Ream out to a smooth bore? Pistol

[ChuckJonesWagon]

This winter's project I'm going to build a flintlock pistol. I have a 12" piece of GM 45 caliber rifle barrel that was left over from a rifle build. The ROT on the 45 cal is 1-60 so it's not the best for use in a pistol. I've been told that I just have to shoot it to see how accurate it is (once I build it of course).

If it's not going to be accurate I have a few options. I could send it out to be bored to a 50 cal pistol twist. That's likely going to be about the same cost as buying a straight octagon pistol barrel with a proper ROT. But it's an option.

I could drill\ream it to a 50 caliber smooth bore......but that's something I've never done or even attempted. If I did that I would want the bore to be the same diameter from front to back (of course) so the idea of using something like a wheel cylinder tool would not be the best. (At least, I don't think so)

So, just wondering if anyone has ever attempted this.....successfully or not?

 

[deerstalkert]

i bought a New Englander with a sewer pipe bore. It was so bad i couldn't shoot it. Original bore was .50.
I was going to send it to Bobby to be bored out and rifled as a .54. got bored one day with 3 feet of snow outside and started looking around for something i could bore it out myself. the brake hone i had wouldn't close enough to get into the bore.
long story short, i found a 12 inch long masonry bit that was right at .54 across the cutters. with an extension it reached to the breech. the cutters being angled back kept it from cutting the last 1/2 inch or so, so i removed the breech plug and put a shorter plug as a stop, allowing me to get the last bit of bore.
i figured nothing ventured nothing gained. now as a .54 smooth bore it is a 2inch at 50 yards shooter. most accurate smooth bore i have.
i polished the bore with a half inch dowel split with progressive grits of wet/dry paper with oil in the bore.

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

WOW!! Nothing like experience and the "what do I have to lose" thinking that has some surprising outcomes at times!!

Just the kind of information I'm looking for!! Of course, if the 45 cal shoots with accuracy I'll be just as happy. I figure with such a short barrel and long rifle twist, it's "almost" a smoothbore now.

 

[R Ellis]

I was gifted a CVA Wolf 50 cal that the bore was in awful condition so I used a adjustable hand reamer to make it a smooth bore and it turned out really nice just ream a little at a time made about 3 passes to just cut out the rifling and stopped

 

[Clark Badgett]

Boring is quite easy to do.