I have been thinking recently that it would be cool to take a 50 caliber muzzleloader and have the barrel bored out to a .54 smoothbore. This would turn it into about a 28 gauge flintlock shotgun. I am thinking that I could use a gun like this on small game during the regular small game season and then on deer during both PA muzzleloading seasons with a patched round ball.
How feasible is this conversion? I am thinking that the Lyman Deerstalker might be a good candidate for this since they already make both a 50 and a 54 caliber in this gun. Could the barrel from the 50 handle the stress of being fired after being bored out? I know that BP doesn't really create pressure like smokeless, but there is the small matter of keeping that controlled explosion from getting uncontrolled.
Does anyone know of a good smith who knows anything about something like this?
How feasible is this conversion? I am thinking that the Lyman Deerstalker might be a good candidate for this since they already make both a 50 and a 54 caliber in this gun. Could the barrel from the 50 handle the stress of being fired after being bored out? I know that BP doesn't really create pressure like smokeless, but there is the small matter of keeping that controlled explosion from getting uncontrolled.
Does anyone know of a good smith who knows anything about something like this?