Standard Questions for Barrel Builders

[Soot]

I'm looking to purchase a new barrel and instead of emailing the builder every time I think of something new to ask, I thought I may be able to come up with a set of standard questions here from everybody's opinions. What would you ask?
From the links in the stickies I found a builder called Cannon Mike.
http://www.users.qwest.net/~cannonmike/
I found a few references for him searching the forum, does anybody here have any experience with him?
His barrels look pretty nice and seem to be in my bang for the buck range.

[Double D]

Questions.

1. What Material is the gun made of?

2.  If not solid steel or if a casting is a barrel liner used?

3.  Is the liner seamless?

4.  How is the breech plug installed in the liner?

5.  What is the thickness of the walls over the chamber?

6.  If the barrel is lined, is a vent liner installed?

7.  How are trunnions installed.

[Cat Whisperer]

Back up a step - three categories into which you can organize the questions:

1. Design of the tube.
2. Materials used in the tube.
3. Manufacturing processes used in making the tube.

all three of these are interrelated and fit the bigger picture with:

4. Loading charges and procedures employed in firing the gun.

[Cat Whisperer]

These cover a lot of ground.

Asking one or two questions at a time does allow you to focus on one area and going back and forth gives you time to consider the issues involved with each item (and to post here for discussion and our enjoyment).

[Ex 49'er]

I've got one of Cannon Mike's 1.25" Spanish swivel gun barrels. Clean, smooth lines. Machined and bored out of solid steel. Trunnions welded. Great polish. Came in the white. I had the barrel blued and the swivel bead blasted and parkerized.  I've only shot it with film canisters filled with mortar mix. Haven't gotten a ball mold for it, yet.

[Soot]

Thanks, I'll be sending Cannon Mike a query about his 1841 U.S. Smoothbore.