What is the significance of a swamped barrel? When is it appropriate (what school) to use a swamped barrel and when is it inappropriate? Are they more historically correct on some style rifles than on others? Thanks for your input.
swamped barrel
- Thread starter True Blue
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
MikeChapin
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2005
- Messages
- 2,183
- Reaction score
- 6
The swamped barrel is for rifle balance. Those with more knowledge on this subject will correct me if I'm wrong, but swamped barrels are found on almost all revolutionary and pre-revolutionary rifles. They are more rare on later rifles but but still around. They would not even be out of place on a Tennessee. They were not common but there are originals with them.
The only place I can see a swamped barrel to be completly out of place would be a trade rifle or Hawken. Hawkens typically had tapered barrels. Trade rifles were made to get out the door fast and as cheaply as possible. I haven't seen any of them with a swamped barrel.
The only place I can see a swamped barrel to be completly out of place would be a trade rifle or Hawken. Hawkens typically had tapered barrels. Trade rifles were made to get out the door fast and as cheaply as possible. I haven't seen any of them with a swamped barrel.
Guest
Thats pretty much right--I think that 'swamped' barrels (tapered and flared) lasted into the early 1800s, although many examples were not as tapered and flared as many we use today. The straight barrel is a relatively late invention. They (swamped) do help the lines and balance of a longrifle. Especially in large diam barrels--the straight ones are real muzzle heavy.
We'll never know the reasons rifle barrels were swamped but I will offer a theory.
Barrels are stronger when thick at the breech and also give better architecture. But a thick breeched barrel, if a straight octagon, will be mighty heavy cause it's thick all the way! Now if you taper the barrel a lot, and you have sights on it, the front sight will be too low, and the rifle will shoot high unless you have a very tall front sight. But if you flare it back out again, you have not only a pleasing shape, but a strong breech, good balance, and proper sight height to put the rifle "on" automatically at 50 yards or so.
Barrels are stronger when thick at the breech and also give better architecture. But a thick breeched barrel, if a straight octagon, will be mighty heavy cause it's thick all the way! Now if you taper the barrel a lot, and you have sights on it, the front sight will be too low, and the rifle will shoot high unless you have a very tall front sight. But if you flare it back out again, you have not only a pleasing shape, but a strong breech, good balance, and proper sight height to put the rifle "on" automatically at 50 yards or so.
I was up at Cain's and they have a swamped .54cal that some local gunsmith made. The balance was unbelivable. For such a long rifle and me not being very tall the rifle was very easy to handle. I swear I could almost balance it on one finger. I think if I ever had one made I would go swamped---I like it. :grin:
Many Klatch
69 Cal.
- Joined
- May 19, 2006
- Messages
- 3,498
- Reaction score
- 269
Rich is probably right. The main reason for swamping a barrel was to get weight off where you didn't need it and to allow for a shorter front sight.
Many Klatch
Many Klatch
Yep, I've seen several. One of them is an original Hawken .32 squirrel rifle.
The swamp was so slight on these half stock guns that one had to look down the edge of the barrel to see it.
The same slight swamp was somewhat common in the late 18th century, as well.
The swamped barrels available today have waaaaayyyyy too much taper and flare for most applications.
IMHO, I would go with a tapered barrel for a late period half stock, unles you want to special order a correctly swamped barrel. I doubt that todays heavily swamped barrels would look right on a half stock.
J.D.
The swamp was so slight on these half stock guns that one had to look down the edge of the barrel to see it.
The same slight swamp was somewhat common in the late 18th century, as well.
The swamped barrels available today have waaaaayyyyy too much taper and flare for most applications.
IMHO, I would go with a tapered barrel for a late period half stock, unles you want to special order a correctly swamped barrel. I doubt that todays heavily swamped barrels would look right on a half stock.
J.D.
Blue Blood said:
Virtually all the 18th century longrifles had swamped barrels as did the Jaeger rifles before them (odds are there's an exception somewhere). It wasn't until some mass production techniques came into use in the early 1800's that the straight barrel became prominent.
There's a HUGE difference in the balance of a longrifle with a swamped barrel as opposed to a straight barrel. Straight barrels on longrifles are muzzle heavy, swamped barrels are not. A swamped barrel is so much easier to swing, point, and hold on target that I would no longer consider buying a longrifle with a straight barrel.
