Should I bore one?

[M. De Land]

When I sent my GPR, I asked for 60 or 62 cal for obvious reasons. Bobby told me my barrel was 15/16 and because of dove tail cuts and screws holding the ramrod rib, that he could only go to 58 cal safely!!

Yup that makes sense, as stated it all depends on barrel diameter and I'd add steel alloy type.
I don't have much faith in 12L14 ( which a majority of muzzle loading barrels are made of )after witnessing one come apart from a short start patched ball and moderate charge.
Reaming a bore free of rifling is not rocket science, and the core of discovery freshed out the rifling on one using a broke file fragment for a cutting head on a stick while in winter camp, it's actually the deep hole boring and keeping on center with minimal run out is the tough part of barrel making !

 

[Jedidiah]

Agree with a lot of the above, except I always pull the breech plug and run the reamer through from the breech end only (I don’t pull it back through). I use an expanding reamer held in a piece of square tubing (with bore guides) for an extension. The reamer follows the original bore.

WOW, that kind of work is way out of my league!!

 

[M. De Land]

Agree with a lot of the above, except I always pull the breech plug and run the reamer through from the breech end only (I don’t pull it back through). I use an expanding reamer held in a piece of square tubing (with bore guides) for an extension. The reamer follows the original bore.

I mostly use my none piloted, fluted expanding reamers for shot gun and choke work but for barrel chambering and liner boring much prefer the piloted reamers often coming in from both ends in liner work.
If the pilots fit to within half a thou and are kept free of chips they tend to stay on center better for me.
The mid barrel merge needs cleaned up when coming in from both ends but for lining work is not a problem because of the clearance one is boring for adhesive or solder. I don't think I would use it for smooth boring a barrel though hence one direction boring.
You must have some sort of oil pump removing the swarf like a deep hole borer does if you don't retract the expanding reamer for chip removal.
I'm guessing you must be pulling the reamer instead of rear driving like back boring a shot gun ?
Love to hear of other methods and means, much obliged !

 

[M. De Land]

If you haven’t sent it to Bobby yet, you’re doing it wrong.

I’ll second rhe recomendation to go to .58 smooth IF it is safe to do so.

DO IT!!!

Well, it would be wrong for those that don't have the skill and equipment to do the job right but not for every one !

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Well, it would be wrong for those that don't have the skill and equipment to do the job right but not for every one !

Many don’t, and Bobby is a standup guy that’ll do it for a great price.

Nothing wrong with that.

 

[SDSmlf]

You must have some sort of oil pump removing the swarf like a deep hole borer does if you don't retract the expanding reamer for chip removal.
I'm guessing you must be pulling the reamer instead of rear driving like back boring a shot gun ?

I gave a ‘simplified’ description. Ultimately involves a 4 jaw chuck (assuming an octagon barrel), a bushing to support the barrel at the far end of the headstock (the chuck alone will not support and hold the barrel square), gauge pins and an indicator to square things up, then moving the tailstock to allow driving the reamer all the way through while basically hand turning the lathe, and yes, a pump for a flood of coolant. Essentially a two person operation or one person with at least three functioning hands. Doubt exact or similar method can be found in any gunsmith books.

 

[M. De Land]

I gave a ‘simplified’ description. Ultimately involves a 4 jaw chuck (assuming an octagon barrel), a bushing to support the barrel at the far end of the headstock (the chuck alone will not support and hold the barrel square), gauge pins and an indicator to square things up, then moving the tailstock to allow driving the reamer all the way through while basically hand turning the lathe, and yes, a pump for a flood of coolant. Essentially a two person operation or one person with at least three functioning hands. Doubt exact or similar method can be found in any gunsmith books.

Thanks, I understand all that you have described and am very glad Hoyt is available to the community that does not do this sort of thing.

 

[Jedidiah]

Many don’t, and Bobby is a standup guy that’ll do it for a great price.

Nothing wrong with that.

On June 6th, 2023, Bobby cut my barrel from 32 to 26 inches. He cut the ramrod rib too. Bored the barrel to .58 smooth. He refit the ramrod rib, drilled a new screw hole etc to hold it, fit everything perfectly. The bill was $100.00 plus shipping. I sent him a check for $130. I think that was a very fair price!

 

[Jedidiah]

Thanks, I understand all that you have described and am very glad Hoyt is available to the community that does not do this sort of thing.

There are many capable people on the forum that have solid experience with lathes and milling machines, and have their own workshops etc. They have the ability to handle many different tasks. Then there are those of us whose gunsmithing talent extends to writing a check!! it is what it is. LOL

 

[SDSmlf]

Thanks, I understand all that you have described and am very glad Hoyt is available to the community that does not do this sort of thing.

And now back to regular programming. We seem current on the blackpowder vs Pyrodex debate, but I haven’t seen a stuck ball thread in a while.

 

[M. De Land]

On June 6th, 2023, Bobby cut my barrel from 32 to 26 inches. He cut the ramrod rib too. Bored the barrel to .58 smooth. He refit the ramrod rib, drilled a new screw hole etc to hold it, fit everything perfectly. The bill was $100.00 plus shipping. I sent him a check for $130. I think that was a very fair price!

And had to cut a new crown, Yeah I'd say he is a real bargain at that price.

 

[Sparkplug]

Looks like I need to speak with Bobby Hoyt. Now, where can I find him?

 

[SDSmlf]

Looks like I need to speak with Bobby Hoyt. Now, where can I find him?

Bobby Hoyt
Freischutz Shop
2379 Mt Hope Rd
Fairfield, PA 17320
ph# 717-642-6696

Call him early in the day, 8-9 o’clock. Don’t get discouraged if he doesn’t answer immediately.

 

[Sparkplug]

Bobby Hoyt
Freischutz Shop
2379 Mt Hope Rd
Fairfield, PA 17320
ph# 717-642-6696

Call him early in the day, 8-9 o’clock. Don’t get discouraged if he doesn’t answer immediately.

Thanks! I'll give him a call tomorrow!

 

[M. De Land]

There are many capable people on the forum that have solid experience with lathes and milling machines, and have their own workshops etc. They have the ability to handle many different tasks. Then there are those of us whose gunsmithing talent extends to writing a check!! it is what it is. LOL

Also once your tooled up for a specialized kind of work you can do things much faster and more efficiently than those of us who do more generalized kinds of gun work.
I have jigs, reamers and tooling in the drawers and on the wall that took me hours to make, have used one time and never had to put them to work since . I look at some of them I made 30-35 years ago and have to think for minute now what did I do with that bugger ?
I need to get the strings and tags out and start inventorying them so folks will know what they are after I croak .