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muzzle coning
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I coned the muzzles of my .50 and .62. they load easyer than ever and are more accurate.
Here are some previous threads.
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/29173/[/url]
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/92987[/url]
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/190568[/url]
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/29173/[/url]
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/92987[/url]
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/190568[/url]
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k.jacobfrost
40 Cal.
Seeing as how I am entirely new to just about everything dealing with bp. What is coning? And now I hope I do not start a flame war with this question (It looked like there was one a while back) when is the earliest documentible proof of coning a barrel, resources would be nice too. Thanks.
Coning a bore is tapering the bore back at the muzzle to make it easier to load the rifle or pistol, and that usually means loading without a short starter. (still depends on how tight a ball/patch combo you use)
What it boils down to is some like it, some don't, yu will always have dif. of opinions on it. My jest of it is the match shooters don't like it as they feel it will give them less accuracy. The hunters love it as they are shooting MID (minute of deer) and it is not an issue & worth doing because of the ease of loading & thumb starting the ball..
Personally, I think the only way to really know is to have a rifle with known accuracy with a known load, cone same barrel & then work up the best load for it with the coned bore, and then compare the targets........ Now to make this an fairly accurate test, one would have to do Several rifles same way, not just one rifle & it is a for sure thing...... I have not done it & don't know anyone that has on Lots of barrels. About 2/3 of the rifles I build have coned muzzles requested, and also 2/3 of my rifles are for hunting.
If I can shoot a 1" to 1.5" group at 50 yards with a coned muzzle, I am completely satisfied. My eyesight at long distances is long gone so I enjoy what I can of it for the distance I can. Bout 20 years from now it will be real easy to get the targets tho, as they will only be 2' away so I can see the bull !! ha ha ha ! :rotf: :thumbsup:
What it boils down to is some like it, some don't, yu will always have dif. of opinions on it. My jest of it is the match shooters don't like it as they feel it will give them less accuracy. The hunters love it as they are shooting MID (minute of deer) and it is not an issue & worth doing because of the ease of loading & thumb starting the ball..
Personally, I think the only way to really know is to have a rifle with known accuracy with a known load, cone same barrel & then work up the best load for it with the coned bore, and then compare the targets........ Now to make this an fairly accurate test, one would have to do Several rifles same way, not just one rifle & it is a for sure thing...... I have not done it & don't know anyone that has on Lots of barrels. About 2/3 of the rifles I build have coned muzzles requested, and also 2/3 of my rifles are for hunting.
If I can shoot a 1" to 1.5" group at 50 yards with a coned muzzle, I am completely satisfied. My eyesight at long distances is long gone so I enjoy what I can of it for the distance I can. Bout 20 years from now it will be real easy to get the targets tho, as they will only be 2' away so I can see the bull !! ha ha ha ! :rotf: :thumbsup:
Stophel
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2005
- Messages
- 5,963
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- 869
Original coned barrels will have (so far as I have seen myself or heard from others) the rifling grooves filed out to match the flare of the cone. These barrels have NO bevel/crown. The bore and rifling come right up to the muzzle end. You will see this on German rifles, and, presumably, on some American ones as well. I personally have seen them with obvious cones like this about an inch and a half into the bore, and have been told that sometimes, the cone is really gradual and about 6" long, but I wonder about that, as I don't see how the rifling grooves could be shaped out to match this deep cone without swaging the cone into the bore (which is a possibility.... :hmm: )
I THINK that coning (contrary to an earlier position of mine) was not the common method of finishing the muzzle. I think this method was much more common: The bore would be normal and there would be a NARROW bevel crown and the rifling grooves would have their own individual "crowns" by filing out, which looks quite neat. You don't need a short starter anyway. Smaller balls, thicker patches. :winking:
I THINK that coning (contrary to an earlier position of mine) was not the common method of finishing the muzzle. I think this method was much more common: The bore would be normal and there would be a NARROW bevel crown and the rifling grooves would have their own individual "crowns" by filing out, which looks quite neat. You don't need a short starter anyway. Smaller balls, thicker patches. :winking:
sequoia
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2005
- Messages
- 266
- Reaction score
- 27
A friend of mine who has coned several rifles for himself and friends warns that it will take about 150-200 shots before the coned section of barrel feels smooth, this is normal. Usually the shooter will suddenly notice "Hey, this is much easier" after this point. Also the coning does not eliminate the rifling at the muzzle, it just makes them not quite so deep.
CrackStock
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,017
- Reaction score
- 9
Coning is a method of relieving the muzzle to form a gentle funnel shape so that the rifle is a bit easier and quicker to load.
It is all the rage at the moment and I am not playing it down, but people have also successfully shot great scores without this bit of machining.
As to history, I have heard endless arguments as to when or if this was common. There is the endless speculation as to whether these were intentionally coned/relieved or were the result of wear/erosion.
I tend to agree with my portly kraut buddy that these were done more often in area of strong German gun building influence. They are also the best evidence since they chased the rifling into the funnel muzzle. I do not know whether they believed that this added to accuracy, but rather suspect that it was just Germans being Germans and doing what they saw as finishing the job. It was another time.
The real question is whether you want it on your gun or not. You can use a smaller patch ball combination and load quickly in the field without a short starter and without a coned muzzle. You can use a short starter and pound them in for paper punching target accuracy. Or you can funnel, cone or relieve your muzzle for convenience. It is all in what you want to do with your gun.
The rest is not all that important. Not very many people are going to perform a coning check on your gun for events or competitions.
Who you gonna please with that? You.
CS
It is all the rage at the moment and I am not playing it down, but people have also successfully shot great scores without this bit of machining.
As to history, I have heard endless arguments as to when or if this was common. There is the endless speculation as to whether these were intentionally coned/relieved or were the result of wear/erosion.
I tend to agree with my portly kraut buddy that these were done more often in area of strong German gun building influence. They are also the best evidence since they chased the rifling into the funnel muzzle. I do not know whether they believed that this added to accuracy, but rather suspect that it was just Germans being Germans and doing what they saw as finishing the job. It was another time.
The real question is whether you want it on your gun or not. You can use a smaller patch ball combination and load quickly in the field without a short starter and without a coned muzzle. You can use a short starter and pound them in for paper punching target accuracy. Or you can funnel, cone or relieve your muzzle for convenience. It is all in what you want to do with your gun.
The rest is not all that important. Not very many people are going to perform a coning check on your gun for events or competitions.
Who you gonna please with that? You.
CS
swquiro,
I coned my muzzle shortly after I got my rifle, so I can't say for sure wether the accuracy improved or not. I know that it shoots great now, and I like the fact that it's easier to load. I hope to get in some more range time in the near future. I moved into a new house, and the honey-do list has kept me from the range all summer. I live in Huntington, WV which is on the Ohio River close to the Kentucky and Ohio borders. Take care.
Eric
I coned my muzzle shortly after I got my rifle, so I can't say for sure wether the accuracy improved or not. I know that it shoots great now, and I like the fact that it's easier to load. I hope to get in some more range time in the near future. I moved into a new house, and the honey-do list has kept me from the range all summer. I live in Huntington, WV which is on the Ohio River close to the Kentucky and Ohio borders. Take care.
Eric
