Build question on barrels

So I am just collecting stuff for my first build. I want to make a half stock / hawkens style rifle. I picked up the stock today at my local BP shop. The guy there is willing to help me so that's a plus. It going to be a flintlock with a 32 or 36 Cal barrel. So the question is this? Is it possible to make a muzzleloader that you can swap out barrels. IE 32 Cal barrel replaced with a 50 Cal barrel. So you could hunt squirrels and deer with the same gun with a swap of the barrel.

YES!
They've made them that way in the past.
The Thompson Center Seneca, Cherokee, and New Englander all could swap barrels for different calibers, although the New Englander you could swap a 12 gauge barrel for the .50 or .54 barrel. Green Mountain Barrel Company for a time produced different caliber "drop in" barrels for Thompson Center rifles. CVA marketed a kit with two barrels, one .54 and one .50. I have no idea why they did that, for the .54 will take elk on down to Sitka deer, so the .50 was superfluous. Some folks would send out the .50 and have it reamed to smooth at .55 diameter, and use it as a 28 gauge barrel for small game.

The key is to have a hooked breech and keys, for the barrel.

LD

Tanker said:

So I am just collecting stuff for my first build. I want to make a half stock / hawkens style rifle. I picked up the stock today at my local BP shop. The guy there is willing to help me so that's a plus. It going to be a flintlock with a 32 or 36 Cal barrel. So the question is this? Is it possible to make a muzzleloader that you can swap out barrels. IE 32 Cal barrel replaced with a 50 Cal barrel. So you could hunt squirrels and deer with the same gun with a swap of the barrel.

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Were you at Fort Chambers?

shane a gress said:

Fort Chambers

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I was. I have been shopping there for years and years.

Loyalist Dave said:

The key is to have a hooked breech and keys, for the barrel

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I was thinking the same but wasn't sure. Not even positive I am going to do it. I already have a 45, 50, 54 and a 58. So not sure I have a need for it. But for a future build for my son or daughter it might be more of an option. Thanks for your input. I kind of looking at all my options before starting the build.

The difference would be the weight of the barrels.

It certainly can be done. But I would not want to do it for the first one. Building a half stock Hawken will be a challenge in itself for a first build. Adding in interchangeable barrels just adds a whole new level of complexity. Fitting a hooked breech can be a tough job. Fitting two barrels to the same breech would be something that give an experienced builder a good headache. For the rest of the gun you are not just building a gun, but building to exact dimensions. I would recommend building two guns in the different calibers. Keep it simple on the first one.

billraby said:

Keep it simple on the first one

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Thanks and I believe I will try to keep it simple. I didn't realize that there is a difference in difficulty between half stock and full stock. Thanks for the input I will look into it so I can try to avoid any issues.

The hooked breech part is hard enough on its' own. but the barrel lug(s) and keys are another challenge. You should be able to get them located in the same general area (fore and aft on the barrel) within a few thousandths easily enough, and depth of the dovetails isn't that critical so long as you are within say .005". Those calibers will leave you plenty of meat between the surface and the bore for safety purposes, because Hawkens have pretty thick and straight barrels

Hawken guns are made with wedge keys and estrucheons, (usually 2, and it's best if they are captured keys). Pins would be a LOT easier than keys to get them to fit right. I have yet to figure out where to find a needle file that lets you easily cut a 1/16" slot.

Also, with keys (and estrucheon plates) it becomes very important that both plates line up both vertically, and horizontally because they are both visible from the underside of the gun. With pins it doesn't matter so much if they aren't just perfect, as for the most part the holes are invisible.

I would suggest building ONE whole and complete gun first, and THEN figure out if you want to try to fit another barrel to it.

Tanker said:

But for a future build for my son or daughter it might be more of an option.

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Have not found the multiple barrel/caliber idea to work very well for kids. With the same barrel width or diameter and length, the one with the smaller caliber will weigh more, while the larger caliber barrel will weigh less and not absorb recoil as well.

I have found that a shorter length of pull will make a gun more kid friendly than anything. Considered shortening the stock on TC Cherokee I have (think it weighs about 5.25 lbs), but thought better of it and left it as originally made (13.5”?). Have a CVA Frontier in 50 caliber that weighs in around 6.3 lbs that I shortened the length of pull to about 12”. The littler ones with the shorter arms love the CVA over the lighter TC. The CVA is on loan to a buddy teaching his granddaughters to shoot. Might be a ‘problem’ brewing. They call it ‘their’ gun.

SDSmlf said:

Have not found the multiple barrel/caliber idea to work very well for kids

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My son would be fine he is my height and has been shooting for a lot of years. On the other hand I think your right on the money with my daughter. I think I will ditch that idea if having a swapping barrel gun for now. To complicated for the first major build. As I go through this build I may post other questions like this one. I seem to learn a lot ever time I log in. Thanks for input.

I thought I would update this post on my choice for barrels. I went to FT Chambers bp shop today and picked up a green mountain 50 Cal barrel. I did not go with the hooked breach. I was going to go with a 36 Cal but the more I thought about it the more I figured I would use the 50 Cal more. Plus if I am successful at this build it give me plans for my next build. So up next for me is starting the inlaying. Pretty busy now so it may be awhile before it's done.

A second barrel shouldn't be a problem even with a hook break off,Provided the out side dimensions of the second barrel and breech plug are the same as the first.You just have to make templates for all the dimensions you need.Like what the 'old boys used to do 'afore this ting called CNC arrived.Cross ways,up and down, and front to back from under the barrel to the depth of the hook and any other direction you feel you need.
The templates are the time conssumings bit.They need to be day light proof when held up to a light. I normally use 1/16" Gauge Plate for these.They don't need to be harden and tempered if your only making one extra tube.A clock makers jig saw helps cutting out.

OLD DOG.