Oval Bore rifling?

[Marko10thivi]

Many years ago there were articles about and advertising for a gunsmith/barrel maker in either Muzzle Blasts or Muzzleloader magazine that was cutting oval bore rifling. I guess it was cut with a semi-circular cutter. when you looked at the muzzle it appeared slightly oval. when you removed the breech plug the bore looked just wavy and funky. I think the maker was producing trade guns. I thought it was a great idea for a trade gun, have a smooth bore look, but actually have a twist.
I can think of quite a few advantages to this method. In modern firearms, Heckler and Koch uses a variation. Hexagonal rifling.
Anyway, does any have any reference to that maker or heard of anyone else doing oval bore rifling?

 

[boar]

One of my buddies (deceased) had a gun that he called a bull barrel that looked like what you are saying. It was not a muzzleloader. can't rember what it was. Sorry. Seems it might have been a Ruger. Dilly

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I can't add much info, I believe it was called the "Lancaster oval bore". In W.W.Greeners book he makes mention of it rather disparagingly, but then Greener never spoke well of anything he didn't make. He made grand claims for something he did make which he called "invisible rifling". He never elaborated on nor explained that term but claimed it was the best thing for a ball and shot gun.

 

[rabbit03]

Hi Marko, wonder where H&K go this novel idea? Maybe Sir Joseph Whitworths invention back in the 1800's??

rabbit03

 

[benvenuto]

Lancaster used it, but whitworths system had a better reputation for results.
I was also used in the greene bolt action rifle that got used in the civil war

 

[Zonie]

Seems to me like an oval bore would be similar to a smooth bore when it comes to the difficulty in loading caused by fouling.

The original reason grooves were cut into gun barrel bores for shooting tightly patched balls was to give the fouling somewhere to go thereby making ramming the ball easier.
It was later discovered that if these grooves were cut in a rotating, spiral pattern, the accuracy greatly improved. This, of course, gave us the rifling we know today.

Just a thought.

zonie

 

[SAJones]

My understanging of oval rifling is that the rifling cutters are slightly convex on the cutting surface, rather than the usual flat top. This would yield rifling at a consistent depth to the bore, instead of the edges being somewhat further away. Two concentric circles; one the bore, one the rifing.

Concept was a more consistent obturation of the ball. Also it's supposed to be easier to clean. I know Getz offered oval rifling, as I ordered it for the barrel on my first kit rifle from Getz. However, I don't notice any benefit, either in shooting or cleaning. (Of course, way I've been shooting lately that's a moot point :grin:.)