swamping barrels

[stumpmaker]

anyone ever swamp there own barrels ?? I am just a little conserned that i will not be able to straighten after i swamp it .

 

[Mike Brooks]

Well, it shouldn't get bent when you swamp it. If you have time and a good file or two you can swamp it by hand just using a draw file. I have an old Sharon barrel that Bruce Le Page swamped by hand by using a file.

 

[stumpmaker]

But i am betting he arched the barrel slighly and filed it flat . I am going do it as you only bend it 10,000

 

[Birddog6]

Have not done a rifle barrel but have swamped a long pistol barrel for a guy. I filed index grooves with a 3 corner file 90 degrees across the barrel to the depths I wantd the swamp, then draw filed down in between them to the depths indexed & it came out great. Gonna be allot of filing to do a rifle barrel that way, but if you got the time it will be an adventure few will attempt or accomplish.
:bow:

 

[stumpmaker]

I would use a mill

 

[Birddog6]

I would have too if I had one ! ha ha ! :grin:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I would use a mill

I'd just buy a Colerain barrel that's already swamped and save alot of work...... :haha:

 

[Frank/Pa]

I would use a mill

I'd just buy a Colerain barrel that's already swamped and save alot of work...... :haha:

Yep!

 

[stumpmaker]

yup that to . but a lot of the fun of black powder is buying as little as possible. About the only thing i have`t made is the barrel and flint lock. but i am working on a barrel machine.

 

[Longsmoke]

I recently swamped a 8” .40 pistol barrel. From the time I sat down with CAD, set up the mill, cut all 8 sides (that’s 3 different set ups x 8) and finished with a file was about 4 ½ hours. I wouldn’t have done it without a mill, probably would have been 4 ½ days with just a file.

You might try a local machine shop but that might cost more than a few swamped barrels and could take longer to get.

If you are looking for a non production barrel call a known maker and order a custom barrel. If you just want a swamped barrel call Rice and order a builders barrel for $200.

Bruce Everhart