ML Barrels

[Graybeard2A]

Appears there has to be a big shortage on barrels for sale. Have been looking for a .40 cal 36" max in length, twist rate at 1:32. Any known maker one can be ordered from ?

I'm not 100% sure! But you may want to give Kibler long rifles a call & see if he can fix ya up. He is making his own barrels out of Green Mnt. blanks. JUST A SHOT??

 

[Eric Krewson]

Whoever bought out Tip Curtis should have a ton of barrels; I was at Tip's place several years ago and he had barrels on top of barrels. i can't remember who bought him out.

 

[sportster73hp]

He uses swamped barrels

This is why you need to cut it toward the breech end as to not mess with taper

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Patience is the hardest thing to learn when it comes to muzzleloaders. Order what you need then do something else until your item is done.
All of the businesses are usually one man shops and the demand for their product is large.

 

[Ames]

Edit:
Never mind. Found my answer.

 

[64Springer]

I'm kinda slow some days. Why wouldn't you cut the muzzle end to achieve the length you are after? Avoiding having to re-thread a breach?
O.P. never said he wanted it swamped.

Take a look at a swamped barrel diagram.

There isn't much at the muzzle to cut back.

Tapping the breech and fitting a new plug/tang is fairly straight forward.

 

[smokepolehall]

This is why you need to cut it toward the breech end as to not mess with taper

This may seem odd to others but i don't like the look of a swamped bbl on an underhammer rifle.

 

[smokepolehall]

Edit:
Never mind. Found my answer.

I figure with 2nd's it may have to do with the center runout

 

[64Springer]

Patience is the hardest thing to learn when it comes to muzzleloaders. Order what you need then do something else until your item is done.
All of the businesses are usually one man shops and the demand for their product is large.

You've been in this game of building for quite a while.

Why are these one and two man operations?

If there's demand, which it sure looks like there is, why hasn't someone dumped a ton of money into a top shelf barrel manufacturing facility?

Seems to me that Traditions and CVA could start up a barrel only division and do very well.

Thanks.

 

[rich pierce]

You've been in this game of building for quite a while.

Why are these one and two operations?

If there's demand, which it sure looks like there is, why hasn't someone dumped a ton of money into a top shelf barrel manufacturing facility?

Seems to me that Traditions and CVA could start up a barrel only division and do very well.

Thanks.

Because there’s no money in it compared to other machine work.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Because there’s no money in it compared to other machine work.

There's your answer. This is true of every aspect of the muzzleloading parts business.

 

[smokepolehall]

Because there’s no money in it compared to other machine work.

Well if you ever look at the bar stock steel they pass off as quality barrel steel its nice profit. I would rather pay $250 $300 for a quality barrel myself

 

[rich pierce]

Well if you ever look at the bar stock steel they pass off as quality barrel steel its nice profit. I would rather pay $250 $300 for a quality barrel myself

I pay more that or more already. But I don’t buy short straight barrels. Paying $250-$300 isn’t going to get anybody to invest in the barrel-making business.

 

[smokepolehall]

Yup but i am not paying anyone to make me a bbl out of a $20 stick of round stock like 12L14 or 1137. They get the $200 for the machining labor time. Heck you can buy a whole rifle for $500-$700, just not a Custom one ! Yeah some people don't cotton to short 36" bbl's, just as some people don't care for 42" bbls

 

[Steve Martin]

Muzzleloading (by definition), is almost a custom build type of hobby/sport these days, so we all need to keep that in mind. I don't like it either, but them is the facts.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Try Oregon Barrel Company, which is affiliated with The Gun Works in Springfield, Oregon. I'll admit I have no first-hand experience with them, but I have read several articles or forum posts about rifles built around their barrels, and I have yet to see anything negative. I believe their maximum length for rifle barrels is 35" and I don't think they make swamped barrels, but they offer straight octagon, tapered octagon, OTR, and round barrels in all of the standard calibers with virtually any groove type or twist rate. I think Mike Nesbitt had C. Sharps build a black powder cartridge rifle around an Oregon Barrel rifled to his specs, and he was pretty happy with it. I called them once about doing a re-bore and was advised that they don't do that. They only make new barrels. However, they will make drop-in replacement barrels for T/C rifles on a custom order basis.

I have one pistol and one rifle with Hoyt barrels. Robert Hoyt is best known on this forum for his work re-boring and lining barrels, but he also makes them from scratch. He does good work. However, the word is that he is not taking any orders until April, and at that point will only be doing T/C type re-bores for a while until he catches up.

Charlie Burton makes barrels that are highly regarded. I don't know for sure that he makes fast twist barrels, but he probably does. For what it's worth, I've been waiting five years and three months for a custom barrel from him, with no firm delivery date set so far.

Rice Barrel Co. has recently updated their website and it looks as if they have expanded their offerings. I don't know that they have what you need, but it won't hurt to look, or maybe give them a call.

I would definitely check out Oregon Barrels, though.

Notchy Bob

 

[Pete G]

Because there’s no money in it compared to other machine work.

And nobody wants to start a business making $10/hr.

 

[longcruise]

Rice Barrel Co. has recently updated their website and it looks as if they have expanded their offerings. I don't know that they have what you need, but it won't hurt to look, or maybe give them a call.

I think they have also increased their production capacity.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

Yup but i am not paying anyone to make me a bbl out of a $20 stick of round stock like 12L14 or 1137. They get the $200 for the machining labor time. Heck you can buy a whole rifle for $500-$700, just not a Custom one ! Yeah some people don't cotton to short 36" bbl's, just as some people don't care for 42" bbls

You should probably contact a modern barrel maker who uses "real barrel steel" Prepare to pick yourself up off the floor when the quote you a price. $600-$800 is average for a 32" barrel from those folks.

 

[smokepolehall]

Try Oregon Barrel Company, which is affiliated with The Gun Works in Springfield, Oregon. I'll admit I have no first-hand experience with them, but I have read several articles or forum posts about rifles built around their barrels, and I have yet to see anything negative. I believe their maximum length for rifle barrels is 35" and I don't think they make swamped barrels, but they offer straight octagon, tapered octagon, OTR, and round barrels in all of the standard calibers with virtually any groove type or twist rate. I think Mike Nesbitt had C. Sharps build a black powder cartridge rifle around an Oregon Barrel rifled to his specs, and he was pretty happy with it. I called them once about doing a re-bore and was advised that they don't do that. They only make new barrels. However, they will make drop-in replacement barrels for T/C rifles on a custom order basis.

I have one pistol and one rifle with Hoyt barrels. Robert Hoyt is best known on this forum for his work re-boring and lining barrels, but he also makes them from scratch. He does good work. However, the word is that he is not taking any orders until April, and at that point will only be doing T/C type re-bores for a while until he catches up.

Charlie Burton makes barrels that are highly regarded. I don't know for sure that he makes fast twist barrels, but he probably does. For what it's worth, I've been waiting five years and three months for a custom barrel from him, with no firm delivery date set so far.

Rice Barrel Co. has recently updated their website and it looks as if they have expanded their offerings. I don't know that they have what you need, but it won't hurt to look, or maybe give them a call.

I would definitely check out Oregon Barrels, though.

Notchy Bob

I know your trying to help, n some some know but FCI n Oregon bbl's using the round bar stock to make them. 1137 steel is next up barely. Better steel is 4140 n 4150, its quality n most modern Gun bbl's are made from it. Those bar stock steel is used for some makers as it is cheap n so east on the cutting tools n such. Which saves greatly on milling n cutting tools. They don't wear out n they can make better profits.