Author Topic: I want to get my 62cal GM bbl bored to 16ga [.660].... (Read 3413 times)

offhand35 · « **on:** December 20, 2008, 03:40:15 AM »

....Just because I want it 16ga.......Does anyone know who can bore out a muzzleloader barrel? There must be at least a few, as some people need to have their barrel "freshed out" once in a while.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #1 on:** December 20, 2008, 05:10:07 AM »

Quote from: offhand35 on December 20, 2008, 03:40:15 AM

Does anyone know who can bore out a muzzleloader barrel?

GREAT question!!

I have the first BP ML I ever put together, a CVA kit. Long, LONG ago! I want to take the barrel out to 20 ga. from 50 cal. It isn't worth the cost to send it off to someone, and I've never had the nerve to try deep hole boring myself. I'm anxious to hear what others have to say!

flintlock · « **Reply #2 on:** December 20, 2008, 02:52:16 PM »

Ed Rayle in West Virginia can do anything you want done to a barrel, including making you one special for your uses...

I don't have his number handy, I'll try to dig it up on Monday...

offhand35 · « **Reply #3 on:** December 20, 2008, 05:04:34 PM »

I had actually started to persue the custom barrel route, wanting to build a half-stock fowler on my T/C Renegade. The 62cal smooth bore from GM is very heavy for this purpose, being a 32" straight octagon with rifle sights. I did find someone, McC Custom Machine who can/will breech any barrel that will fit and fit/install any extra parts I want, like an underrib, staple, shotgun bead.
I had a disappointing email conversation Friday, 12/19/08, with Scott Keller at Colerain, who wished he could help, but Colerain does not do anything for anything made by T/C. He was gracious, and offered help for any fowler or rifle I wanted to build from scratch, and DID recommend I call Ed Rayle. He even included his number.

I will call Mr. Rayle this week. The most expedient way to reduce weight in the 62 would be to bore it out larger. Then it would drop back in. I could replace the front sight with something lower, and remove the rear sight altogether. But that is a compromise, and a proper shotgun bbl fitted to this stock would be much better......
Hmmm.....I could ask if he would bore it out to 16ga, and taper the octagon....but that much work would probably approach the cost of a new bbl, and I could sell the 62.....

I will keep you posted.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2008, 05:26:09 AM »

Quote from: offhand35 on December 20, 2008, 05:04:34 PM

I will call Mr. Rayle this week.
I will keep you posted.

Please do! If you would, give me his phone # or email. Or, just ask him what he would charge for a simple boring of a 50. cal (rifled) to 20 ga. smooth. I don't have the actual bore diameter right infront of me.

moxgrove · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2008, 07:14:40 AM »

I would also like to get Mr. Rayle's number. I saw a 10 bore rifled muzzleloader he did on a Handi 10 gauge. Didn't have the money then but do now.

offhand35 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2008, 09:52:41 AM »

Well, I did not actually HAVE the 62cal GM smoothbore bbl, I had ordered it on the internet at GM...This AM GM emailed me that the order is cancelled! I called them, they called back and said the bbl is no longer available....OK so I called Mr. Rayl. He advertises in Muzzle Blasts magazine, in WV. He has no email or website. When I told him that I wanted to assemble a half stock percussion fowler with a 32" 16ga octagon to round bbl with bead, underlug, underrib and ramrod pipes to fit my T/C Rengade stock, he said, "I can do that!" .....Yeah!!

So I ordered that bbl from him. It will be in the white, which is no problem, as i have browned a couple of actions and bbls. [see my post re: my undehammer 10ga with Rayl bbl in one of the sticky's about post our ML's] Delivery will be sometime around the end of March. To avoid confusion, I did not ask him at all about boring out a bbl to a larger smoothbore, PM me for his phone #. He was very nice to talk to, and actually knew where the town I live in CT is located!

So that will be so much better than trying to fudge a round ball bbl into a very heavy fowler......I will post how it all turns out, in the Spring!

[P.S: I don't know if it is correct to list Mr. Rayl's phone #, as it may constitute advertising. PM me if you cannot find it]

Thanks everyone for your input.

flintlock · « **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2008, 03:30:31 PM »

That's how Ed is...Very unassuming, and a true gentleman...

I have 2 of his barrels, one a 13/16 in .40 caliber, 42 inches long and another 1 1/16 tapered to 15/16 in .54 caliber, 38 inches long...Both are excellent round ball shooters...btw...When these were made, in the late 80s, he even asked what twist rate I wanted...

I've also seen a custom made flintlock with a brass barrel that he had made special for the customer...

You guys keep on and you'll end up having to build a custom gun to your specs...That's when it really starts to get fun...

coyotejoe · « **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2008, 06:43:48 AM »

I'm currently have a barrel re-bored by Bobby Hoyt of Fairfield PA, you can reach him at 717 642-6696. His prices are "shockingly reasonable". He is well know among the civil war crowd.
The best way to reduce the weight of a straight octagon half stock is to turn the forward portion to a tapered round contour. That removes the weight from the front where it is most noticable and greatly improves the ballance for shotgunning. You can probably find a local machinist to do it for less than the cost of a re-bore. You would of course have to solder on the ramrod rib and thimbles and refinish the whole barrel but it sure makes a nicer handling shotgun.
For that mater, to completly rebarrel a muzzleloader is not rocket science and does not require more than simple hand tools. Too many people seem to think their options are limited to the available "drop-in barrels". I have a T/C Penn hunter with a Jack Garner 28 gauge smoothbore barrel and a T/C Renegade with a Track of the Wolf 20 gauge, both half round types and they are both good shotguns. Neither took more than a day's work to fit up. Both can still be used with their original rifle barrels so that is my preferred option unless the original bore has been ruined, as is the case with the barrel I'm having Bobby Hoyt re-bore.

