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"swamped" barrel

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Sinner

40 Cal.
Joined
Jun 28, 2010
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What is a "swamped" barrel. As I'm looking for a barrel, I've seen these listed.
 
Swamped barrels are tapered barrels.

They are not tapered like a modern tapered barrel.
Rather, they start out large at the breech and taper to a smaller octagon about 15 inches behind the muzzle. They then start to increase in size as they approach the muzzle ending up somewhat smaller than at the breech.

The guns made before around 1830, when factory made straight octagon barrels started to become available were all swamped to one degree or another.

The idea behind swamping was to remove the extra weight.

The reason for the barrel to increase in size as it approaches the muzzle has been debated for years and I don't think anyone has come up with a answer that everyone can agree with.

My opinion for the enlarged area at the muzzle is that these barrels were all made from hammer welded skelps of iron formed around a mandral.
Although the welds were quite strong any small flaws due to contamination or too cool of a metal temperature would weaken the weld joint.

The thicker the barrel wall is inherently stronger than a thin wall would be and the length of the weld joint is longer because of the extra wall. Both of these features make the barrel stronger at the muzzle.

If you are thinking of building a pre 1830 rifle and you can afford the extra cost of a swamped barrel and the extra cost of having the barrel channel cut for it then do go that route.

The gun will not be muzzle heavy and it will be historically correct.

If you don't have the extra money to spend or your building a 1830-1860 vintage rifle the straight barrels will work fine but I do suggest buying the largest caliber in the smallest octagon available.

I built a rifle with a 1 inch octagon, .54 caliber barrel 42 inches long (fairly standard) and although it made a tack driving rifle it is VERY muzzle heavy.
 
Thanks for the input.
I've seen 15/16" .54cal barrels and 1". Based on your thoughts I think I'll strongly consider the 15/16". I would assume with modern steels/rifling that it would be more than strong enough and save some weight.
 
In my opinion, all of the barrels produced by the modern barrel makers are totally safe.

In other words if companies like Green Mountain, Colrain, Rahl, Rice and Getz offer it it will be fine.

If your making a real longrifle you will want to consider a 42 inch long barrel but note that a 42 inch 15/16 inch octagon .54 caliber barrel will weigh 5.75 pounds all by itself.

For a short fullstock or a halfstock the 4.93 pound weight of the 36 inch barrel will be noticeably lighter.

While mentioning barrel weights, the .50 caliber 7/8 inch octagon weighs 5.05 pounds in the 42 inch length.
That extra 3/4 pound the .54 X 15/16 weighs will be quite noticeable.
 
Sinner said:
What is a "swamped" barrel.
I'll bet if you used the forum's SEARCH feature (search for "swamped"), you'd find a lot of discussions about swamped barrels. :wink:
 
Sinner said:
What is a "swamped" barrel. As I'm looking for a barrel, I've seen these listed.
If you're thinking about putting a barrel on the "lyman plains rifle by investarms" you just bought, I don't think a swapped barrel would appropriate (PC, HC, etc.).
 
Carl Davis said:
Sinner said:
What is a "swamped" barrel. As I'm looking for a barrel, I've seen these listed.
If you're thinking about putting a barrel on the "lyman plains rifle by investarms" you just bought, I don't think a swapped barrel would appropriate (PC, HC, etc.).

No, I was just wondering what one was. I'm thinking 32-42", 15/16".
By the way, my understanding is a .54 barrel is lighter than a same size .50 because less metal due to a larger bore.
 
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