How important is the musket/rifle barrel?

Johnny676767

Private
Joined
Nov 30, 2020
Hello,

I posted earlier about searching for my first longarm. I am still on that search. And, taking most of the advice I got here, I haven’t bought anything yet except books, which I am reading.
I was wondering about the importance of the barrel. Mostly, I’m wondering about the interior. I guess I have found two issues: rust and rifling. How important is it for a barrel to retain its rifling? How about levels of rust or “darkening” (a word I have also seen used)?

Online, it’s obviously easier to assess the outside: color, patina, pitting. I’m having to rely on descriptions on the interior of the barrel, though.

I’m not looking at museum pieces here with a budget of $1,000-$1,500 just so you have a bit of context. I appreciate the replies.
 
A lot of collectors get hung up on the bore as far as rifling but if your buy a really nice USED war horse I don't get to picky plus an rust can be removed. If you were dealing with some one at a show you can use it to your advantage :D
 
I have seen some terrible BP rifles when it comes to rust. Also remember---the rust may get even worse condition the further down the barrel. The exception is the rust at the muzzle mainly from people poking their finger or something in the muzzle and it was never oiled.
I guess you can remove rust. But pitting? If it is too deep then you can expect more rust to "grow" in those pits.

If only used for reenacting, then I would think some pitting would be okay and learn how to maintain it was thorough cleaning after EVERY firing session.
 
I saw a listing for a model 1863 type 2 Springfield with the bore smoothed and now measuring .62. Weren’t these all .58? And wasn’t that process done in reverse (smooth-rifled) with earlier muskets?
 
I've got an original Model 1842 Springfield (1851-mfr.) that was rifled and sighted and in rather rough shape. I had Bob Hoyt reline the barrel so I could shoot it with mild loads and .685" wadcutter-type Minie/Burton bullets.

If you collect, condition is everything. If you intend to shoot the piece, you can always have the bore relined should you so desire.

As for .58 caliber rifles, these had three-groove, variable depth rifling. Postwar, some were converted by overboring out all the rust and bore damage, resulting in a .62 cal. 20-gauge-ish smooth bore muzzle-loading shotgun. This was never undertaken by Ordnance or a contractor for weapons intended for service use. In the 1850s, the idea was to save money and resources and rifle the smooth-bore .69 into a rifle. Tests concluded that the 730-gr. Minie/Burton fired from the .69 was technically capable of greater accuracy than the .530" patched round ball used in the 7-groove rifled barrel of the M1841 Mississippi rifle, but that the ammunition was too heavy, and the recoil was too severe and rapidly fatigued the shooter. So the .58 was ultimately chosen.
 
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