I used to get some good work (mainly relines) done by a part time 'smith (a trained toolmaker whose day job was as a prison guard--go figure) in upstate NYS. He was a single shot rifle nut and did some really great jobs--for himself. Had a dream of making finished actions for the trade, which apparently came to nought, like so many....
One thing he always did was make his barrel contours the opposite of the classics: he made them a round cylinder up to the end of the forend, then tapered octagon for the rest of the way to the muzzle (some even had a "wedding ring" too). Claimed that this way made it much easier to inlet the forends and to mount modern scope ribs and mounts, and had the same effect as the old octagon to round ("half octagon") barrels (which I assume is to put the balance near the hands??? Or is it simply "aesthetic"???).
Anybody else ever do this? Does it make sense? Crazytalk? What say ye?
