Round smoothbore barrels

[mongrel]

I had written up the bulk of this as part of a post in response to Gunmaker's "Fuzzee" topic, but didn't want to derail his subject. So, a new thread.

I do truly wish that one of the barrel makers catering to the likes of us would produce a plain, round, straight-tapered smoothbore barrel. Not every original smoothbore had an octagon-to-round barrel or one taken off a Brown Bess, Charleville, or other European musket, but those are the choices -- octagon-to-round profiles that run upwards of $180-$200, or correct military barrels that are still higher in price. Odd how what was once the bargain-rate, utility gun of the common man -- the smoothbore -- now costs at least as much as (if not more than) a rifle of similar quality, if both are done to at least somewhat PC standards. A bare-bones simple round barrel would go a good ways toward reducing the price of a smoothbore for the person working on a budget but wanting something reasonably correct.

Or has milling technology come to a point that what once was relatively inexpensive to do -- a round barrel -- is now difficult and therefore costly, whereas what was once much more expensive -- a rifled octagon barrel -- is today much easier and therefore less costly? I'm curious on this point and would appreciate being enlightened. Assuming that it's not just a lack of demand (or an oversight on various barrel makers' parts), is there a reason I'm not seeing for the lack of a relatively inexpensive round barrel of suitable length for use on a traditionally-styled smoothbore?

[pathfinder]

Jackie Brown profiles his own barrels. I have one and it's a shooter! He uses hydralic tubing.

And as far as expences for "Normal" services. I had a glass get broken out of the door of my wood burning stove. I was told it had to be "Ceramic" glass(?) and a template needed to be made. The 4 different glass shops I went to seemed to make a really big deal about making a template! You'd think they had to prep for brain surgery! $178.00 for a 12 X15 piece of glass! Because they had to "Make a template"! When I told them I'd make the template they said only a qualifyed glass tech can make a template!. I went homeand cut out some sheet steel after I made a template and put that in the door. It fits perfectly. Look's good after I painted it black, I dont miss the glass at all!

[gunmaker]

Mark DeHaas in MO. Will make a round bbl. 660-872-6308.  Ed Rayl will make anything--safe, but he is always 1 year out. 304-364-8269 I can say both these makers are top notch.   $110 to $140  round profile.....tom

[mongrel]

When I get caught up I'll have to order a couple from DeHaas. I've built rifles around a couple of his barrels -- liked them immensely. I've also used Rayl barrels but I know he's got a good-sized backlog.

[gunmaker]

mongrel, Corson's BBl. in Kingman AZ has lots of misc bbl. It's just hard to find the longer ones without paying the $$ e-Bay sometimes has modern shotgun bbl....Tom     course you most likely know all this, just thinking out loud...

[mongrel]

I'm actually just wishing for a correct-length barrel that I can offer my customers. Usually they don't balk at the cost of an octagon-to-round but it would be nice to be able to say, "If you want a round barrel we can get the price down some."

Long round barrels are actually not too hard to come by, fairly inexpensively, but the catch is that they're originals. I only buy ones that have decent bores, but there are still the two issues of the choice of bore sizes obviously being limited, and liability -- metallurgy back in the day wasn't what it is, now.

I guess what I'd ideally like to see, and wonder isn't done, is for suppliers like Track Of The Wolf or Muzzleloader Builder's Supply to offer a plain round barrel right along with their octagon-to-round and specialized (i.e. specific model Brown Bess or Charleville) choices. Like Tom, just thinking out loud, not really trying to imply that I know better than the owners of these outfits, how to run their businesses.

[gunmaker]

not enough of us for them to even consider I guess, just have to stay on the lookout.....Tom