How long to rifle an iron barrel

**4V50 Gary** · October 21, 2016, 12:16 PM

How long did it take to rifle an iron barrel in the pre-industrial age?

How much more did it cost than a musket barrel?

Driftwood Johnson · October 21, 2016, 07:02 PM

Howdy

In 1969 Wallace Gusler, the gunsmith at Colonial Williamsburg, made a video showing the entire process of making a flintlock rifle, lock, stock and barrel. Once the barrel had been formed, and the bore reamed to final diameter, he used a rig that cut the rifling grooves one groove at a time. After each pass of the cutter he would insert a paper spacer to make the cut a few thousandths deeper. It took several passes of the cutter to cut the groove to final depth. After the first groove was completed, the cutter would be rotated and repositioned to cut the next groove, until all the grooves had been cut. Since the video was showing an entire rifle being made, it did not show how long it took to finish cutting the rifling, but I would suspect it took two or three hours.

I first saw this video in film format around 1970. It is available now on DVD at Amazon. It is entitled The Gunsmith of Williamsburg and costs $19.95. I highly recommend it.

**4V50 Gary** · October 21, 2016, 07:44 PM

It's free on YouTube but I don't recall how long it took Wallace to make a barrel.

HiBC · October 21, 2016, 09:47 PM

I'm smiling and thinking of the whole package.Forging or otherwise procuring the long strip of iron,winding and forge welding it around the mandrel,making the twisted square reamers..to cut a smooth,accurate hole???
Then lead lapping the hole

Making the rifling box out of a post,winding a wire around it in a helix,attaching one strip per groove...cutting and fitting a hole in the rifling box to align ,index,and rotate the post...
A split hickory rod to draw the cutter through,and the little "hook" cutter,filed,shaped to fit a little pocket in the rod,made with what steel? An old sawblade? Heat treated by eye,stone "just so" sharp...

Remember chips have to go someplace.There can only be so much "chip clearance" space on that piece of hickory holding the cutter.Each stroke is a commitment,there is no reversal,no "do over" .The full draw has to accumulate fewer chips than will fit between the rod and the bore.The hook has to be backed by the rod,and it is drawn,not pushed.

Too much cut,chips pack and score the bore.

Then it all gets lapped with cast lead laps.

And there were back woods rifle makers who could do all this,making their own tools,and when they were done..you would be amazed at the accuracy they achieved.See Ned Roberts,"The Muzzle Loading Caplock Rifle"

Wyosmith · October 21, 2016, 10:21 PM

I used to rifle one in about 5-6 hours, but that is not including the lapping when the cutting is done. I know some of the old-timers at Friendship told me they could get one done in only 2-3 hours, but I never got one done that fast.

**4V50 Gary** · October 21, 2016, 11:32 PM

2-3 hours. Were they using motorized machinery? What type of rifling machine were you using Wyosmith?

I had friends who worked at Elysium Barrels (now out of business) and they'd churn them out muy pronto.

Saw the cold hammer forging machines at Ruger and they could churn one out in a couple of minutes.

Wyosmith · October 22, 2016, 09:06 AM

No that is not with powered equipment, but only with sine-bar or helical post machines. All hand pulled. As I said, that what I was told. I have never seen one done that fast, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. It just means I can't do it. Keep in mind I am talking about the cutting only, not the reaming, lapping, crowning, contouring and threading.

I have made probably 125 barrels in my life. Not a large number in comparison to the men who do it full time. But enough to know how and I I got quite good at it.
I was proud of the accuracy I got from my barrels.
I never did any from welded scarfs like Wallace Gusler did. All mine were deep-hole drilled on a lathe. I had only a short stroke with my drilling set-up, so I would have to drill about 1/2" at a time and then clear the chips. I would start with 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 steel and a 3/8 bit most times. I could get a pretty straight hole, but NEVER a concentric hole.

