Fitting barrels to action

[Joe Wood]

I have a widowed set of 30" GH 12 gauge one frame damascus barrels in very good condition I want to fit to a currently owned GH 12 gauge also in great condition. The serial numbers are about 4,000 apart and amazingly the widowed set snaps into place tightly and the fit of the dolls head is absolutely perfect! However, I know that they need that final tweaking to be proper and the barrels' forend lug needs a little work for the forend to snap on. But it is VERY close. I have removed the cocking hook for testing the fit so have no idea how well it's going to mate.

The action is from 1893 and the barrels 1895.

Who do you recommend to do the very best work on a project like this?

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Brian Dudley, I think he can do what you want, Gary

[Robin Lewis]

Hi Joe,

I tried to get a thread going that members would post their recommended gun smiths to just for this question. It didn't get the action I had hoped but it has some good data for people asking the question where to send a gun.

I hope more people add to the thread, there were no entries from the west (TX, CA, OR,AZ....) and I know there are some good smith's out there too.

Anyway, here is the thread, maybe it will help you.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18751

[John Campbell]

Mr. Wood:
I would trust this job to Brad Bachelder or Kirk Merrington. Small adjustments gone wrong can be very costly. Right now, your tab will be minimal if things go right.

[Joe Wood]

A photo of the barrel fit right now. Perfect fit in the dolls head. Breech end of barrels will probably need to be struck down 5 or 10 thousandths. Right now the dolls head is about .010 proud of action but final fitting of barrels might lower it.

48726

[Jim DiSpagno]

Looks to me that the frame is a 1 and the barrels are a 1 1/2 size. The overlapping seems to be @ a 1/32" either side. That needs to be determined prior to going any further IMHO

[Bob Jurewicz]

I would ask Brian D to look at your last picture and ask his opinion on proper fitting. I asked him to fit a set of 16 GA 1 frame to a 16 GA 1 frame receiver and he advised against the fit for similar reason as shown by your picture.
Bob Jurewicz

[Joe Wood]

No, they are both one frame.

[Joe Wood]

I measured the overlap of the barrels. The right has a maximum of .005 and the left .010, the overlap diminishing to zero near the rib and the underlug. Then I primed two hulls and popped them off and as can be seen below the strikes are centered though one is lighter than the other.

48727

[Dean Romig]

There's no reason those barrels can't be filed to fit perfectly... all it takes is money.

Send the gun and extra barrels to a specialist who is confident he can fit them and file them and re-engrave the band around the breech and file down the doll's head to a perfectly flush fit and re-engrave it and then finish the barrels.





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[Bob Jurewicz]

Dean,
I believe you are "spot on". It is a matter if cost. Mine could be done but I did not want the expense.
Bob Jurewicz

[Brian Dudley]

Joe,

Your photo shows that you are pretty darn close. At least one would think.

You can never know for sure exactly where you stand until the action is completely stripped and the barrels stripped and then fit is tested. Sometimes what may seem like a good fit is actually a tight fit in the wrong area and giving the illusion of a proper fit. The rear of the locking lug is a common place for this.

A good fit on the hinge pin is the first thing needed and then the breech is the next part of it and then the forend is the final piece of the puzzle.

And the rib extension on top action and graded hammerless guns complicate things a little more.

Your barrels are laying in nicely in the rib extension area which is VERY important. If the rib extension does not fit flush, it is a pretty big deal to make that right.

The barrels being proud to the action around the bolsters in places is no big deal if you are planning on refinishing the barrels. It simply means re-striking them to fit, recutting the breech engraving and finishing the barrels. (You would not believe how hard it is for some noted places to get something simple like breech engraving recut correctly).

The issue of the barrels being BELOW the bolsters is more of a complex problem since it would require work on the frame which is usually not preferred. Or the event where one does not want to refinish the barrels in the event of them being high against the bolsters. Your barrels look to have little finish on them, so refinishing is something I am sure you would want to do after all fitting is done.

Dean was correct in saying that pretty much anything (within the proper frame size) can be made to fit. It just depends on how much work it needs to be done right.

[Jerry Harlow]

Joe,

If you do go through with the fitting, engraving, and refinishing then you had just as well have the barrels renumbered to match the gun. As has been said, it's only money (and a lot in my opinion for the end result).

Maybe even find another forend and mate that to the barrels? $$$$$$$$$$$$

You'll buy another good GH a lot cheaper.

[George M. Purtill]

I just had Brad Bachelder fit two extra sets of VR barrels I had to a VR Trap gun.
It came out nice and the cost was well worth it.
I now have 3 sets of VR barrels on one gun: 26 inch skeet in/out, 30 inch FF and 32 inch ??.
I am a happy guy.
Note- all barrels were Remington vintage and the two extra sets were badly in need of refinishing. They have not been refinished yet- I want to shoot the new sets awhile before I go whole hog.
Like Dean says- money will do wonders.

[George Davis]

Robin,
You mentioned in this thread concerning gunsmiths and who we recommend. I've lived in Arizona for many years and currently can't recommend a single gunsmith in the state, I currently have 3 s x s at three different gunsmiths in three different states for various types of work. One of which is a new young gunsmith here in AZ, he is doing some work on a 16 gauge Fox Sterlingworth as a test. Hoping to finally have someone within driving distance for high quality s x s projects.

[Dean Romig]

A new young gunsmith here in AZ is doing some work on a 16 gauge Fox Sterlingworth as a test.


Good choice not giving the "new young gunsmith" a Parker to test his skills on...:shock:






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[tom tutwiler]

I was told by a very good gunsmith that anything can be fixed except bad barrels (not counting sleeving of course.) All it takes is money. Sometimes lots of money.

[Dean Romig]

Lots of money.


But "Lots of money" is a 'relative' term.... It depends on the value (whether intrinsic or monetary) of the gun that needs the barrel work.

'Intrinsic', in this case might be...

"Belonging to the essential nature or constitution of a thing"

Or...

"The intrinsic brightness of a star"

Or...

'The innate beauty or rarity of a particular Parker shotgun'






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