Do I have a swamped barrel?

[sixpak1]

I have a .45 cal Jack Garner made Virginia rifle with an octagon barrel. Even though it measures the same across the flats all the way down, the ball gets much easier to ram down when a little over halfway down the barrel. I didn't know if this barrel is swamped or not as I thought that meant the outside diameter was what got smaller -thanks for any help

 

[ron wehmeyer]

A swamped barrel is tapered down in the middle on the outside of the barrel (smaller in middle than on each end). A bore that is a bit tighter at the muzzle area and gets a bit bigger towards the chamber , may be called a Jugged choked barrel. More than one of my rifles are just that way. And I think that makes for a good shooter! ,,,DT

 

[Gene L]

A swamped barrel is only swamped on the outside. If your rifle gets easier to seat as you go down, you may have a build-up in your barrel around the muzzle.

I've never heard of a jug choke in a rifle. Don't see any reason for it.

 

[ron wehmeyer]

Look at the GRRW barrels, and other custom barrel makers, It was a common and still is , thing to lap the chamber side of a rifle barrel and not so much the muzzle end,( Jug Choke) for accuracy. Learn somthing new every day! If you look! ,,,DT

 

[ron wehmeyer]

Gene , the reason for it is so that the bullet/ball expands in the larger rifling of the chamber side and then gets a tighter fit as it leaves the muzzle , The accurate part! ,,DT

 

[Eric Krewson]

Not really jug choked, actually choked bored. I have a Green Mountain barrel that appears to be choke bored for some reason.

I have a Bill Large barrel that is definitely choked bored.

 

[ron wehmeyer]

I agree Eric, another way of saying the same thing. Smaller bore near the muzzle. In most cases I have seen barrels as you say choked bored, that load easy and shoot very well. Two things I like in a muzzleloader. Have heard it was common for Bill Large barrels to be choke bored. Thanks Eric ,,,DT

 

[sixpak1]

Thanks for the great info-the barrel is as clean as a whistle so that must be what it is-thank y'all!

 

[coloradoclyde]

Not a swamped barrel......Most likely you have a well used and/or neglected barrel with some muzzle leading and/or chamber erosion.....

A thorough inspection will tell all...

 

[Artificer]

It was rather common for 18th century rifled and even smoothbore barrels to be tighter at the muzzle than at the breech. This due to using linen paper shims around the reamers on the final reaming of the bore. The they started the reamers from the breech end and paper shims would compress as they got close to the muzzle. They must have realized that aided accuracy, because the "standard method" was to do the final reaming from the breech so the bore tapered down about .001" to the muzzle.

They did not have any precision instruments to measure the bore, though. They just realized that when they started the reaming from the breech, it made the gun/rifle more accurate.

Gus

 

[kaintuck]

:bow: burtons barrels have that........ :bow:

I'll take his barrels anyday....I just like his work.....

marc n tomtom