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15/16" barrel in .58 cal?

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Any rifle much exceeding 6 pounds is an awful thing to lug about hunting. I did once but now I like to get nearer 5 pounds . But I am only thinking hunting . In a target rifle weight it is mostly a plus within reason . I made a pet 50 cal to weigh just 5 pounds 26" swamped round barrel .fixed rear & stag tooth front sight ..As a target rifle this I,me sure isn't the best plan. But as a hunting rifle in the forests of NZ ,most often steep & full of gullies .It is ideal its reckoned most deer or pigs are shot within 30 yards. Even with the breach loaders some prefer
(Never catch on big holes in the back ! Unsound !)
And for running shots it serves better .The piece being mid18th Provincial English (which is about what I am anyway !) . Re barrel thickness, considering that modern shot guns have very thin barrels yet stand proportionitly big charges . The argument re safely is less valid than most seem to think . I am unable to refer to the Paradox shotguns as they are later than our limit . I go thinner than most might but then I am not thinking big powder charges . I only use rifles as the Department of conservation insist of rifles on their Crown lands & National Parks . Though I was mostly into 45 & 50 cals I find I am as much from supply as choice more 54, 58, & 20 bore of late . Though a 290 cal Baltic Bird rifle I made recently using a huge 15 grains is quite a pet at least for targets & maybe bunnies since its a nice accurate rifle . Really must sort pics Sending them bedevils me . per E' s . Rudyard
 
A 15/16" barrel is going to give you a .17" wall thickness to the depth of the grooves. The conventional wisdom is that a minimum thickness of .10" is as thin as you can safely go with 12L14 steel. With different steels you might be able to go thinner. We need Zonie's to weigh in here as to the yield strength on this one.
 
A 15/16" barrel is going to give you a .17" wall thickness to the depth of the grooves. The conventional wisdom is that a minimum thickness of .10" is as thin as you can safely go with 12L14 steel. With different steels you might be able to go thinner. We need Zonie's to weigh in here as to the yield strength on this one.
In theory your numbers work, but what about the depth of any key ways or screw holes? When I had Mr Hoyt rebore a couple of one inch barrels he told me that 58 caliber rifled or 60 caliber smoothbore was as large as he would go, as long as key ways and screw holes weren’t too deep. I believe I also remember him telling me that he would bore out a 15/16” barrel to 54 rifled or .56 smooth max. It comes down to what the individual boring out the barrel is comfortable doing.
 
In theory your numbers work, but what about the depth of any key ways or screw holes? When I had Mr Hoyt rebore a couple of one inch barrels he told me that 58 caliber rifled or 60 caliber smoothbore was as large as he would go, as long as key ways and screw holes weren’t too deep. I believe I also remember him telling me that he would bore out a 15/16” barrel to 54 rifled or .56 smooth max. It comes down to what the individual boring out the barrel is comfortable doing.

He told me the same thing.
 
I have a 15/16 barreled 58, done at the factory. I don't know what they did to make it safe, stronger steel or what. Any way to tell what kind of steel was used?
Investarms/Cabelas sold those for a while, but haven’t seen them for sale as new for years. The guys I have talked to that have or had them seem to limit their powder charge to 80 grains, so as not to upset the barrel steel gods I guess. Not sure what they weigh, but bet they are light. With a TC Renegade stock and a 26” 58 caliber one inch barrel, mine tip the scales at 7.33 pounds. Have gone up 120 grains of powder under a roundball and it’s accurate, but most all of the fun is gone by the time I get to a 100 grain charge. Mine are Hoyt rebores, but the TC manual used to show max loads of 120 grains of 2F under both a roundball and Maxi type conical (~550/560~ grains) for their 58 caliber guns. I typically hunt with a 80-90 grain charge of 3F Swiss.
 
I have a 15/16 barreled 58, done at the factory. I don't know what they did to make it safe, stronger steel or what. Any way to tell what kind of steel was used?
Is it a factory gun, or a barrel you bought directly from a manufacturer like Rice? There may be some stamps or hallmarks on there that might help decipher the manufacturer.

I shot a couple of 120 gr. loads under a RB 58 one time, (in an Armi Sport `61 Springfield) which followed a 180 gr. charge. You're right. There is just something about pain takes a lot of the fun out of smoke making.
 
Cabelas/Investarms. I bought it used 30 years ago. It was a combo pack, 50/58 barrels. I've ran it up to 120gr some time ago but that was just for gee wiz purposes. I settled on 80gr with a 510gr mini or 70gr with a RB. Gave me the same trajectory at 100y.
 
The barrel I refer too is 15 /16' accross the breach ,swamp tapered to 11/16' at the muzzle end ere it swells out to 3/4" or so at the muzzle a weight of 2 pounds . The maple stock being a dense piece ( Pectonica undersize reject ) mated to an L&R Queen Anne . The mounts light brass only the Owl for an wrist escution being what might be called needless weight .as might the foliate sideplate & I suppose the front side nail could have been omitted but at five pounds I can hold it out like a pistol or could before my arms got feeble on me . Its 50 cal ball sent on its way by three drams . What wood was taken from the tool box cavity partly made up by the slideing wooden lid . jag , ball drawer worm, pick & couple of flints & a pick. Hopefully Heelerau might put a pic onto this Post for me .
Regards Rudyard
 
The barrel I refer too is 15 /16' accross the breach ,swamp tapered to 11/16' at the muzzle end ere it swells out to 3/4" or so at the muzzle a weight of 2 pounds . The maple stock being a dense piece ( Pectonica undersize reject ) mated to an L&R Queen Anne . The mounts light brass only the Owl for an wrist escution being what might be called needless weight .as might the foliate sideplate & I suppose the front side nail could have been omitted but at five pounds I can hold it out like a pistol or could before my arms got feeble on me . Its 50 cal ball sent on its way by three drams . What wood was taken from the tool box cavity partly made up by the slideing wooden lid . jag , ball drawer worm, pick & couple of flints & a pick. Hopefully Heelerau might put a pic onto this Post for me .
Regards Rudyard
That sounds like a sweet rifle. If you can post a picture, I'd love to see it.
 
I sent a pic to Heelerau so hopefully it reached & he can put it up .I see I made the error saying 11/16th" its actually 540 or 5/8" at its least thickness ' .
Rudyard
 
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