The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Double Rifles Double rifle barrel length?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I am building a double in 450NE and can't make up my mind on the barrel length. I have a 303 with 23 1/2 in. bbls and they alway seem a little short to me. Taylor was not difinitive but rather wishy washy on the subject and in Boddington's newest Safari Rifles he doesn't really nail it down either. I guess the concensus here won't be 100% but what is your take? For those of you that have them, what is the common barrel length? Maybe it varies by manufacturer too. How about the new Sabatti's, what are they measuring? Or Searcy, what does he build them at? Thanks in advance. | ||
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24 as a min and 26 as a max. It partly depends on the action you are using and how to get the correct balance. No point in deciding on 26 to find it is barrel heavy. | |||
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From what I have read of, seen and handled, 24" seems to be the standard on "newer" double rifles. Sabattis have 24"bbls. I beleive Kreighoff does 24"bbls. Merkels tend to be under 24" and Blasers tend to be from 24" to 25". I see alot of Heyms with 26"bbls, but the most of the ones I have handled have 24"bbls. Heym will make a DR with most any bbls length though. Most of the "off the shelf" Verney Carrons (that I have seen) tend to be 24" or under, but as with Heym they will do any barrel length the customer wants. Most of the Searcy's I've seen have 24"bbls, but I believe the length of bbls is up to the customer. Taksdale C-Class double rifles have 24"bbls. Most of the old British double rifles I have seen and/or handled have 26"bbls. Handling differences are not huge. I personally like 26"bbls on a double rifle. They just look and feel "right" to me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. -- John 3:36 http://www.accurateinnovations.com - http://aigunstocks.com/home-2/ NRA Life Member DSC SCI DRSS - STILL waiting on MY "Taksdale" .450NE or a refund...  "Young knight, learn to love God and revere women, so that your honour grows. Practice knighthood and learn the Art that dignifies you, and brings you honour in wars." (Johannes Liechtenauer, 14th century) | |||
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Get one with 26 inch barrels. NE450#2 has a double with 28 inch barrels. 26 in barrels giv the rifle better lines. Just my opine. Searcy rifles in 450/400 3 inch can come with 26 inch barrels. Rusty We Band of Brothers! DRSS, NRA & SCI Life Member "I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends." ----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836 "I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841 "for I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.” | |||
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FWIW my new Merkel 140AE in 450/400 has 23 5/8" barrels. To me, the balance seems very good. Hugh | |||
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With proper weight distribution a double can be made to balance regardless of the barrel length. While some prefer 24" barrels, I happen to like 26" length. The extra few inches provides a longer sight radius....it allows me to shoot better with open sights. ****************************************************************** R. Lee Ermey: "The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle." ****************************************************************** We're going to be "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, Which purportedly covers at least ten million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a President, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we'll be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke!!!!! 'What the hell could possibly go wrong?' | |||
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Roscoe, I agree with that! As long as the rifle ballances the only real difference the extra barrel length makes is in a longer sight radious. I have owned doubles with 20 inch barrels that shot like a house on fire, and 28 inch barrels that shot just as well, and both long and short ballanced well! I shoot handguns quite well, and so sight radious from 5 inches on a handgun to 28 inches on a rifle work for me, but the ballance has to be "ON" in either case, for sure! ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith  | |||
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I like 26" or even 28"....looks more classic and "British", and the sight plane is longer. | |||
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My Evans 470 has "28 barrels and balances great. I also have several British doubles ranging from "24 to "26. They all balance well and handle great. I am considering ordering a new Westley and I will go with "25 barrels. | |||
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The 2 best handling doubles I have ever held had 26 inch barrels. I have guns with 24 inch and 28 inch. I like short barrels but balance is every thing in a double. If its balanced properly it shouldn't matter what the barrel length is. Sam | |||
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MH1: In my opinion: black powder express 28" and 26" for a heavy .577 nitro express 26-28" up to .375, 26" for the .400s, 24-26" for the .470-500, and 24" for the .577 and .600. bore rifles 24" seems standard, I've seen as short as 19 and as long as 28" in rifles and 30-32" for some ball and shot guns. Of course, it all depends on balance and any caliber can be made to balance with any length of barrel Cheers, Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
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We had A&N .500 NE 'Jess' rifles in Parks service. Barrles were mostly 20" although I have seen 18" As has been noted , balance is more important than barrel length, but on a Krieghoff 500/416 I owned, shortening the barrles to 22" would have improved the balance (I just changed barrels instead) | |||
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I have rifles with barrels ranging from 21" to 26",they all work fine,my favorite to carry is the 21"! DRSS | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Double Rifles Double rifle barrel length?
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