Made To Order Rifling

How many folks out there have ordered barrels to their individual rifling specifications?

What were the reasons for the modifications you chose?

Did you get what you ordered?

What were your results on the bench?

Several years ago I ordered a custom 1" octagon 58 caliber shallow groove fast twist barrel(1 in 38" twist) for shooting minnies.
I still shoot it and it shoots great!

SC45-70

Yes, almost half the barrels I have ever ordered were made to my specs.

I like to pick the twist (based on some voodoo modified Greenhill formula unless I'm trying to replicate an original), the rifling depth, the caliber and other dimensions.

I patch loose so "prefer" deep, rounded rifling. But that's just me.

In the end, if there is an off the shelf, in stock barrel that will fit my build, then I go that route. When I order a barrel that often has to be done at least a year in advance.

My last build was of a S. Hawken squirrel rifle. The original had a 38 caliber, 1:48 twist tapered barrel. Just can't get that "off the shelf" so it was either make do with a straight 36 or 40 or go custom...

Got my first one .40 bore.
Since then been getting fun stuff.
What did Burgess Meredith say in that scene in "In Harms Way" about marrying actresses? It was like eating peanuts and he just couldn't stop.
:rotf:

A long time ago I was shooting a .50 rifle w a Douglas 1:66 twist. It started getting very accurate at 90 gr FFg. That much powder was a lot of push on me and noise on near by shooters. I was gathering parts for a full stock Hawken build soooo ..... I chronographed the 1:66 barrel w the 90 gr load and calculated the RPS of the ball. Then chronographed it w 60 gr FFg. Calculated the twist necessary for 60 gr velocity to give the same RPS as the 90 gr. Called Douglas and ordered a 1"x36" .50 w 1:56 twist and .012" Deep rifling. Having won several state championships in Texas and Louisiana I'd say it was a successful exercise.
TC

Now that's cool.

I like your approach, well thought out.

My last one was the .52 bore, shallow groove, many grooves as practical for the circumference, 50/50 ratio lands, sides of the grooves slanted (not radial to the centerline of the bore), 28" twist.

Next one might be a long range shooter for paper patching .457-.458 rifle molds. Same type of shooter as a Whitworth or a Volunteer but slightly larger diameter to use all the commonly available off the shelf molds. But, unless it gets fitted to a TC Renegade... maybe I should find another used repro P-53. But it gets harder and harder to find time to go play (this country is so very much running on gray hair).