BS · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2008, 03:47:41 PM »

W. E.Rayl
Box 91
Gassaway WV 26624
304-364-8269

j two dogs · « **Reply #10 on:** January 12, 2009, 03:51:20 AM »

2nd, on Mr. Rayle's work. Just recieved a civil era barrel back from him. It slug a .36 cal., but the riflings were to far gone to be accurate. He freshed it up for me to a .40 cal., had time to put 3 shots through the other day, the last 2 were and inch apart and a half inch out of the bulls eye at 55 yds. Well pleased.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2009, 01:09:33 AM »

Quote from: j two dogs on January 12, 2009, 03:51:20 AM

Just recieved a civil era barrel back from him.

If you don't mind me asking, what does he charge to bore out an old barrel? From others I've checked it costs as much as a new barrel would. $:-\$

coyotejoe · « **Reply #12 on:** January 18, 2009, 05:28:38 AM »

Don't know about Mr. Rayl but Bobby Hoyt gave me a quote of $85.00 to rebore a .54 caliber and rifle it to .58 caliber. I'm waiting patiently, well sort of patiently.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #13 on:** January 18, 2009, 05:44:19 AM »

Thanks joe.
I guess I could assume that just a rebore would be even less. $:-\$ If so, now we're getting into a reasonable price range!

canon6 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2009, 04:22:23 PM »

Any one got a number for Bobby Hoyt I have a CVA 54 rifle I would like to turn into a smoothbore. thanks Doug

quickdtoo · « **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2009, 05:53:49 PM »

Try this Doug...

Tim

R.A. Hoyt
Freischutz Shop
700 Fairfield Station Rd.
Fairfield, PA 17320
717-642-6696

canon6 · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2009, 06:20:14 AM »

Thanks Tim, Doug

Swampman · « **Reply #17 on:** April 30, 2010, 05:02:13 PM »

Did anyone have any luck with getting their barrels rebored?

AtlLaw · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2010, 09:02:10 AM »

I got a price of $50 to bore out a 50 cal to 28 ga. Sounded good to me but I still haven't sent it off. But it's on my "to do" list!

b44mag · « **Reply #19 on:** August 16, 2010, 08:55:00 PM »

i was just thinking about doing this to a 50cal. to 20 ga. did either of you guys get this done
i think im going to call see how much it would be to bore it out and install choke tube threads
so i could use the same tubes that my h&r uses
i was looking at black powder shotguns over my budget
b44mag

ok i just got off the phone with bob at hoyts he is i great guy he told me all about it and he does not do choke threds so now the ? is if i had him bore this out it would be a true cylinder bore from end to end i need to mic the barrel to see how much he can bore it out to any of you guys shoot a cylinder bore shotgun like what im thinking of making and how does it shoot as of pattern for small game this sounds like a fun way to small game hunt his prices are great he told me like 40 or 50 bucks maybe ill have him bore it out then have some one else do the choke threds
thanks for any info you all have on this
b44mag

Semisane · « **Reply #20 on:** August 17, 2010, 08:47:58 AM »

You might ask him if he can jug chole the barrel when he reams it.

http://www.midwayusa.com/guntecdictionary.exe/showterm?TermID=2956

b44mag · « **Reply #21 on:** August 17, 2010, 09:51:44 AM »

just checked that out sounds like maybe a good idea
ill have to ask him about jugging the barrel
after i find my mic and check out the thickness of the barrel
he said it all depends if there are dovetails cut into the barrel
screws that hold stuff on the barrel
so ill have to wait to see if my trade goes through or not
if not i might be doing this to a 50cal. cva frontier flintlock instead of a yukon inline
either way im realy thinking of doing it
b44mag

coyotejoe · « **Reply #22 on:** August 19, 2010, 03:03:00 PM »

Quote from: b44mag on August 16, 2010, 08:55:00 PM

i was just thinking about doing this to a 50cal. to 20 ga. did either of you guys get this done
i think im going to call see how much it would be to bore it out and install choke tube threads
so i could use the same tubes that my h&r uses
i was looking at black powder shotguns over my budget
b44mag

ok i just got off the phone with bob at hoyts he is i great guy he told me all about it and he does not do choke threds so now the ? is if i had him bore this out it would be a true cylinder bore from end to end i need to mic the barrel to see how much he can bore it out to any of you guys shoot a cylinder bore shotgun like what im thinking of making and how does it shoot as of pattern for small game this sounds like a fun way to small game hunt his prices are great he told me like 40 or 50 bucks maybe ill have him bore it out then have some one else do the choke threds
thanks for any info you all have on this
b44mag

All original muzzleloading shotguns were cylinder bore, choked bores began to become available in the 1870's. There is nothing wrong with cylinder bore if one limits their shots to 25 yards, maybe 30 at the most. In fact, for general upland game hunting the very best choke may well be no choke. If you want to reach out a bit, jug chokes are the answer. I used to do a little sideline business of jug choking muzzleloaders using hand tools of my own design. I was charging $65.00 per barrel plus $15.00 for return shipping. I don't know anyone else doing it today.