rebore questions

[Kentuckyjed]

I picked up a really old French flintlock smoothbore/fowler type tapered barrel with a flat filed across the top ( neat old barrel) that is around 36 inches long. It has the typical rust in and on barrel so I soaked it in Evapo-rust for several days and it worked out nice, I got the breech plug out and found a rust ring where something was left over the years and thought rebore possibly. The barrel mics out at .580. I was thinking about getting a rebore to .615 , there is plenty of meat on the breech end but the muzzle end wall thickness is.059. My question is: would this be feasible and also what would be the best way of contacting Mr. Hoyt (phone, email, letter in the mail with pics?) to get a ballpark figure on the cost. I have about $70 in this barrel at the moment. Or should I just hone the barrel and go with the 24 gauge that it is. The only reason I was thinking boring it out was to clean up the bore plus have a 20 gauge.
Any help is graciously accepted and appreciated.
Thanks,
BZ

 

[Kentuckyjed]

crickets

 

[Britsmoothy]

It's getting thin at the muzzle.
I'd just polish it and go shoot

 

[rich pierce]

It's getting thin at the muzzle.
I'd just polish it and go shoot

I’d ream it till the pits are gone. I have no experience in honing but some swear by it. I’d worry about keeping the bore uniform with honing. I use adjustable reamers and the barrels look like new when done.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

It's getting thin at the muzzle.
I'd just polish it and go shoot

The muzzle end does have a small ding. I thought about just cutting it back and checking it again for wall thickness, but I might end up doing as you suggested. Thanks for your input.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

I’d ream it till the pits are gone. I have no experience in honing but some swear by it. I’d worry about keeping the bore uniform with honing. I use adjustable reamers and the barrels look like new when done.

Thanks , what kind of adjustable reamers might you be talking about?

 

[Kentuckyjed]

I did acquire some 80 grit and 220 grit lapping compound and thought about rigging up a slotted dowel with some crocus paper folded and slid in the slot then dipped in the lapping compound and either hand lapping or using a drill slowly.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

Was planning on using this barrel for a fowler type project maybe work it into a fusil de chasse styled stock. It would be more like a fusil carbine with the short barrel.

 

[rich pierce]

Thanks , what kind of adjustable reamers might you be talking about?

You can see the reamers come in ranges. I get square tubing that fits the square end of the reamer. Then turn the square tubing by hand with a piece of wood that just fits over the square tubing. I use cutting oil. I put the barrel in one bench vise and in another I have a board with a hole drilled that just allows the square tubing to rotate. This aligns the reamer with the bore. From time to time I adjust the reamer bit by bit. Clean and inspect.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

View attachment 271055
You can see the reamers come in ranges. I get square tubing that fits the square end of the reamer. Then turn the square tubing by hand with a piece of wood that flips over the square tubing. I use cutting oil. I put the barrel in one bench vise and in another I have a board with a hole drilled that just allows the square tubing to rotate. This aligns the teamer with the bore. From time to time I adjust the reamer bit by bit. Clean and inspect.View attachment 271058

I like that plan, might just try it. Thanks for the info.

 

[springfield art]

I picked up a really old French flintlock smoothbore/fowler type tapered barrel with a flat filed across the top ( neat old barrel) that is around 36 inches long. It has the typical rust in and on barrel so I soaked it in Evapo-rust for several days and it worked out nice, I got the breech plug out and found a rust ring where something was left over the years and thought rebore possibly. The barrel mics out at .580. I was thinking about getting a rebore to .615 , there is plenty of meat on the breech end but the muzzle end wall thickness is.059. My question is: would this be feasible and also what would be the best way of contacting Mr. Hoyt (phone, email, letter in the mail with pics?) to get a ballpark figure on the cost. I have about $70 in this barrel at the moment. Or should I just hone the barrel and go with the 24 gauge that it is. The only reason I was thinking boring it out was to clean up the bore plus have a 20 gauge.
Any help is graciously accepted and appreciated.
Thanks,
BZ

Is Evapo-Rust the same stuff as Naval Jelly?

 

[Kentuckyjed]

Is Evapo-Rust the same stuff as Naval Jelly?

Yep but the Evaporust I can pour in a tube with the barrel in and let it sit, naval jelly can get the outside covered good but would be harder to tell about the coverage in the bore, Thanks. The jelly does work good though.