Very interesting iron

[Mauser lover]

ummm.... What is a "swamped" barrel?

 

[Crawdad1]

They 'swamped' the barrel by slimming the middle of the barrel with a gradual taper. The barrel's width across the flats would be the same in the area of the breech and the muzzle whereas through a gradual taper the middle of the barrel would be thinner in diameter. This takes a lot of weight off a long barrel


Here is a good diagram.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/650/1

 

[Mauser lover]

Out of curiosity... Why not just taper it? Is there an advantage with octagonal barrels to leave them wide at the muzzle? Easier to manufacture? Shoot? Load?

 

[daboyleroy]

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=41443.0

 

[Crawdad1]

My only answer is that's how they did it back when these rifles were being built.