So after the pilot hole was drilled I wold set the bar up on centers and true it up so the bore would then be concentric with the outside of the bar. When that was done the bar was slimmer, often done to about 1" or in a few cases even a bit less. Then I ream to bore size and lap it to 220 grit. I make a rifling head with a hook cutter and a screw jack and I cut the grooves about .0001 at a time. So cutting a scratch 1/2 thousandth deep, you can see it would take me between 16 and 24 passes per groove, and then I had to advance the bar 5 more times for a 6 groove barrel, or 6 more times for a 7 groove barrel. Add to that the time to set up the cutter for every pass and the time to sharpen the cutter which was pretty common on most barrels.

When all the cutting is done I would lead lap the bore full length down to 1200 grit. When it's bright and shiny I would cut off the muzzle end about 3" and crown it. I would thread the breach and install a bolt to hold in a 3 jaw chuck, install the barrel back on my lathe and cut the swamped shape into the barrel. Now I have a swamped round barrel.

Lastly I set the barrel on a flat steel table and file a flat on top of it. I use simple shim stock to support the waist of the barrel so it doesn't flex away from my files. Then turn the barrel so the flat is down on the steel table top, and do it again. Now I turn the barrel 90 degrees and using a square, I gauge off the 2 flats, to make them come up at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions, and file another flat on top. Turn 180 degrees again and you now have 4 flats at the 12:00, 6:00, 3:00 and 9:00.

At that point you simply file off the round parts and connect the flats you have made with the last 4 flats you are about to make. The 1:30 flat, the 4:30 flat, 7:30 flat and 18:30 flat. Now dress all 8 the flats down to a smooth file finish.

When that is done I make and install my breach plug, and it's ready for a rifle.

drobs · October 23, 2016, 02:57 PM

Here's that video Driftwood Johnson mentions. I'm sure one of you fellas posted this previously. I greatly enjoyed it and have been passing it on to others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocphhMtWDz4

October 21, 2016, 12:16 PM	#1
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	How long to rifle an iron barrel How long did it take to rifle an iron barrel in the pre-industrial age? How much more did it cost than a musket barrel? __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 21, 2016, 07:44 PM	#3
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	It's free on YouTube but I don't recall how long it took Wallace to make a barrel. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 21, 2016, 11:32 PM	#6
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,831	2-3 hours. Were they using motorized machinery? What type of rifling machine were you using Wyosmith? I had friends who worked at Elysium Barrels (now out of business) and they'd churn them out muy pronto. Saw the cold hammer forging machines at Ruger and they could churn one out in a couple of minutes. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 22, 2016, 09:06 AM	#7
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	No that is not with powered equipment, but only with sine-bar or helical post machines. All hand pulled. As I said, that what I was told. I have never seen one done that fast, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. It just means I can't do it. Keep in mind I am talking about the cutting only, not the reaming, lapping, crowning, contouring and threading. I have made probably 125 barrels in my life. Not a large number in comparison to the men who do it full time. But enough to know how and I I got quite good at it. I was proud of the accuracy I got from my barrels. I never did any from welded scarfs like Wallace Gusler did. All mine were deep-hole drilled on a lathe. I had only a short stroke with my drilling set-up, so I would have to drill about 1/2" at a time and then clear the chips. I would start with 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 steel and a 3/8 bit most times. I could get a pretty straight hole, but NEVER a concentric hole. So after the pilot hole was drilled I wold set the bar up on centers and true it up so the bore would then be concentric with the outside of the bar. When that was done the bar was slimmer, often done to about 1" or in a few cases even a bit less. Then I ream to bore size and lap it to 220 grit. I make a rifling head with a hook cutter and a screw jack and I cut the grooves about .0001 at a time. So cutting a scratch 1/2 thousandth deep, you can see it would take me between 16 and 24 passes per groove, and then I had to advance the bar 5 more times for a 6 groove barrel, or 6 more times for a 7 groove barrel. Add to that the time to set up the cutter for every pass and the time to sharpen the cutter which was pretty common on most barrels. When all the cutting is done I would lead lap the bore full length down to 1200 grit. When it's bright and shiny I would cut off the muzzle end about 3" and crown it. I would thread the breach and install a bolt to hold in a 3 jaw chuck, install the barrel back on my lathe and cut the swamped shape into the barrel. Now I have a swamped round barrel. Lastly I set the barrel on a flat steel table and file a flat on top of it. I use simple shim stock to support the waist of the barrel so it doesn't flex away from my files. Then turn the barrel so the flat is down on the steel table top, and do it again. Now I turn the barrel 90 degrees and using a square, I gauge off the 2 flats, to make them come up at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions, and file another flat on top. Turn 180 degrees again and you now have 4 flats at the 12:00, 6:00, 3:00 and 9:00. At that point you simply file off the round parts and connect the flats you have made with the last 4 flats you are about to make. The 1:30 flat, the 4:30 flat, 7:30 flat and 18:30 flat. Now dress all 8 the flats down to a smooth file finish. When that is done I make and install my breach plug, and it's ready for a rifle. Last edited by Wyosmith; October 22, 2016 at 09:15 AM.

