Knock off barrels

Hello All ,
Kinda of a stupid question , however I’ve never seen one so that’s why I ask. I have a Traditions Hawkins , can I get a new/better barrel for it?
I have seen people get new barrels for Thompson Center muskets and have very good results , but have not seen anyone rebarrel a Traditions Musket.

Thanks for the feed back

first off , may i ask what is wrong with your Traditions barrel? i have had a few that make me wonder why i got rid of them.
after market barrels can be fitted to any muzzleloader. match up across the flat's dimension and have it breeched for your gun. other stuff like tenon's and thimbles will also have to be done.
it's not hard and i can do one in a day. at least good enough for me!
talk to Lewis about Rice barrels.

Traditions has rather good barrels, but their stocks are made of cheap wood. I would get a new rifle before I put on a new barrel.

I am also wondering what is wrong with the barrel. I am wondering if it can be fixed. Perhaps the bore just needs to be lapped.

Hello Gentlemen
There is nothing wrong with the barrel , except maybe the nipple barrel , the clean out screw can not be removed and the 90degree turn the “spark” has to make from the cap to the charge is unreliable.
I was hoping I could get a barrel with more of a 45degree angle.

well where to start.

first the "cleanout screw" . i wish i had a dollar for every buggered up screw i have seen on a drum.  best to just let them be, but if you really want to take it out try a little heat like from a hair dryer.
that 90 degree turn is standard. your problem most likely lies with a fouled nipple. there are many after market nipples that work great.
when you pour your charge down the bore do you give the lock side a smack before seating your ball? this will fill the fire chamber and greatly improve reliability.
spark isn't what sets off the main charge, it is the heat of the primer.
indirectly with a flintlock spark ignites the shot but it is actually the heat of the jet going through the flash hole that ignites the main charge.
same with the nipple/drum .  the primer compound creates a super heated jet that goes into the drum. if part of the main charge is in the drum it helps.
like with a woman you have to spend time figuring out what makes a gun tick. then you die of old age!

You should be able to get the drum clean just by removing the nipple. If you really must remove the clean out screw, let it soak in penetrating oil overnight.

I never had problems with getting spark to the powder charge when I remembered to snap a cap before loading. If this particular rifle continues to be a problem then I advise upgrading to a Pedersoli or InvestArms rifle.

Thank you I really appreciate the feedback , also I currently use pyrodex , Would a better powder help?

Alex, normally a cap lock can function ok with pyrodex. Personally i only use Black Powder i make myself. i have heard that pyrodex can and does deteriorate over time. it is possible you have some that has. unfortunately Holy Black is getting hard to find. in your shoes if you can find a can of Swiss or Shutzen i would give it a try.
keep us apprised of your tries and we can give other helpful hints for what they are worth!

One can change from #11 caps over to musket caps.

https://accessories.tcarms.com/firearm-type/musket-nipple-traditional-cap-lock-/54167252.html

I converted all my rifles to musket caps except my Hopkins & Allen underhammer.

rob

I have found that with my lyman GPR I have to tap the side of the gun after I poor powder down to make sure powder het behind the nipple. doing this makes for fast reliable ignition

The spark most certainly does not have to make a 90* turn.

My guess is your are shooting a black powder sub and that in turn is a huge down grade.

Any time you load powder, it will flow UNDER the nipple. There is no spark making a 90*  turn, its going straight down, into the powder thats filling the drum. If it was loaded properly.

Look at TC. This breech design IMO is a nightmare.
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Then we look at the CVA/Traditions breech set up. Its a whole lot cleaner and easier to navigate.


Any time that rifle is loaded. Pull the nipple out and look and see if there is powder under the nipple. If not, you may have a problem inside the drum, or you simply did not tip the gun over and smack the opposite side of the lock to help shift the powder into the drum.

Traditions makes a very fine shooting barrel! My .50cal was printing soft ball size groups at 200 yards with ease. Check out the video of me loading and I explain what you really should do, especially if using a black powder sub which is generally bulkier than real black.