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TVM 20 gauge smoothbore barrels?

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fw707

45 Cal.
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I'm pretty sure they are made from tubing, but is it seamless tubing?
Could a few of the folks on here that have them post some comments on likes and dislikes please?

I posted this in the gun builder's forum because it concerned a part, but I only got one response. Maybe it should have been posted here. :hmm:

Anyhow, a friend is building me a smoothbore from a TVM kit this winter and I'd like to have a few opinions on the barrel before he orders it.
 
I have one of their .62 cal Fowlers. I am very pleased with it. There is nothing not to like. It mounts and swings like it was fitted for me. It patterns well. It has never, yet, not fired when I've pulled the trigger. As to the barrel, as far as I can tell, it is seamless. I know that they offer Green Mt. barrels for their rifles, as well as TVM barrels.
I am curious, though, where did you get the "tubing' idea?
Pete
 
I have an 2 or 3 year old catalog from TVM and they indicate there oct. to round barrels are made by Longhammock. Maybe a call to TVM or the barrel manufacturer would get you the information you need.

Don R
 
My mistake, I meant Tennessee Valley Manufacturing---the one that Jack Garner is associated with.
 
Yep, Jack uses them and I've never heard of anyone having any problem with them but Matt at the other TVM told me that he wouldn't use them, didn't really say why he wouldn't, just that he wouldn't.
 
All the tubing needs to be machined. It comes as round stock( a tube ). the only thing I would suggest you do is ask any gunmaker to actually measure the bore diameter of the stock he buys to make your barrel, or, if its made elsewhere for him, then ask him to measure the bore exactly, and give you the dimensions. The Steel manufacturer pump these pipes out in huge volumes, and they don't necessarily take the time to make sure how close the inside dimensions are for what they sell. There idea of tolerance is often a lot different than yours, or your gunmaker.

For instance, my gunmaker ordered my .20 gauge barrel stock from the same supplier that he bought his own barrel stock from. His barrel measures right on the money; mine is oversized. The result is that 20 gauge wads are too loose to seal properly, and I had to order 19 gauge wads to get a good load. I am talking a difference in velocity of more than 200 fps, and a much dirtier bore, as evidence of shooting an undersized wad.

The market for barrel making steel is very small, compared to other markets for steel. The producers just don't produce special steels for this purpose only. This is true for all steels used in rifle, pistol, and shotgun barrels. The larger companies have their own testing facilities, and reject steel stock that does not meet the specs. I have yet to here of a gun company who is large enough to be able to demand that the producers take back the out-of-spec steel barrel stock, and replace it at their own expense. The smaller barrel makers are stuck with selling the out-of-spec stock as either scrap, or find some buyer who will buy their small lot of steel at some better price. That is one reason that custom barrels cost a lot of money from the small makers. Oh, they really do a fine job in boring and cutting and polishing the barrels, so you do get a fine barrel. But part of their overhead is playing roulette with the steel producers, or jobbers, guessing what will actually be delivered, as opposed to what they ordered. Paying an off-the-premise lab to test the steels is also an added cost of overhead, that they have to pass on to customers.

In the industry, you will get a hot argument about whether a seamed, or seamless barrel is stronger. By the time a tube is machined to make it a barrel, it would be next to impossible to see yourself if the barrel is made of seamed or seamless steel tubing.
 
I have had a TVM Fowler made by M. Avance for several years now and all I can say is I have realy enjoyed it. I have taken deer, turkey and squirrel with that 20ga and have had zero problems with it, it has become a trusted friend.

Just a word on loads.
I don't use patches for .600cal balls anymore, I use Eastern Maine Sooting Supplies Premium Lube Wads 20ga #EMSS7100[url] www.emshootingsupplies.com[/url]
I get much better group with the wads than I do with patches and it is a faster to load with the wads. Deer: 80gr ffg, wad, ball, wad. It's a hammer on deer.
Turkey: 80gr ffg, wad, volume for volume load of #5 chilled shot, wad. Very good load for Turkey.
I use the same load for squirrel that I do for Turkey.

Good Luck and Good Huntin!

Kevin
 
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I have a TVM 54 cal fowler that was made by Jack and the boys perhaps 13 years ago. It is by far the best shooting smoothbore I have ever owned.
I like shooting the big military muskets for fun
but when the going gets tough I break the fowler out. It also has a Long Hammock barrel. Richard did a bang up job on my barrel!!
Out of the box, no modifications I do not think I had to tree break the barrel. :)
 
.614, .600 ball is a perfect fit with a fouled barrel. Just touch her off with about 5 to 10 of ffg prior to loading, load with the wads and shoot her all day. Works Great!

Kevin
 
The barrels are made from DOM. This is seamless tubing. Tenn. Valley Muzzleloading uses barrels from Long Hammock. This is 1117 solid bar stock and then drilled and reamed.I have several gun builders that swear by these. If you have questions on this you can give me a call 662-286-5014. Thanks, Jack
 
Kevin: My barrel is .626" A .600 ball rattles down the barrel unless it is patched. Glad your barrel is undersized, and a bare ball works in your gun. It does illustrate how important it is to measure those bore dimensions before ordering balls and patches.

I am going to look for some .610 RB to try in the gun. So far, I get pretty good accuracy with the .600" ball and a thick patch, and an OP wad.
 
Tennessee Valley Manufacturing said:
If you have questions on this you can give me a call 662-286-5014. Thanks, Jack

Jack, I called you today at that number before you posted this reply, and the person I spoke to (?) gave me some very brief answers to my questions about the "seamless tubing". I'm going to have a gun built from one one of your fowler kits by a good friend this winter, and he has built several guns from the kit and has had very good results.
I have never owned any barrels made from tubing, and that is the reason I posted the question and called your number today.
 
Tennessee Valley Manufacturing said:
The barrels are made from DOM. This is seamless tubing. Tenn. Valley Muzzleloading uses barrels from Long Hammock. This is 1117 solid bar stock and then drilled and reamed.I have several gun builders that swear by these. If you have questions on this you can give me a call 662-286-5014. Thanks, Jack

And the one I have is an excellent barrel. It shoots straight, but I wanted to have it shoot a little high so I could use a taller front sight to get above the heat distortion from several shots.
240 pounds wouldn't budge it.
 
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