Where to get shotgun barrels?

[dheisner]

I was thinking of taking a stab at building a 12 guage shotgun, but haven't found anywhere that sells barrels and other misc. parts needed to build one from scratch.

Where can I find this stuff? Your help is greatly appreciated!

 

[alejohns]

A lot of it depends on what you are trying to put together, Getz comes to mind as somebody who would build you a 75 caliber smooth bore if you wanted one. Lots of people start with breechloading shotgun barrels and thread the chambers, you'll probably want a longer than average thread length if you go this route, though. Check out Recreating the Double Barrel Muzzleloading Shotgun for some information on this area. I consider this route only appropriate if your trying to recreate a double barrel though, most single barrel muzzleloading shotguns used octagon to round tubes. Track of the Wolf sells some nice 20 guage octagon to round tubes which make nice fowlers. Gun parts corporation and Dixie used to sell round barrel blanks made specifically for muzzleloaders, I don't know if they still do. There was an article in the NRA gunsmithing book that dealt with the subject of building a single barrel shotgun from a modern blank.

 

You are new!!!

Go to the muzzle loading links section in the admin block above. Click on suppliers of parts molds etc.

Start at the top and work your way down.

Do this only when you have a weekend to spare and no "significant other" to irritate by being on the computer for 48 straight hours.

Track of the Wolf & Log Cabin shop have everything you need down to the pins for the barrel to stock connection.

Tip Curtis at the Frontier Shop has even better quality selections but no computer access.

Pecontica River supplies some of the best PC kits available.

Jim Chambers at www.flintlocks.com offers high dollar, high quality period correct perfect kits

Early Rustic Arms, Caywood Arms, TVM all offer a %95 finished gun or kit for exactly what you are requesting.

Track of the Wolf offers a paper catalog that is almost 1 1/2" thick, Log Cabin is slightly thinner and Numrich Arms catalog is the size of a major city phone book.

Or you can go directly to the manufacturers these days

locks:
Jim chambers
L&R
Davis
or buy some good files and go to work

Stocks:
Pecontica
Dunlap
about a thousand others or buy a good hatchet

Barrels:
Rayhal
Rice
Getz
Colrain
or buy some seamless steel tube stock and turn your own

Now you have to decide what style to make! That alone could take several more months. You might wish to go through TOW's kit section or their custom built guns for sale section to help with style.

and there are the books you will need for instructions through the process. There are a thousand little things that you do not know about yet that will jump up and bite you during the construction process. There are several good construction books out there. Also not cheap.

And building a rifle or smoothbore is not a cheap process. What you do not pay for in money you will pay for in time spent on the project. Sometimes that is a labor of love, and sometimes it is pure misery.

Much depends on if it is the "first time" you have done that particular project. I cut my first few stocks from unshaped blanks, now I use precarveds whenever possible. I know I can shape a stock, that is no longer a challenge, just long wasted hours with mallet, chisel and rasp. Sometimes I buy a precarved and change it to meet my requirements, but the barrel channel and rough work is done before I start. That shortens the project buy a week.

Good Luck,

:redthumb:

Ghost

 

[oldarmy]

Ghost, How is your son doing? Do you hear from him? Hope he received his phone card from us.
God Bless the Marines

 

[dheisner]

Thanks, guys! Your feedback is great! What I was actually thinking of was making a 12 guage double barrel turkey gun with no chokes. I have some nice pieces of maple from a tree that fell on my dad's farm that may be large enough to do a stock. I have already built a cradle, some magazine cases, and piggy banks out of it, so why not a gun! It is some very nice maple.

I'll look into all of your suggestions and let you know if I decide to tackle it. If I do, I'm sure I'll be back for advice.

Thanks again!

BP Newbie

 

BP,
If you are just looking to build a good serviceable sxs 12 g and not interested in being PC, fluid steel barrels can be had on e-bay almost anytime and usually cheap. If OTOH, you want to recreate a PC sxs, that will require laminated/twist/damascus (pending the time period you seek) and good ones are a little harder to find but can also be found on E-bay. If you are looking at building a percussion, Captchee, a member on this board, recently built a dandy and is always happy to help anyone in any way he can and knows what he's talking about. If you search under "daisey's double", you'll see the gun. The book Ghost mentioned is a "must have". To start this project without it is just plain foolish IMHO. The main issues you should consider first are, do you want to build flint or perc, period correct or not.
Cody

 

[dheisner]

What I want to build is a good serviceable sXs percussion cap 12 guage. I like a pretty gun, but the main thing is that I can whop some turkeys with it and maybe a duck or goose later on. I might even go after small game, but I'll probably stick to my 20 guage for that.

Thanks again for all your feedback!