Hoyt barrel ID

[slowfire]

Can anyone tell me how to positively ID a Hoyt barrel?

Bill

[Lou Lou Lou]

It should be marked on the underside near the breech

[slowfire]

Thanks for the info lou, I am going to look at a james river spring field tomorrow
and wanted to make sure of what I was looking at, I'm not sure the guy will be
receptive to removing the stock. Do you know if all of the JRA guns were fitted with
Hoyt's barrels.

Bill

[Lou Lou Lou]

I know nothing about JRA muskets. John Holland may be able to answer

[Bullseye54]

I would like to know also... I bought a JRA Springfield off Gunbroker but sent it back to seller..He swore it had a Hoyt barrel from JRA, but it had all the Euro arms proof marks and other stamps under the barrel.. No Hoyt stamps at all.... Also shipped in a thin box with no protection.. Front sight knocked off and a couple of marks on hammer that was sticking out of box when it arrived.. ... He said JRA told him it had a Hoyt barrel..
Still waiting for my check to be returned.. Joe, CT

[slowfire]

I did read in an old description by JRA themselves that they re stamp the original
Italian proof marks underneath when they defarbe, could these be relined barrels by Hoyt?

[Rich Foster]

I always thought that JRA bought guns without rifling in the barrel then had Hoyt cut the rifling in the barrels. Don't know if he would of marked the barrels since he did not make the barrel. But all JRA Hoyt rifled barrels were made 7 lands and 7 grooves. Hope this helps. Rich

[slowfire]

Yeah, that's pretty much where my research is taking me also, Italian barrel,
bought unrifled, and rifled by Hoyt with progressive taper, 7 lands, hence the
proof marks transferred to the bottom of barrel and no Hoyt stamp.
Hopefully, someone with more knowledge can verify.
Bill

[Muley Gil]

Not all James River Armory muskets had Hoyt barrels. The ones aimed at the reenactor market had standard Eye-talian barrels.

I believe the JRA website is still up; Mark is concentrting on WW II guns (IIRC). Send an e-mail and ask him how they are marked.

[slowfire]

Actually, the guy who is trying to sell this gun tried that a couple of times and never received a response.

[hennigm4]

MY JRA has JRA then an H stamped on it, indicating it is a James River Arms with a Hoyt Barrel, it is marked on the left side. In any case its one screw and a couple of barrel bands to pull the barrel Off. If you plan on buying it you should do this anyhow to be sure their is no excessive rust.

Mike

[slowfire]

Thanks Mike, that's the kind of info I was looking for.

I was planning on heavily encouraging him to pull the stock, and if he won't, I'll pass.

Bill

[Bullseye54]

The JRA barrel I looked at had only Italian marks under the barrel.. No marks that would ID it as a hoyt reline or barrel.. I wouldn't consider a barrel that is relined new and deserving of the original proof marks and if it was relined by a company it should be so marked by the person who reworked the barrels... .. How can they reapply the original proof marks to a reworked barrel and then sell it as new....Like selling a retread tire and saying that it is a new Cooper tire..

[slowfire]

The JRA barrel I looked at had only Italian marks under the barrel.. No marks that would ID it as a hoyt reline or barrel.. I wouldn't consider a barrel that is relined new and deserving of the original proof marks and if it was relined by a company it should be so marked by the person who reworked the barrels... .. How can they reapply the original proof marks to a reworked barrel and then sell it as new....Like selling a retread tire and saying that it is a new Cooper tire..



I think what you have run across might have been one of the reenactor guns that Muley Gil was referring to, which would have had a standard (New) Italian barrel. The proof marks would have been moved just for the purpose of the refarbe. I'll give them credit for doing that, so that it couldn't be passed off as an original.

Bill

[Bullseye54]

Yep I would have kept it thinking it was a Hoyt barrel, not just a defarbed import.. The stock matched my original springfield to a "t"...Would you happen to have the contact info for hoyt? I'm thinking about have my 64' 2 band springfield relined or a new barrel made... Hoyt or Whitacre ??
Joe, 15th CVI

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Would you happen to have the contact info for hoyt? I'm thinking about have my 64' 2 band springfield relined or a new barrel made... Hoyt or Whitacre ??
Joe, 15th CVI


Robert Hoyt
700 Fairfield Station road
Fairfield Pa., 17320
PH. 717-642-6696

No Email that I know of

Bill

[Maddog12]

I've had similar questions pertaining to this subject matter and unfortunately I was unaware of this useful bulletin board at the time the questions arose. A true Hoyt barrel, meaning not a re-line, will be clearly marked "R A HOYT" on the underside of the barrel as well as the bore size (I bumped it up +.001 from the marked size just for that slightly tighter fit, but experimentation is absolutely necessary if you like breaking targets) I have a suspected JRA compiled 2 band musket sporting an original Bridesburg lock and a few other original parts and it has a marked Hoyt barrel. However, I also have a Colt 1860 2 band that has a re-line from Hoyt and it bears no Hoyt markings. The sure problem with people selling the re-lined barrels is whether or not they are being honest. If a Hoyt barrel, re-line or whole, is a major factor in your purchase I would request a receipt or other certifying document from the seller showing the work was done so you make sure you get what you want and what you paid for. But the best way to tell if it's a Hoyt, is if it hits where you point it. Hope this helps a little.

-Maddog

[slowfire]

Just as a follow up, I finally did get a look at the rifle that started this thread, it appeared, for all the
world to be a standard Italian export, 3 land 3 groove rifling, and no Hoyt markings of any kind,
normal JRA defarbe, pretty gun, but probably not the shooter I was looking for. I thank those who
responded, for saving me a possible costly mistake.

Bill

[David Kennard 12146]

Rather than throw the question out to the masses why not just call Mr. Hoyt? I did and I am satisfied with his answer.