Cutting a rifle barrel down to 15"...

[akbearhunter]

If I take a Encore Muzzleloader rifle barrel...cut it down to 15" for a handgun...re-weld the parts back on that hold the ramrod...will the twist stablize the projectile I wish to shoot? It seems nobody has a Encore Muzzle-loading pistol barrel?

[pacecars]

http://www.matchgrademachine.com/gunshop/home.php
http://www.bullberry.com/index.html

Either will make you one or you can get one from here:
http://www.foxridgeoutfitters.com/detail.cfm?section=16&subsection=149,173&product=3453

[Nashcat]

I cut down a ML rifle barrel last fall for my Encore pistol.  I cut it to 16" and made a custom wood forend that holds the ramrod without needing the thimbles to be reattached.  The thimbles are held on with screws and won't need to be welded.  Just have a tapped hole put in the barrel at the right location for the thimble.  I'm using a 2X scope and shooting 240 Hornady Xtp bullets with 100gr of 777,  and getting 3" groups at 100 yards from a rest.  I took a nice doe with it last fall. Doesn't seem to have any power or accuracy problems, at all.  I wouldn't  bother putting the free bored "Quickload" feature back in after it is cut.  Mine loads easily without it.  Here's a pic of the short smokepole.

Nashcat

[wncchester]

You don't say what projectile you wish to shoot.  Obvously, you can still stabilize the original bullet or lighter, but if you go a lot heavier you may have a stability problem.