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38" Barrel?

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Anyone own a 38" barrel on a muzzleloader or theresabouts?

Thinking on that length in a straight wall style for a custom rifle. Shouldn't need a swamped barrel at the weight which saves me money, plus it will be a little handier than the 40-44"+ length guns. I'm 5' 7" so I'm thinking that 38" bbl should work well for my height. Usage would be a .36 squirreling rifle.

Thoughts?
 
I see them about had, 36 and 35s, I truely find 42 nice. I think you have to 42 and cut and crown it. Historically we see odd number lengths. 28, 30,32,35,36,41,42 are modren ideas.
 
I have a 39 in on my Early English Trade gun from North Star West....Its great to handle in hunting situations, with shot or PRB, and I use it sometimes while Ranger/Trekking reenactments...also great in the woods and brush...its a .62/20..
 
The Pedersoli Frontiers are straight and 39" and come in an array of calibers, so it might be useful for your comparisons. The butt stock is pretty minimal compared to many other styles, which affects balance. My 50 cal is noticeably muzzleheavy, but not overly so. At 7.5#, it's easy to carry. My best recollection (I'm not home now) is that the barrel is around 15/16" across the flats at most. I note that they list their 45 caliber version at 7# telling me it's made with a slimmer barrel.
 
I don't have any 38 inch but I have several 36 inch. My rational is 38-42 inch barrels will not fit easily in a hard gun case. I have built two with 42 inch barrels and I love them but the custom hard case I built to protect them does not fit inside any of the vehicles I own. So it rides wrapped in a tarp in the bed of my truck or strapped to the top of my jeep. And getting it to elk camp on an ATV is an EVEN BIGGER PAIN! CO requires all firearms be in a case when being transported. I have to strap it front to back as getting through gates with it side to side is impossible!

My new flintlock Fowler, which I plan to take the Turkey Slam with, has a 36 inch barrel and has an overall length of 51 3/4 inches. Cabelas sells a hard case with an inside length of 52 inches for $100. There are a few hard cases out there for super long guns but they are over the $200 mark. Not to Mention putting them in the safe.

My next rifle will be a Transitional style rifle with e 36 inch barrel for just that reason! Don't get me wrong, I love the "long rifles" but 42+ is a logistics nightmare for me.

Just my 2 cents! :v
 
Except for one 36" rifle All mine are 38". Even at 38" a swamped barrel makes a huge difference. Three of mine are swamped.
 
This picture is of the Northumberland County Pa. "Boys Rifle" I built a number of years ago.

It has a Green Mountain 13/16" straight, .36 caliber barrel which I cut down to 37 inches.

Although I built it as something a boy would use, I kept the length of pull to about 14" "so he wouldn't outgrow it" (and a man could shoot it :grin: ).

It's overall length is 4'-4 1/2" (52") and it weighs just a shade under 7 pounds.

Although the straight octagon barrel does add some weight over what a swamped barrel would have, its shorter length does keep it from feeling "muzzle heavy".

40886355462_4dcd571c23_b.jpg


40929095351_aa9f627eb3_b.jpg


The lock is a "John Bailes" (ref TOTW Catalog) or "Small Manton" English style Flintlock.

As a side note, when I built this gun I thought, "Hey. It's a boys rifle. No sense in using top grade curly maple". With this in mind, I ordered the stock from Pecatonica River selecting their lowest grade curly maple.

After putting over 150 hours into building it I have kicked myself in the butt many times for making that decision.
For a relative few dollars more it could have had the stripes to make it a really top quality rifle. :(
 
As shown above, a straight barrel of .36 cal should be ~13/16" across the flats. A small hole doesn't remove much weight. Maybe even think about a 3/4" barrel.
 
Zonie said:
As a side note, when I built this gun I thought, "Hey. It's a boys rifle. No sense in using top grade curly maple". With this in mind, I ordered the stock from Pecatonica River selecting their lowest grade curly maple.

After putting over 150 hours into building it I have kicked myself in the butt many times for making that decision.
For a relative few dollars more it could have had the stripes to make it a really top quality rifle. :(

It looks pretty darned nice to me. :thumbsup:
 
I'm 5'6" and 73yrs. I have 38" swamped b weight barrel. It is very easy to handle. Would highly recommend a swamped barrel. It really helps with balance.
 
Hi,
In addition to handling better, a swamped barrel allows better architecture in the lock and wrist areas. It helps prevent the skinny slab-sided look common on rifles with skinny straight barrels.

dave
 
I have a 38" D weight barreled 12ga fowler, very handy.

I am starting on an Issac Haines rifle with a 38" C weight .54 barrel. It is a precarve and sure shoulders nicely with the 38" barrel.

As stated both of these barrels are swamped.
 
..., Shouldn't need a swamped barrel at the weight which saves me money, plus it will be a little handier than the 40-44"+ length guns. I'm 5' 7" so I'm thinking that 38" bbl should work well for my height. Usage would be a .36 squirreling rifle.

Hanshi wrote:
Except for one 36" rifle All mine are 38". Even at 38" a swamped barrel makes a huge difference. Three of mine are swamped.

Yep, I have a 38" swamped Colerain barrel in .54, and a straight 7/8"x 42" barreled long rifle in .40, and a 15/16" x 42" barreled long rifle in .50 and I like the swamped barrel better for all but target shooting matches.

IF you can at all, afford a swamped barrel, you should do so (imho). Once you go swamped you'll never go back. :wink:

LD
 
Smokey Plainsman said:
Anyone own a 38" barrel on a muzzleloader or theresabouts?

Thinking on that length in a straight wall style for a custom rifle. Shouldn't need a swamped barrel at the weight which saves me money, plus it will be a little handier than the 40-44"+ length guns. I'm 5' 7" so I'm thinking that 38" bbl should work well for my height. Usage would be a .36 squirreling rifle.

Thoughts?


A .36 cal. in a straight 13/16", 38" long barrel will probably be fairly heavy. If budget will alllow, go with a swamped barrel. Or, easier and cheaper, go with a .45 cal. They kill tree rats ded too and can be used for deer also.
 
I second what Dave Person said.....3/4" and 13/16" straight bbls don't make as nice a LR as far as architecture goes as would an "A" weight in 42". The balance w/ the swamped bbl would be excellent. Built a Bucks County style LR w/ an "A" weight bbl X42" in .36 and was amazed at the excellent balance and the wrist came out fairly wide. shown below......Fred
3No3z8W.jpg
 
My .36 X 38" barrel is 3/4" and feather light. But accuracy is top notch. The .45 X 36" is straight & 13/16" land to land and super handy. The .40 and the .50 both have "B" wgt X 38" barrels. The .50 is a featherweight but the .40 has some real heft. For an all around rifle nothing beats swamped. The very best off hand rifle I ever owned had a .50 X 7/8" X 42" barrel. Heavy & "nose" heavy but it stayed on target like it was glued to it. Had to let it go because it aggravated the arthritis in my left hand.
 
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