I currently own a longrifle with a straight barrel, and I have a longrifle with a swamped barrel on order now. I could have paid up-front for another straight barreled rifle, but instead it'll take an extra three months for me to pay for a quality rifle with a swamped barrel.
It may not make any difference on the much shorter barreled rifles of the fur trade era, but it's night and day difference for a longrifle.
Hope this helps,
Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Guest
I still have two rifles with straight barrels. One is a heavy barreled .50 that is a real chore to hold offhand--but is great over a log. I shoot my swamped barrel .50 instead. The other 'straight' is a light barreled .45 that is no trouble to hold offhand and I shoot it very well--it is my most accurate rifle. It's a keeper. I don't think straight barrels are a problem as far as balance is concerned in the smaller diameters and calibers--some folks like a little muzzle heavy feel for offhand shooting. But there is a point at which the swamped barrels rule when diameter goes up...even among swamps, some weights hang better than others--my C wgt .50 is noticeably heavier than a friends B wgt .50....
Will Bison
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2004
- Messages
- 152
- Reaction score
- 2
I have a long rifle with swamped bbl, the balance is so perfect I can't describe the fit and feel.
CrackStock
69 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2004
- Messages
- 3,017
- Reaction score
- 11
Apparently, there is such an odd critter as a swamped half stock. I would think this would have been a conversion, but you might look for a tapered barrel for a half stock if building one. Good looking and great handling.
CS
CS
In my earlier post I mentioned that I had seen several half stock rifles with swamped barrels.
Most were cut down long guns, one of those half stock guns with a swamped barrel did appear to be a composite gun, however, the others were originally made that way.
I have seen, literally, a couple of 19th century half stocks originally made with swamped barrels.
Again, the swamp in the barrels on those half stocks was so slight that it was not readily apparent. They, at first, appeared to be tapered and I had to look down the barrels, closely, to see the swamp.
Again, I have only seen a couple of half stocks with these very slightly swamped barrels. They do not appear to be the norm.
I am not aware of a modern made barrel that duplicates the contour of these very slightly swamped barrels.
I do not think that a modern made swamped barrel would look right on a half stock rifle.
Straight tapered barrels were pretty common on mid 19th century rifles. IMHO, the lines of a half stock would look much better with a tapered barrel, and it would point and handle better than a rifle made with a straight barrel.
J.D.
Most were cut down long guns, one of those half stock guns with a swamped barrel did appear to be a composite gun, however, the others were originally made that way.
I have seen, literally, a couple of 19th century half stocks originally made with swamped barrels.
Again, the swamp in the barrels on those half stocks was so slight that it was not readily apparent. They, at first, appeared to be tapered and I had to look down the barrels, closely, to see the swamp.
Again, I have only seen a couple of half stocks with these very slightly swamped barrels. They do not appear to be the norm.
I am not aware of a modern made barrel that duplicates the contour of these very slightly swamped barrels.
I do not think that a modern made swamped barrel would look right on a half stock rifle.
Straight tapered barrels were pretty common on mid 19th century rifles. IMHO, the lines of a half stock would look much better with a tapered barrel, and it would point and handle better than a rifle made with a straight barrel.
J.D.
Guest
A well built swamp barreled rifle is like fine single malt Scotch, Bourbon, or Sex. nuff said. 
Bill
Bill
Greenmtnboy
62 Cal.
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2005
- Messages
- 2,582
- Reaction score
- 12
Has anybody competed offhand with a swamped barrel.
TVM is building me a offhand rifle and thought maby I would go that direction.
TVM is building me a offhand rifle and thought maby I would go that direction.
Johnny Tremain
Silversmith in training
and the look real cool too!
Shelby Skinner
36 Cal.
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2007
- Messages
- 88
- Reaction score
- 1
Bill of the 45th Parallel said:A well built swamp barreled rifle is like fine single malt Scotch, Bourbon, or Sex. nuff said.
Bill
Well, at least you got two out of three right! :rotf:
Shelby Skinner said:Bill of the 45th Parallel said:A well built swamp barreled rifle is like fine single malt Scotch, Bourbon, or Sex. nuff said.
Bill
Well, at least you got two out of three right! :rotf:
That might depend on your age. :blah: :rotf:
