Rifled Barrel to Smooth?

[Sage1]

Novice question.
Could a used T/C .50 rifled barrel be drilled out and polished for use as a smooth bore shotgun. Or is there more to making a ML shotgun barrel such as forcing cone etc.? Cost?
Thank You

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Mr. Hoyt does it all the time.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

No reason it couldn't be done. it was a common practice on originals when the rifling was worn out. It is going to be a cylinder bore unless you find a professional who can put a jug choke in it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Can a 50 caliber T/C be bored smooth? The simple answer is yes. However that 15/16" barrel and the depth of the screws holding the sights will limit the ultimate gauge that can be bored out. When the screw depths are shallow enough, the max size will be about 28 gauge or 54 caliber. Bobby Hoyt will have to examine the barrel to determine how much the bore can be opened.

The 56 caliber T/C smooth bore was built around a 1" across the flats barrel for the Renegade configuration.

 

[Pete453]

Yep. My trade gun started life as a 54 renegade. I drilled/reamed it to 5/8"/.62/20 guage and turned it 2/3 round. It's short, but a great all around muzzleloader. There's pictures in one of the trade gun or canoe gun threads

 

[deerstalkert]

spent most of the day honing a TC New Englander .50 smooth. tomorrow will polish it. just honing the lands away and maybe a hair over that. should come out about .515 bore. if'n it shoots good i will leave it at that. if not it will end up closer to .54

 

[Pete453]

Deerstalkert,
That's going to be a honey of a barrel, you should have a nice gun when you're done

 

[Gtrubicon]

spent most of the day honing a TC New Englander .50 smooth. tomorrow will polish it. just honing the lands away and maybe a hair over that. should come out about .515 bore. if'n it shoots good i will leave it at that. if not it will end up closer to .54

How are you doing this?