extra "long flintlock rifle barrels"?

I have done all kinds of searches and read all I can on this topic, and I have started to just do the normal thing and order a 42 or 44 inch barrel. The problem is I have guns like that already and I cant get the idea out of my head that I want a long barreled flintlock rifle. I am not talking too crazy 50+, maybe 46 +or- an inch. I used a rubber band and a ruler, and found that a 45 inch barrel should be as tall as my chin and a 48 inch barrel would be near my nose. I believe the longer sight radius has got to be an advantage, no questions about it. And if I had the right swamped barrel, I believe it would hold nice on a paper bulleye or novelty target as well. I know it wouldn't be handy in a deer stand or dragging through the woods. I am not looking for a hunting gun. I just want a rondy, club contest,and paper gun. I am really just thinking about an Early style (wide buttplate) 58 caliber with a 46-ish swamped barrel and weighing in the 10 lb zone. It would be nice if I could be at Friendship this week to see if such a gun exists. I would like to shoulder one before I start ordering a barrel. And speaking of a barrel, what would be the recommended ratio of rifling for the most accurate target work. 1:66-1:72 or ? Any thoughts on this....

If you get to Friendship, go over to the modern side shooting line and ask around for a guy named Charlie Burton. He should be over there shooting. He's also a NMLRA board member. And a member of the MLF, goes by "dixie" here. Talk to him about barrels. I'm pretty sure he can make you exactly what you want.

are you looking for just a barrel or a completed gun?

the Rice Barrel company offers a 46" golden age style barrel. http://www.ricebarrels.com/chart.html

i recently bought a Jaeger barrel from them and i can say they took good care of me. (i snagged the last 58 cal 32" barrel they had in stock :grin: )

I've got a .50 cal rifle with a 50" double tapered octagon barrel that's in the white. I can't hold it. It's just too muzzle heavy. I'm thinking of making it into a smoothbored .62 or bigger. I don't know yet... OTOH, I also have a .65 cal x 48" that holds marvelously.

I had the builder call Rice and the answer wasnt definite on when the long 46 could be made. ( waiting on a 58 reamer or something) I am sure that it would be made eventually. I need to talk to Charlie Burton, if I go long, thats probably the route I will take.

Barrels over 42-44 are really cool to look at and talk about. In a practical sense they are a PITA being so long.
I am 5'9" and 44" barrel is as long as I care to own.
Dan

Dan Phariss said:

Barrels over 42-44 are really cool to look at and talk about. In a practical sense they are a PITA being so long.
I am 5'9" and 44" barrel is as long as I care to own.
Dan

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i will agree with this, ive got a rifle with a 42" 50 cal barrel and while it looks great its not my favorite gun to shoot. the nose of the gun is simply to heavy to really use any place but on a bench rest. then again its not a swamped barrel and that might make a big diffrence.

my next rifle will have a shorter 32" swamped barrel. this would be more ideal for packen around in the woods.

They must not be that common anymore.
I am 6'ft, If I can get the right barrel, a long well balanced swamped barrel maybe 46, I think it will be okay. I had the chance to buy one a little over 48 and passed on it, it wasnt a 58 caliber like I wanted and I was scared I would have to ride down the road with it sticking out the window of my Toyota truck.

I made the mistake of getting the Grinslade book "Flintlock Fowlers" and fell in love with the New England fowling pieces. The upshot of that love story is a scaled down New England fowler in 20 ga with a 72" barrel. It's more awkward to transport than it is to shoot. The gun weighs in at 11# and overall is 7'4" butt to muzzle. I can shoot it offhand but have also made a shooting stick.
Mark

T.O. said:

They must not be that common anymore.

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They never have been that common. 36", 42 and 44" are the common lengths.

Rice and Colerain can make 'em as can others like Rayl and Getz. Give 'em a call and you may get lucky but you will probably have to wait.

With backlogs these days it's best to plan a year or two ahead for a build requiring less common parts like this.

It's all about patience. Good luck, J.D.

I'm sure thats true for the white settlers, but there are several historical mentions of trade rifles for the indians that were "4 ft. in the barrel."

I don't mean to butt in but I think this thread discussion is about modern muzzleloading barrels. I've been making them since the 80's and most of the available barrels back then were 36" to 42". I'm sure it had to do with production limitations and the limited amount of makers.

smoothbore addict said:

I'm sure thats true for the white settlers, but there are several historical mentions of trade rifles for the indians that were "4 ft. in the barrel."

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4ft in the barrel covers a lot of territory in the 18th century. Kentucky rifles with 44" barrels would fall into the "4 foot" category. Nobody had a tape measure in their pocket after all.
I believe that this is where the 48" twist came from. In Europe especially many rifles even very short barreled ones had twists of 1 turn in the barrel. A 26" barrel would have a 26" twist even if it was a 75 caliber.

Dan

Thanks Keb. You are correct.....I too thought it obvious I was referring to the OP's search for a 46"+ barrel for his build when I recommended current barrel producers. Didn't see this as a thread on what was common or not historically.

Enjoy, J.D.

Smoothbore,
Don't forget that trade rifles for the Native Americans were sold based on a pile of skins as high as the rifle was tall. Hence the longer barrels.
Mark

Pure :bull:

Could be, but read it a number of times over the years. That makes it like the newspaper, if they print it it must be the truth! :idunno:
Mark

Papa said:

Could be, but read it a number of times over the years. That makes it like the newspaper, if they print it it must be the truth! :idunno:
Mark

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But they were sold both in 48 and 36" barrels.

Dan

Papa said:

Could be, but read it a number of times over the years. That makes it like the newspaper, if they print it it must be the truth! :idunno:
Mark

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You also have to be very careful to note if its a primary source or something someone wrote in a book in the 1950s.

Dan

I don't know where they got the barrels for them but I have seen pictures of rifles that nearly reached the noses of the men holding them. I cant repost the pic. but there is a pic of H House on here with a barrel to his nose at least in the gallery section of http://www.kyclr.com/history.php
I think I can get anything I need up to 48 inches from Charles Burton. I was just wondering if anyone on the forum has any experience with such a gun. I am going to get to handle and hopefully shoot one this October at the Possum Branch with a 47 inch swamped barrel. Since I have never even got to handle a gun like that, I want as much info as I can get before I order a barrel.