it much. They had a very good rep at the time for accuracy and that is what a barrel is supposed to be. Also, although I have heard debate on this, they are supposed to be 'choke bored'--at least my .45 barrel is real tight for the first few inches. I used to use .445 balls but recently switched to .440 balls for loading ease and the rifle is still accurate.
Guest
Mike Roberts said:
Mike, your right. The old Green River Rifle Works barrels were choked. And they were the best barrels on the market when they were available. I sure hated it when they shut down. Best shooting rifles I ever owned were built on those barrels. And the outside flats were just as nice as the inside. You didn't have to buy a new file for each barrel. Dern, I wish they were still making them.
You can "choke" any new or old barrel by lapping from the breech. Never let the lap go out the muzzle or go short of the muzzle. It cuts best at the beginning of the stroke, cause the lapping compound is new. That's at the breech. Tighten the lap or re-pour when it gets loose and repeat. 200 strokes and any barrel can be choked. It will be darn little- maybe .0005- but you will feel it when loading. And if it makes you feel like that sonofagun must be more accurate, you'll shoot it better, guaranteed!
JOHN L. HINNANT
45 Cal.
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Greetings Mike Roberts and All,
Your comment about the choke in the Green River Works barrels is very interesting. It is something I had completely forgotten about, maybe because my two barrels do not have any apparent choke.
When the GRW's operation shut down, some individual purchased the barrel making equipment and continued making barrels. My barrels are not marked Green River, but they were purchased from a gentleman who I trust. He is the person who confirmed the story I had heard about the second party production of GRW's barrels.
I am quite sure my barrels are from the second generation of GRW's barrels, and therefore may not have been choked. It is also possible a special run customer order without choke was produced.
Anyway, my two GRW' barrel do not have any choke.
My old Mentor, "Judge" Resley, always choked his barrels. Best accuracy was obtainable only if a felt wad over the powder was used. The patches were not cut if the felt over wad was not used, accuracy was just not as good.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
Your comment about the choke in the Green River Works barrels is very interesting. It is something I had completely forgotten about, maybe because my two barrels do not have any apparent choke.
When the GRW's operation shut down, some individual purchased the barrel making equipment and continued making barrels. My barrels are not marked Green River, but they were purchased from a gentleman who I trust. He is the person who confirmed the story I had heard about the second party production of GRW's barrels.
I am quite sure my barrels are from the second generation of GRW's barrels, and therefore may not have been choked. It is also possible a special run customer order without choke was produced.
Anyway, my two GRW' barrel do not have any choke.
My old Mentor, "Judge" Resley, always choked his barrels. Best accuracy was obtainable only if a felt wad over the powder was used. The patches were not cut if the felt over wad was not used, accuracy was just not as good.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
Guest
Rich, I had those rifles years ago when my eyes were younger too. Maybe THAT was the advantage over my later rifles. :grin: I had two friends who worked at the Old GRRW in Utah and they said the barrels were choked for about the last 6" at the muzzle. I never was a big paper shootin' fan though. I always thought the rifles out of the GRRW shop were real nice looking rifles too. I guess those days are gone forever and beaver will never shine again. :haha:
Cooner, those WERE the shinin times. We were young and strong and fast and those rifles were FINE.
Herb
54 Cal.
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My friend, Carney Pace, set up the barrel making machinery at the Green River Rifle Works. I'll ask him about this. Couple of years ago I wanted a 36" .54 GRRW barrel cut to 32", converting a "carpenter made" Hawken fulstock percussion to a halfstock. I asked my friend Neill Fields, who made barrels at GRRW before he built guns there, about this choke business. He said it was just a function of the rifling operation, that they were not deliberately choked. He cheerfully sawed four inches off my muzzle. He's having a black eyed pea feed and blanket shoot tomorrow, I'll check again, Carney may be there, too. Be that as it may- GGRW's brochure from 1978 describes their "Plumb Center" barrels in their brochure and adds the P.S. "Please don't cut the muzzle off our barrels if you want to shorten it. If you do, you will cut off the choke and lose accuracy thereby. Always shorten the barrel from the breech. May you be forever haunted by the devilish spirit of lost accuracy if you shorten from the muzzle!" My shortened barrel will shoot roundballs and 80 grains of 2F into quarter-sized holes at 50 yards from rest- so I guess we didn't get haunted.
JOHN L. HINNANT
45 Cal.
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Greetings Herb and All,
Herb, I think you just furnished the reason why my two GRRW's do not show any evidence of being choked.
Each barrel is 33 inches long, which was not a problem for me. Your post tends to make me think
that these barrels were originally 36 inches long, and were shortened after leaving GRRW.
Shorten or not, these two barrels shoot match level accuracy. Most likely, I would have had to shorten them from a 36 inch length myself, since they are both made into cross stick rifles. Match rules call for a max weight of 14 pounds, and both rifles go 2-3 ounces under that.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
Herb, I think you just furnished the reason why my two GRRW's do not show any evidence of being choked.
Each barrel is 33 inches long, which was not a problem for me. Your post tends to make me think
that these barrels were originally 36 inches long, and were shortened after leaving GRRW.
Shorten or not, these two barrels shoot match level accuracy. Most likely, I would have had to shorten them from a 36 inch length myself, since they are both made into cross stick rifles. Match rules call for a max weight of 14 pounds, and both rifles go 2-3 ounces under that.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
DITTO WITH THAT! MY FIRST SCRATCH BUILT RIFLE HAD A GREEN RIVER BARREL AND WAS A 13/16" .40 CALIBER 42" SHOT EXTREMELY WELL. HAD MY BEST SCORES WITH THAT GUN. .... I'm really not a 'great' shooter, BUT THEY WERE MY BEST..................George F.
Herb
54 Cal.
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I discussed this with Carney and Neill today. Neill said the choke developed as the rifling cutter head was withdrawn from the bore. He does not think much of the choke idea. Carney was of about the same train of thought. I have a .45 GRRW barrel that I made into a Leman Trade rifle at the GRRW in 1979, and I cannot detect any choke in it. Neill said they made barrels of different lengths, even 30 inches for the Lemans. So barrels could have come out of their shop at various lengths, but I didn't ask if they all started out the same length and were then cut to length, or if they were cut to length and then rifled.
