lookin for a barrel for a project

[The Pathfinder]

Okay, guys and gals, I've been looking everywhere but can't find the barrel I need, so I'm appealing to y'all to see if'n any of ya' might have what I need in your parts boxes. What I am looking for is an older either CVA or ASM 44 caliber Navy Confederate 7 1/2" dragoon style (round) barrel. If you have one of the older brass frame guns that is no longer safe to shoot, i.e., stretched or loose frame, I may be interested in that to get the barrel and loading lever. I'm not interested in spending a small fortune but know that prices are up at the moment, thus the search to see if an unsafe gun is available to break down for parts. Tried all the parts houses, EBay and GB. If nothing available will head over to Friendship in September.

Now, what I'm attempting, and thanks to Blackie Thomas for the idea and to Lodgewood for the inspiration that it can be done. See links to get some ideas, you may decide to try yourself.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zS22U8zCB0

www.lodgewood.com/Colt-Prototype-Army-Revolver-Copied-from-William-B-Edwards-THE-STORY-OF-COLTS-REVOLVER_c_280.html

Thanks for any help and good shooting.

[Black River Smith]

Pathfinder,

If you are trying to make what is in the video a 44 Navy with a rounded barrel and fluted cylinder.  Then I see one flaw in your request for a dragoon barrel.  I am no gunsmith so take this comment with a grain of salt, but I did see this video over on his channel.  If you attempt to start with a dragoon size barrel which has a larger diameter cylinder than the 44 Army or altered Navy, then there will be spatial differences between the arbor and barrel mouth AND arbor and frame/barrel locking pins.  To me starting with a dragoon barrel you would have a lot of work to just fit it to a Navy frame, just to have a round barrel to start with.

If I would attempt this, I would just start with a Pietta 44Navy and file/round the barrel.  The loading lever would stay the same.  The loading catch would stay.  The front sight would have to be grooved-out and added.  Take the 44 Navy/Army cylinder and cut flutes down its' length.  Not being a gunsmith I do not have or realize allllll the particulars to the fluting.  The rounding I would use a file only.

Just food for thought.

[The Pathfinder]

No, I realize a dragoon barrel won't work, I'm looking for a 'dragoon style' barrel. They used to be quite common on the brass frame 44 cal navies, usually referred to as the 'Reb' model. Now I'm seeing more octagonal barrels on the newer brass frames and while VTI lists a Pietta barrel like that, I don't want to have to purchase another Pietta frame to mount it on. The available frames I have to use are either a CVA, could be either ASM or ASP, a Uberti and an EMF ASM.
Might even be able to work out a trade for someone who has what I need if they want to try as well.

[Black River Smith]

Thanks for the clarification.  The Dragoon barrel term just through me.

So you want a Reb Navy Replica barrel.  I did a search for Reb Navy and came up with pictures of the brass framed with rounded barrel revolvers.  That then made me think of the Dance model that was offered, it also has a 44 rounded barrel.  I have never handled one so I do not know its' overall size relationship to the Navy frame.  But you could possibly add this model to your requested interest search to get a broader population of hits.

Another observation with these Reb Navy and Dance barrels are that only the Barrel is rounded.  The Arbor/Barrel Mouth area is still left flat-sided into half octagon topped shape.  The drastic barrel step may not get you to the correct overall shape of what is pictured.

[The Pathfinder]

Black River, I had considered the Dance barrel, as they are listed under the 1851 in VTI's parts listings, but the ones currently being made use 8" barrels and the one I'm looking for would be 7 1/2". I do own a hacksaw so it may become an option if I can't find what I'm looking for. As for the octagonal part of the barrel, well, I also own a number of files and a sander... good excuse to practice skills I haven't needed for awhile.

[Black River Smith]

Again, did not know about the Dance being 8" long.  Sorry.  Well have fun with your search and subsequent work.  Hope it turns out for you.