Old barrel

[Tinker2]

I acquired a old Muzzleloading barrel out of pile of junk at a gun show
As I walked out with it I had a number of people stop me and want to buy this from me, they actually got quite unpleasant with me??

It is just a old rusty barrel, I may cut it up for something. It’s a old rusty barrel. Am I missing something?

It is Loaded.
Octagon barrel 34 3/4 long to the snail type percussion breach plug. Tapered from 1 inch to 7/8. Six groove rifling .50 caliber? Wide lands and narrow grooves. Very long dovetail for a missing rear sight. I could post a picture if it would make any difference.

It’s a old rusty barrel, what am I missing? I don’t want to cut up a piece of history that maybe I should not.



Thanks
Tinker2

 

[Oldnamvet]

Once you get the rust off, maybe there will be some markings. I doubt that those who stopped you had any secret knowledge. They just wanted a barrel for cheap and had no class in how they approached you.

 

[scrat]

True. only takes 3 parts to make an old Muzzle loader. LOCK, STOCK and Barrel. You had the Barrel. Match it up with a good stock then get a lock and your in business. So when people see someone walking around with a barrel the last thing anyone wants to hear is how the guy is planning on ruining it when they can make a fine quality muzzle loader. take a look at some of the threads here on muzzleloaders you will see a lot of muzzle loaders built by members here. any one of them would be happy to take that barrel from you and make a quality shooter rather than a hack job

 

[Tinker2]

Ok, I took some pictures, this is just a old rusty barrel right?

Barrel


Broken tang.


Snail.


Rear sight dovetail.


Bore.


This is a rusty barrel? It’s for sure pitted. I will try to de-rust it when the weather gets better and look for any marking on it but unless it’s marked Daniel Boone or the likes is it worth doing any thing with? what would you do with it?

When I got it, my thought was maybe to cut it into pistol barrels and bore them out smooth.
I got it because it was a octagon bar with a hole through it.

I don’t have any real plans for it and I am open to your ideas.
I don’t want to cut up a piece of history that maybe I should not.



Thanks
Tinker2

 

[BHP FAN]

I'd hang it over the fireplace.It certainly does look original.Who knows where it's been.That might be Jeremiah Johnson's rifle you'd be cutting up for pistol barrels.

 

[zaboomafoozarg]

Tinker2, you CANT cut it up because there's a 1 in a million chance that it MIGHT be historically valuable, based on the also slim possibility that you'll even be able to find any markings!

I'm kidding. It's your barrel, you bought it, and it's downright dumb for other people to tell you what you can and can not do with it. Furthermore, by the looks of it it seems pretty useless as a rifle barrel.

I vote that you do whatever the heck you want with it

 

[Occam's Razor]

"If I had that I would bury it in my yard" (sound familiar?)

BTW - The fish was called Tilapia, in case you forgot.

 

[Chawbaccer]

My experience is that when ever I purchase anything at a gun show there will likely be somebody coming up to me trying to haggle and buy it from me.

 

[4v50 Gary]

See if it's handmade. If it is, have it bored out and relined (preferably a steel liner). Freshen up the surfaces and you've got a highly desirable barrel for a custom hand made gun.

 

[Tinker2]

This may help identify what the barrel is from? Are under ribs dovetailed on? I can’t tell by looking that it had a under rib and I can’t tell any signs of where the stock rubbed on it or ended. It is still loaded.
I have not done any thing. when I do, the first thing will be to unload it.

Dovetails
Front 7/8 inch long 5 and 1/2 inches from muzzle.

Middle 1/2 inch long 15 and 1/2 inches from muzzle 19 and 1/2 from back of breach plug.


Rear 7/8 inch long, 28 and 1/4 inches from muzzle, 6 and 1/2 inches from the back of the breach plug.



I do appreciate all the help thanks.
Tinker2

 

[scrat]

You need to be very carefull with that muzzleloader. Even with its age if it is loaded. Then it still can be fired. You need to unload that first

 

[black_powder_Rob]

i say go for making the two pistols. Give it your own history. :0)

 

[Tinker2]

Occam's Razor said:
“"If I had that I would bury it in my yard" (sound familiar?)
BTW - The fish was called Tilapia, in case you forgot.”

Occam's Razor
That was fish?

I looked up “Occam's Razor” It said something about being simple or simplest. Is dat you?


Tinker2

 

[Occam's Razor]

Occam's Razor
That was fish?

I looked up “Occam's Razor” It said something about being simple or simplest. Is dat you?


Tinker2

A person could take that two ways, you know; but I know you well enough to know you only meant it one way.

 

[Tinker2]

“A person could take that two ways, you know; but I know you well enough to know you only meant it one way.”

??? You think I know what I might have meant?


Aren’t you the guy that is about 4 miles south of the “Exact Geographic Center of Nowhere”
Nowhere is located at 44°22?5?N 100°20?11?W

I am surprised to see you on the internet when you are not at work?


Tinker2

 

[Occam's Razor]

You either have coordinates or distance wrong.
From your house:

Bearing: 307.52 Degrees
Distance: 1.35 Nautical Miles.

 

[Tinker2]

Nautical Miles? Is that why my barrel is rusty?

So what should I do with my barrel?

Be nice.
Tinker2

 

[Occam's Razor]

So what should I do with my barrel?

Be nice.
Tinker2

Was that a rhetorical question?

 

[Tinker2]

Was that a rhetorical question?

No



Tinker2

 

[Tinker2]

I don’t know if you can tell the rifling twist by just looking down
the bore with a light, but it look like a fast twist rate.
I am just guessing, but it looks like maybe 1 in 30 ?
Six groove rifling .50 caliber? Wide lands and narrow grooves.
Maybe hexagon bore but the outside is octagon.


Tinker2

 

[4v50 Gary]

The dovetail cuts won't tell you anything other than the proportions of the gun. Spacing on a gun had to be even to look good. Lugs were fitted into the dovetails through which pins would pass through to secure the barrel to the stock.

 

[Palehorseman]

The long rear sight dovetail leads me t think it was a possible set up for a type of multiple leaf express sight.