What should I do with these barrel blanks?

[TheThurmanator]

I have two, identical barrel blanks, that have been kicking around my shop for years. They are identical: 16 inches, .38 with a .357 chamber already cut. I believe they are stainless steel, and they are clearly brand new. The rifling is 1:20 (I think).

For a while I was thinking of using them for a pistol, but that rifling doesn't seem right for that. Then I thought of using them to re-barrel a carbine of some kind, and that seems a little more appealing as it could be a companion piece to my custom .357 Blackhawk. I was thinking I could use one on a cheap, single shot gun, something I could pick up somewhere for parts, then save the other for a more complicated later on. Some ideas I had for guns to re-barrel, or use the action from:

A rolling or falling block single shot
A lever action
A cheap mil-surp bolt action (though this might involve magazine modification as well)

I also considered using a cheap double barreled shotgun: Simply turn the barrel blanks down to a size that'd fit snugly into the barrels of the gun, then adjust the ejector as necessary. Any other suggestions? I've had these damn things forever and after repeatedly failing to sell them I figure I've got nothing to lose.

 

[I_Like_Pie]

Are they bull or tapped? You could get any number of cheap H&R break action rifles, chop off the barrel as short as possible, cut and thread a bigger hole in the remaining stub, rework the extractor any manner of ways and have a neat little plinking carbine.

 

[flatgate]

.357 Maximum, perhaps?

flatgate

 

[REP1954]

Well when is the last time you seen a 16" barreled stainless "Ruger NMBH Buntline".

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Well when is the last time you seen a 16" barreled stainless "Ruger NMBH Buntline".

Yeah!!! That would impress the heck outa me.
...or one of these:

...Jimbo

 

[timalso]

One of the neatest .357 rifles I've ever seen was built on a single shot Cadet musket.