Swamped Barrel

[Resolve]

Not long ago I posted some questions about barrel twist and length. Thanks to the good folks here I now have a pretty good idea about each. Now I’d like to talk about swamped barrels. I’ve never owned one or shot one, but I hefted a friend’s once to the offhand position and marveled at the balance. Anyway, I searched the posts here and this is basically how I now understand the subject. The purpose was to improve balance and /or reduce weight. Am I on the right track?
Thanks,
R

 

[Phil Coffins]

Yes.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Not long ago I posted some questions about barrel twist and length. Thanks to the good folks here I now have a pretty good idea about each. Now I’d like to talk about swamped barrels. I’ve never owned one or shot one, but I hefted a friend’s once to the offhand position and marveled at the balance. Anyway, I searched the posts here and this is basically how I now understand the subject. The purpose was to improve balance and /or reduce weight. Am I on the right track?
Thanks,
R

A swamped barrel not only has better balance, the taper and flair add grace and aesthetics to a rifle.
Larry

 

[rich pierce]

In addition, without increasing weight, it allows more thickness at the breech where you want the most protection.

 

[Grenadier1758]

A swamped barrel does indeed reduce weight and improve balance. All the historic swamped barrels were forged from a skelp. The process of forging a barrel will result in a thicker breech and muzzle. Metal moves from the start of the weld to the end. It just happens.

Once the ability to make the bore using the deep drilling process and the development of the heavy-duty milling machines to mill the octagon barrels, swamped barrels ceased to be produced. With all the benefits of a swamped barrel, why did production cease and become tapered or straight barrels?

Now we mill swamped barrels to make the period correct barrels to have a barrel that conforms to the rifles we want to replicate.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

A swamped barrel does indeed reduce weight and improve balance. All the historic swamped barrels were forged from a skelp. The process of forging a barrel will result in a thicker breech and muzzle. Metal moves from the start of the weld to the end. It just happens.

Once the ability to make the bore using the deep drilling process and the development of the heavy-duty milling machines to mill the octagon barrels, swamped barrels ceased to be produced. With all the benefits of a swamped barrel, why did production cease and become tapered or straight barrels?

Now we mill swamped barrels to make the period correct barrels to have a barrel that conforms to the rifles we want to replicate.

They also used octagon to round barrels which are even lighter than a comparable swamped barrel. why did they stop making them is simple, It's easier to make a straight or tapered barrel. Not to mention that inletting a swamped or octagon to round barrel is a pain in the ass.

 

[morehops52]

I had a custom Lancaster rifle made with a swamped barrel. The light weight and balance is hard to believe.

 

[Grenadier1758]

They also used octagon to round barrels which are even lighter than a comparable swamped barrel. why did they stop making them is simple, It's easier to make a straight or tapered barrel. Not to mention that inletting a swamped or octagon to round barrel is a pain in the ass.

Exactly.

 

[Africa58double]

Ive got a Jaeger without a swamp barrel…. And It’s perfectly adequate.

I almost bought a custom Flintlock Jaeger with a Rice swap barrel and a exquisite Black walnut Stock.

The Swamp barrel is worth getting.

However………..
It’s not “Needed”.

I bought another excellent item along with the straight barrel Jaeger, instead of just that Custom rifle.

So it made more sense.


Yet that Rice Swamp Barrel on that Custom Jaeger- Was very very very difficult to not purchase. I pondered a good bit and am pleased with my Decision. I simply wanted “Two” flintlocks, so one would be a backup for hunting trips.

 

[Col. Batguano]

The top one is interesting. Tell us more.

 

[tnlonghunter]

A swamped barrel is a beautiful thing to look at, carry, and shoulder.

That said, depending on your usage, it might not be critical. I don't hunt nearly as much as I used to, so carrying a heavier straight barreled rifle isn't that big if a deal. But if I was still hunting nearly every weekend throughout the season, I'd surely go pick the swamped barrel.

Weight is a good thing when target shooting. Heavier guns simply don't move off target as easily. So, if you are target shooting with a bigger bore (say, .50 and up???) a straight barrel may be more stable without being crazy heavy. However, if you're target shooting with a smaller bore (assuming the same outside profile/dimensions) then the weight would be good but better balanced than a straight barrel.

So, it's all relative to your needs, interests, and wallet.

 

[Resolve]

Thanks folks, learned a lot I didn't know!

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

They also used octagon to round barrels which are even lighter than a comparable swamped barrel. why did they stop making them is simple, It's easier to make a straight or tapered barrel. Not to mention that inletting a swamped or octagon to round barrel is a pain in the ass.

If you take apart originals you'll often find octagon and swamped oct. barreled guns had barrel channels that were round. So that shoots down that theory. I have also seen many old trade gun barrels there were oct/rnd on top and round on the bottom.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

If you take apart originals you'll often find octagon and swamped oct. barreled guns had barrel channels that were round. So that shoots down that theory. I have also seen many old trade gun barrels there were oct/rnd on top and round on the bottom.

Actually I think that shows that the old gunsmiths were a lot smarter than we are today. Why spend all kinds of time making something perfect that isn't going to be seen? the only purpose of the fore stock is to hold the ramrod. Saw a post recently where they pointed out that many original's didn't have the nice crisp angles on the flats that the barrels have today, many of them the edges were rounded over a little which is something that wouldn't happen from wear over the full length of the barrel.