Top Quality Swamped Barrel

[galamb]

That's what it comes down to with me -

availability of the swamp pattern/style and the "lead time" etc

If you are in a hurry and want anything other than a straight barrel in 45/50/54 cal, you are looking at a 12L14 barrel.

For a particular build I wanted 7 groove rifling - so Rice and FCI were my immediate choices - Rice had one "in stock".

If you want a Southern swamp pattern then you go with Rice or Getz - Getz may take a year.

A custom taper job and your shortest wait times will be 1) Oregon and 2) FCI.

My FCI was ordered in May - I will probably see it early in the new year.

If you don't mind waiting you can get just about whatever you want. Rice will build with 4140, just don't plan on firing the rifle for a year or more...

P.S. - and unless you are shooting thousands of round balls a year, the barrel will outlive you - even if it's 12L14.

I get the "wanting the best", but sometimes "more than good enough" is sufficient.

 

[shguns]

Dean2

If you will sleep better at night with your new gun made with a 1137 steel barrel from Green Mountain, you should get it bought before you can't find one anymore. I can see the day coming that they won't be available unless GM starts up production on black powder barrels again in the near future. Hope to see pics of your build.

 

[jamesthomas]

As far as I know Green Mountain has quit making swamped barrels, you can still get straight barrels but unless you find an individual putting a swamped barrel up for sale you will not find one at your regular vendors such as T.O.T.W. , MBS, etc. Tip Curtis is the only person I know of that might some in stock.

 

[shguns]

probably correct. might check with Pecatonica River, they listed GM swamped in their 2014 catalog

 

[Rifleman1776]

That is Danny Caywoods opinion. He has a lot of opinions, some of which are unique to him. Doesn't mean he is right. For a long time he swore the 1:48" twist was the ONLY proper twist for an ml rifle. Reportedly, he has not used that twist for a number of years. HMmmmmm.......
He is entitled to his opinion. Others disagree.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I read this diatribe before, I really get a chuckle over the Shrapnelize at ROOM temperature bit! :rotf: , and I'll never do any business with him because of this stuff.

Agree. And, FWIW, soft iron is unsuitable for ml rifle barrels. No one would ever use that! :shocked2: :wink:

 

[Vaino]

Instead of thinking what bbls have what steel and if you do intend on building, better figure out the style that you want to build and order the bbl. Delivery times don't get shorter.

Where do all the bbls go and who buys them? That's a good question and here's what I think are the reasons for the bbl shortage.

The main reason is that bbl cos aren't large and in fact, the 2 most popular bbl cos, Rice and Colerain, aren't very big at all. GM no longer makes swamped bbls and trying to buy a Getz bbl is next to useless. The other bbl makers besides Rice and Colerain are much smaller entities and their yearly production is quite limited.

The full time builders make a living making MLers and they can't afford to turn down a job because they lack a bbl....so, they stockpile bbls. Even some part time builders stockpile bbls and w/ all that inventory out there, no wonder there's a shortage of bbls and long delivery times.

Needless to say.....plan far ahead for a build......Fred

 

[galamb]

Fred is absolutely correct.

I have one rifle in the works right now and another one that I have done nothing more than cut out the blank.

I ordered the barrel for the "blank" back in December and got it a couple months back.

In May I ordered the barrel for the "next in line" (so still have two guns to finish first) because I know that "maybe" I will receive that barrel about the time I'm ready for it (hoping for January).

So yes, as noted, unless someone has the barrel you are after "in stock" right now, count on 8-12 months minimum...

 

[Critter Getter]

I bought a Virginia kit from Pecatonica a few months back and got a 45 swamped Green River barrel with it. They told me at that time that it was getting very hard to get a Green Mountain barrel. Greg

 

[kaintuck]

Dean......we can be walking down a yellow brick road just fine......but start worrying over something that hasn't happened....
Ergo the "Lion,Tigers and Bears" mantra.........

And the flying monkeys is a WHOLE nother ballgame :rotf:

Marc and tomtom

 

[Col. Batguano]

I'm planning my build after the next one now. I figure about a year lead time for a barrel / inletting job.

I figure if you get the barrel, and then decide you don't want to do the build that you can probably sell it here for something reasonably close to what you paid for it, especially if it's from one of the guys with the long lead times, like Getz or FCI. the "available now, no, REALLY, no kidding!" aspect of that has a certain amount of appeal to those who have ever ordered something from The Rifle Shoppe! :rotf:

 

[Blackbruin]

Getz barrels a year out, now that is just comical!
:rotf:
If it took roger fisher over 25 years to shoot a barrel out, made of 12l14 steel, i don't think you should even worry about using a different steel. Plus it is easier steel to work with than those harder centerfire rifle barrel steels....We tend to over thinks lots of things today, like putting a 300hp 750ft. lb torque engines in 3/4 ton pickups that haul groceries or a 30 pack of beer 99% of the time. OVERKILL