.38 caliber barrel

[Tkendrick]

I am pondering my next project, and am thinking of building a South Mountain or late Tennessee style rifle. This afternoon I was oiling down some guns in my safe, and ran across the old .36 Navy that was my first BP gun, and that got me to thinking.

Shortly after buying that gun (1970) I spent a couple of years trying to find a true 38 cal rifle, and never did.

Which leads me to ask: Does any one build a barrel suitable for .375 PRB?

 

[Jim-Iowa]

I have considered that possibility on the .375 ball. Unless my thinking is messed up I keep coming up with needing a .390 bore with patching.
I doubt you will find a .38 or .39 off the rack and it would have to be custom made.

 

[fho]

Call Ed Rayl 304-364-8269, Gassaway, W.V. He makes a 38 caliber barrel.
Olie

 

[wvmtnman]

I am getting ready to stat my next project, an early Lancaster rifle and I am using a .38 caliber 43 inch, swamped barrel. I got the barrel from Ed Rayl. I think he is one of the few that is producing .38 calibers at this time. You may have to wait a few months but it is well worth the wait. A .375 roundball and .018 pillow tick patch will work fine. It will load a little hard but will shoot well. Plus, the .38 caliber is a great caliber for both squirrls and turkey.
I just finished a 45 caliber rifle that has an Ed Rayl barrel. I put the first 6 shots out of the rifle through one hole at 25 yards. Needless to say, sighting the rifle in was very easy to do with that kind of grouping. I know that is not hard to do with most barrels but I have never done it before. I was impressed.
Brian

 

Ed Rayle will make you one straight or swamped. These folks stock his 3/4" barrels in that cal.
[url] http://www.stonewallcreekoutfitters.com/w_e_rayle_rifle_barrels.htm[/url]

Note that 3/4" is quite skinny and if using a precarve it may be tough to get one inlet for that. If you can it the stock may be set up for a larger barrel, so your architecture may be tougher to get right.

Sean

 

[BLAHMAN]

Call Ed Rayl 304-364-8269, Gassaway, W.V. He makes a 38 caliber barrel.
Olie

Ditto's to what Olie says, give Ed a call....he makes a nice barrel.....

 

[Tkendrick]

Thanks all, I'll give him a call.