October 23, 2016, 02:57 PM	#8
drobs Senior Member Join Date: July 17, 2015 Location: South Central MO / Africa Posts: 1,111	Here's that video Driftwood Johnson mentions. I'm sure one of you fellas posted this previously. I greatly enjoyed it and have been passing it on to others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocphhMtWDz4 __________________ NRA Life Member

October 21, 2016, 07:02 PM	#2
Driftwood Johnson Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2014 Location: Land of the Pilgrims Posts: 2,033	Howdy In 1969 Wallace Gusler, the gunsmith at Colonial Williamsburg, made a video showing the entire process of making a flintlock rifle, lock, stock and barrel. Once the barrel had been formed, and the bore reamed to final diameter, he used a rig that cut the rifling grooves one groove at a time. After each pass of the cutter he would insert a paper spacer to make the cut a few thousandths deeper. It took several passes of the cutter to cut the groove to final depth. After the first groove was completed, the cutter would be rotated and repositioned to cut the next groove, until all the grooves had been cut. Since the video was showing an entire rifle being made, it did not show how long it took to finish cutting the rifling, but I would suspect it took two or three hours. I first saw this video in film format around 1970. It is available now on DVD at Amazon. It is entitled The Gunsmith of Williamsburg and costs $19.95. I highly recommend it.

October 21, 2016, 09:47 PM	#4
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	I'm smiling and thinking of the whole package.Forging or otherwise procuring the long strip of iron,winding and forge welding it around the mandrel,making the twisted square reamers..to cut a smooth,accurate hole??? Then lead lapping the hole Making the rifling box out of a post,winding a wire around it in a helix,attaching one strip per groove...cutting and fitting a hole in the rifling box to align ,index,and rotate the post... A split hickory rod to draw the cutter through,and the little "hook" cutter,filed,shaped to fit a little pocket in the rod,made with what steel? An old sawblade? Heat treated by eye,stone "just so" sharp... Remember chips have to go someplace.There can only be so much "chip clearance" space on that piece of hickory holding the cutter.Each stroke is a commitment,there is no reversal,no "do over" .The full draw has to accumulate fewer chips than will fit between the rod and the bore.The hook has to be backed by the rod,and it is drawn,not pushed. Too much cut,chips pack and score the bore. Then it all gets lapped with cast lead laps. And there were back woods rifle makers who could do all this,making their own tools,and when they were done..you would be amazed at the accuracy they achieved.See Ned Roberts,"The Muzzle Loading Caplock Rifle"

October 21, 2016, 10:21 PM	#5
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	I used to rifle one in about 5-6 hours, but that is not including the lapping when the cutting is done. I know some of the old-timers at Friendship told me they could get one done in only 2-3 hours, but I never got one done that fast.