hawken swamped barrels

[bnail]

did hawken, or even HE Lemen, rifles ever have swamped barrels? it seems all I've ever seen have been jusat straight. seems like they'd be awful muzzle heavy!
did swamped barrels go out of fasion?

 

[Prairieofthedog]

Skagen,I don't think they had swamped barrels but a lot of plains rifles had tapered barrels.That would take some of the muzzle heaviness away.I think swamped barrels were losing favor by the early 1800's.

 

[Dphar]

did hawken, or even HE Lemen, rifles ever have swamped barrels? it seems all I've ever seen have been jusat straight. seems like they'd be awful muzzle heavy!
did swamped barrels go out of fasion?

The early rifles were generally tapered and may have had a swamp in some cases. But most have not been detail examined and a slight swamp might pass as a stright taper unless carefully examined or measured.
The S Hawken rifles were often tapered but some were straight.
People need to remember that the original rifles often had barrels with very slight swamps and thicker walls than we see in todays A-B pattern swamps.

Dan

 

[Paul R]

If you can find in the archives, 12-29-10, LaBont posted pictures of original Hawkens w/swamped barrels
The swamp was less pronounced then we see in modern barrels, but still there.

Paul