shortening barrel

[brpc]

I am cosidering shortening a GPR 50cal, 1/60 twist barrel from the standard 32 inches to 26 inches. Anyone have any data as to velocity loss?

Thanks, Jim

 

[playfarmers]

I found 2 different rifles with 1 in 66" twist 32", and 26" barrels. Using 90g of 2f the 26" barrel got 1802 and the 32" barrel got 1892 fps. That is in the Black Powder Loading Manual by Sam Fadala.

 

[brpc]

Playfarmers:

Thankyou for looking it up.

Jim

 

[FV Rago]

Wow, thought I was the only one who did that.

I shortened my GPR 50 cal. perc. down to 23 inches.

Results - Balance is so much better. Accuracy is awsome, surprisingly. All the old farts at the shoots make fun of it until they see it shoot. I changed powders, from 2F to 3F. I am shooting 70 grains of 3F, looking at the calcs on another post, I may be blowing a little powder out the front but it is so accurate out to 100 yards.

Good Luck,

Frank

 

[paulvallandigham]

If any of you are going to use a gun for hunting, check your state hunting regulations to see if there is a minimum barrel length required. Illinois requires a barrel of at least 26 inches, I believe.

 

[FV Rago]

Doesn't that normally pertain to shotguns? Ga regs have specs on shotguns but not rifles.

 

[paulvallandigham]

NO. in Illinois, it applies to rifles. The regs. are silent about using BP shotguns, and the officers use the same rules for BP shotguns as they do for modern shotguns.

 

[FV Rago]

That's so strange pertaining to rifles. There really is no real benny to shortening a rifle barrel other than convienance. And how do they feel about pistols, you could have a high power pistol in the same calibre as a rifle with the same lenght barrel.

Just don't get some regs.

Now with a shotgun it's self explanitory.

 

[paulvallandigham]

My first rifle was a .45 cal. Kentucky " Carbine ", with a 25 inch barrel. I was one inch short of the regulation! I even talked to the Dept. of Conservation about the regulations and was told there would be no exceptions allowed. I asked them why the arbitrary choice of 26 inches, and of course, they could not tell me why one was okay and one was not. That is why it is called arbitrary. But, at that time, at least, Illinois Courts deferred to the DOC about game regs., and there was zero chance of getting the regulation thrown out. So, I didn't challenge the law in court.

 

[jethro224]

Paul,
My copy of the 2006-2007 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations says;
"Single or double barreled muzzleloading rifles of at least .45 caliber shooting a single projectile through a barrel of at least sixteen inches in length"
They musta changed it... Yer good to go.

 

[Norskie]

Like I always say: Laws are written by amateurs!

 

[Roy]

:haha: Apparently I'm going in the wrong direction. My next gun has a 50" barrel :rotf:

 

[paulvallandigham]

jim: they are trying to exclude handguns from being used in the ML season.

 

[FV Rago]

I'm going in the opp. direction also, just picked up a Kentucky rifle with a 44" barrel.