It's much cheaper to cut the barrels off and leave a 3-4 inch stub . Thread the stubs or use REAL silver solder and attach two new barrels. Then go crazy lining up the barrels. When lined up , add top and bottom ribs and now you are all set.
Idle thoughts from a barrel maker, reaming and rifling a .410 to .45 Colt is possible if the barrel is thick enough for safety. However, fixturing a double in machinery designed for holding a single barrel and rotating it around it's bore centerline might pose a problem.
Not an unsolvable problem mind you, but it's a problem none the less.
gr and Griz are both right. I have no idea of how to do what you're thinking but after almost 30 years of messing around with double rifles what they suggest and mention are facts. What gr described makes the most sense to me. I think that's called a "mono block" but I'm certainly subject to correction.
We used to build double rifles on the old Brno actions when the work at the shop slowed down. There is a lot of man hours involved.
Baikal makes the most inexpencive double rifles on the market. In the long run , it is cheaper to buy one if you haven't had experiance making one.
Probably the easiest and least expensive way to turn a SxS shotgun into a combination gun is to line one bore to the caliber you want it to be rather than try to re bore and rifle the original barrel.
A .410/.25-20 combo gun would be a sweet little toy to take to the range.
Yeah, Griz, after reading your first post I concluded that drilling and lining would undoubtedly be cheaper.
25/20, would require new brass, dies and bullets. I already do 32/20, so as a small/medium game cape gun, that might not be bad. Or if I went with 38/40 or 44/40, they would work with the current extractor.
If I had the task, I'd first ream out any choke. Get another barrel to use as a guide, set them up muzzle to muzzle, make a rifling tool, the end to carry the cutter, the middle (bore length+ away) a follower/guide to ride in the other barrel, the remaining length long enuf as a puller. Then drag it thru taking a light cut about six times & repeat same for each groove, a little deeper eeach time.
That's how I recall rifling a barrel about 1955. I did no precision measurements & used foil under the cutter to raise it. The barrel shot 1.5" groups at 50 yards, about as good as others in our black powder club ----->
I haven't got a rifling head for the .45 Colt. I could do it in .45-70 providing the breech and barrel walls are thick enough. I don't think it will be able to be chambered for the .44 special or WCF, the .410 chamber is too big, or rather too long.
Send me a P.M. if your interested in contact info.
I don't think you told us what manufactor of frame you have. It can make a world of difference.
Have you looked into a "rifle tube" for your shotgun. At one time you could get removable tubes in just about any size. The other , if they still make them , is a tube that fits the 410 chamber and has a locking ring or solder ring at the end of the barrel. Even if you have to get one custom made , it might be the way to go. And it still preserves the looks of your shotgun.
I checked the link that you put up. I don't think you would be happy with those. The type of liners I am talking about are the FULL length liners like the ones that you see on custom European shotguns.
Something like this but permanately installed and rifled.
I rather like the idea of having the barrel lined/re-lined and the 44-40/38-40 makes a lot of sense...to me. The 25-20 and 32-20 make sense if one is looking to sort of duplicate the old garden guns/rook rifles but then so would 38 S&W or 38 Spl. but, as you mentioned, then you get into the extractor issue.
Replace the bead with an actual front sight. Put a Lyman folding leaf rear on the rib. Have the rifle in the left barrel. Have the choke opened to modified.
Carry it with the rear sight down. For "jump shooting", I could get that right hammer back as I brought it up. Rabbit, squirrel, close-in flushing quail.
Bigger game - plenty of time to lift that rear sight, cock that (harder to reach) left hammer, and take aim.
Probably won't do it, it's interesting to think about.
Why not just shop around for a SXS or O/U German or Austrian combination gun and be done with it? If you pay attention to what you're about you won't lose any money on one and should have a first class firearm in the bargain.
Donnely's says to use 9.3 X 72R brass, full length size and trim to its 2.25 length. The 38-55 has a .009 smaller head dimension and a .026 larger rim diameter. It would probably work ok given both are low pressure cartridges but there would be some swelling at the head and the rim would have to be turned. I think someone is making 9.3 X 57R/360 Express brass but if not 9.3 X 72R is fairly readily available.
I have an Outschar stalking rifle chambered in a cartridge very similar to the 9.3 X 57R/360 Express and as with the 38-55 it is very accurate.
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