New barrel makers...

[IdahoSharpshooter]

How do you look at a new barrel maker? I always want to encourage new product offering, but how prone are you to gambling $400-700 by time one is fit to your action?

I have this amazing machinist friend that is going to build a Sharps Borchardt with Zischang (Frank Zika updated) Double Set Triggers for me this fall/winter.

His primary occupation is building double barrel flintlock rifles from scratch. Makes his own locks and blocks, and triggers; only buys barrel and wood blanks.

As far as caliber, we have narrowed it down to either a 38-55 wcf, or a 50-90 Sharps. My older brother has a Shiloh in 50-90, and he is always calling me a lightweight for choosing a .45-100 (2.6" case) for my last Shiloh. Good days I paper patch a handful of bullets, load them, and go beat myself up a little shooting 20 rounds. Bad days, I come home from rehab and think about taking up Dominoes...

So, what say you?

thanks,

Rich

 

[hoz53]

How do you look at a new barrel maker? I always want to encourage new product offering, but how prone are you to gambling $400-700 by time one is fit to your action?

I have this amazing machinist friend that is going to build a Sharps Borchardt with Zischang (Frank Zika updated) Double Set Triggers for me this fall/winter.

His primary occupation is building double barrel flintlock rifles from scratch. Makes his own locks and blocks, and triggers; only buys barrel and wood blanks.

As far as caliber, we have narrowed it down to either a 38-55 wcf, or a 50-90 Sharps. My older brother has a Shiloh in 50-90, and he is always calling me a lightweight for choosing a .45-100 (2.6" case) for my last Shiloh. Good days I paper patch a handful of bullets, load them, and go beat myself up a little shooting 20 rounds. Bad days, I come home from rehab and think about taking up Dominoes...

So, what say you?

thanks,

Rich

Hi Idaho—. Can’t blame a guy for being skittish about spending the $ on a new unknown barrel. And in the case of your Sharps you aren’t planning on changing it are you? If that’s the case I’d wanna try to be sure I was putting the best barrel on it. And anyway the newer barrel makers I know about don’t make 50 cal barrels. The caliber mite limit you on barrelmaker. Do you know of a new (relatively)barrel maker I don’t know about??? Inquiring minds wanna know Thanks for reminding me about the 50 BMG project I gotta start on.(honest)

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

I get Steve Garbe's Black Powder Cartridge News, once known as the Buckskin Report when John Baird owned it. The latest issue has an ad for BRC premium barrels, and one for the Oregon Barrel Company. BRC offers choked barrels OBC; I am still researching.

 

[swd]

You’ve got two choices. Take the plunge or let a few others do it first and wait for the reports. I prefer the latter. There’s a lot of great known barrel makers out there at the moment to choose from.