barrel question

[Brent Francis]

I have an old DH damascus that the barrels are a little questionable and was thinking about buying an old VH with serviceable barrels and fitting the vulcan barrels onto the DH frame. My DH is the old style without the replaceable barrel wedge will I need to get old style vulcan barrels or can the newer replaceable wedge style be used without replaceing the original bolt?

[Dave Suponski]

Brent, You would be better off changing the bolt also.

[Brent Francis]

Thanks Dave, thats what I thought. Is the new style bolt easily adapted to the old recievers?

[Dave Suponski]

The actuating end of the bolt is the same on hammerless guns. It has more to do with having the correct mating angles.

[Bill Murphy]

I have to admit I have heard this question asked dozens of times over the years and I still don't know the answer. Which bolts are compatible with which lug slots? Obviously the straight bolt is not compatible with the angled 1910 lug slot, but what about the first generation straight soldered in bolt plate? Is the straight bolt compatible with that slot? It is clear that no one who has posted so far knows the complete answer. Maybe Lawrence DelGrego will give us the answer.

[Brent Francis]

Thanks Bill, Im begining to think the easiest solution is to find an older VH. Is 1910 the year the bolt changed? It would definately be better if I dont have to mess with the bolt that is already on the gun.

[Dave Suponski]

The way I understand it Bill is that around 1874 the square bolt was eliminated and the soldered in bolt with the 12 1/2 degree angle came into use. Therefore no hammerless guns had a square bolt. The soldered in bolt plate carried over into the hammergun era but in 1905 King patented the pinned in bolt plate to speed fitting in final assembly and also to be able to harden the insert. Prior to that with the bolt plate soldered in final fitting was difficult because the bolt plate was already hardened. So to me it would make sense that final fitting was mostly done on the bolt rather than the hardened plate. After final fitting the bolt could easily be hardened. The soldered in bolt plate was installed using soft solder so as not to heat up the barrel assembly to a point that the brazing of the lug would be affected. the last variation the bolt plate with the steps on each side further sped up final fitting because of the reduced area that had to be fitted.

[Bill Murphy]

We still don't know if any of the different lug slots are compatible with a bolt originally installed in a gun with a different style of lug slot. And didn't you leave out the hammerless guns with lug slot with nothing in it?

[Brent Francis]

The DH I have is hammerless number 76XXX from 1896 if my memory is correct. There doesnt appear to be any plate soldered or pinned on the barrel lug just a machined slot with a slight angle at the bottom of the slot where the wedge is on my later model parkers. Cant get a good look at the bolt to tell if its square or not without taking things apart but from the top it doesnt look too different from my 230xxx gun.

[Dave Suponski]

Bill, Yes I did. Are the different bolts compatable? Any tapered bolt was made at 12 1/2 degrees. But they were hand fitted. So if your happen to change a bolt or a wear plate and the gun closes tight with no play or the top lever doesn't jam or stick than you lucked out.