Looking for information about Weise (sp) barrel

[Dave Howard]

I picked up a 61 Springfield with a Weise (sp) barrel. It is glassed and basically ready to rock and roll. I am just trying to get a few ideas about the history and possible loads that would be a good starting point to build this rifle into a good shooter. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Lou Lou Lou]

They have an excellent reputation. It is my understanding that Dan Whitttaker obtained the machinery and is using it to put out his excellent barrels. The load depends on the bullet you select.
Slug the bore and get/size the bullet approx 0.001 under bore size. Start working up loads 5 grains at a time from 35 to 55gr. Take the smallest group and try a charge 2 grains on either side of it. It is all empirical testing (trial and error)

Hope this helps

[RaiderANV]

The first few were unmarked and those after were all marked. They were and still are great shooting barrels.

[macvcallsign]

I picked up a 61 Springfield with a Weise (sp) barrel. It is glassed and basically ready to rock and roll. I am just trying to get a few ideas about the history and possible loads that would be a good starting point to build this rifle into a good shooter. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Dave,

I have a number of guns with Weise Barrels. They all shoot great and have found that they seem to work best with a full size minie and about 42 to 45 grs of 3f. Your barrel probably has an original pattern rifling 3 lands and grooves and seems best suited to this type Bullet. Try either a lyman old style or new style minie.
Good luck and have fun.

Dennis Schuler, Cdr.
4th Kentucky Cavalry, CSA
1561V

[Southron Sr.]

Back in the early days of the N-SSA in the 1950's original, Civil War Rifle-Muskets were plentiful and relatively cheap. Some going for around $20.00 -$25.00 and these were usually in very good condition.

The problem was that with few exceptions, the barrels nof the originals were made out of iron. After a few years and many, many Skirmishes these original barrels were literally "wearing out" and accuracy suffered.

C.H Weisz was a parts dealer, mostly handling original parts for Civil War era Colt and Remington revolvers. He sold a lot of parts to Skirmishers and became aware of the problem that Skirmishers were having with their original barrels wearing out.

Weisz purchased a World War II surplus Pratt & Whitney Rifling Machine. During the war the machine had been used to turn our .50 caliber M2 Browning Machine Gun barrels. Weisz hired a young mechanical engineer to modify the machine to turn out .58 Caliber Model 1861 Springfield Rifle barrels. Notably, the machinery was modified to turn out barrels with the same rifling specifications as the originals INCLUDING PROGRESSIVE DEPTH RIFLING.

The genius of Progressive Depth Rifling is that it allows the use of UNDERSIZE Minie Balls.

For example, the last three models of the P-53 Enfields in .577 Caliber used PDR and when British Ordnance reduced the diameter of the issue Pritchett Ball from .568 to .550 they found THAT THE SMALLER PRITCHETT BALLS SHOT MORE ACCURATELY! [Note: both the .568 and .550 Pritchett Balls were paper patched.]

Whereas almost replica Civil War Rifle-Musket barrels use an investment cast breech section that is screwed on to the barrel, the Weisz Barrels have a breech and bolster machined out of the same piece of 4140 Steel as the rest of the barrel. This is a definite "plus."

If I recall correctly, the Weisz barrels were made in two "runs," the first in .575" bore diameter and the second run in .580" bore diameter - so be sure to have the bore diameter of your barrel measured.

Mr Weisz died sometimes in the 1960's and his widow continued to operate the mail order business for many years after that. I purchased my first Weisz Barrel in 1968.

Weisz Barrels have a reputation for being extremely accurate. Consider yourself lucky.

[gmkmd]

If I recall correctly, Weis was also the only one to make the barrel, breech and bolster from one piece of steel. Everyone else makes the breech and the tube from separate pieces.