Ringing the barrells
 

I have often heard of ringing the barrels of a double before buying. What should it sound like if the barrels are fine ? What does it prove if the barrels do not ring true ? Some one please enlighten me. Dan

Ringing is a indication of a set of barrels with good right solder joints. Every set will sound different. But a steady tone should be heard. A dull flat sound is an indication that there is a issue with the solder joints.

A flat sound is not always a dead indication that there is an issue. But, it usually means there is.

Sometimes extractors can interfere with the sound or cause a buzzing sort of sound. If it is removed or just held snug while ringing, you can determine if the odd sound is a result of that it not.

Thank You !

I always tell folks they should ring like a set of wind chimes. It is a pleasant sound to hear.

In my experience, Damascus barrels won't sound as clear and bell-like as will a set of fluid-pressed steel barrels.

since most of us are at least tone deaf if not stone deaf

I'll not try to describe it - but I can still tell clunk from clang

clunk and clang are good for me...charlie

So you have a high condition vintage gun that rings but say it has a small section of rib loose on one side. What is the problem? I have seen more than a few high condition Foxes that had this condition. The likelihood that it will get worse is small in my opinion. I would not be to concerned. What do others say??

Daniel, You may also find that,the longer the barrels the more bell-like the tone, everything else being equal.

The clunk and the clang are ok it's the twang you want to look at carefully.

Not that I have re-blued a ton of Fox barrels, but each one I have done has had small voids in the solder joints in a couple places. Minor voids like this will not sound any different when ringing than ones with no voids.

I would not have any concern either. The voids were there when the gun was made and did not change in 100 years.

I'm not gonna poke fun at Brian anymore for his 'auto-correct' problems because I'm having the same problems with my new iPhone.
:throw:

I like that emoji. I do feel like doing that with my phone often.

Vent ribs, in my experience, do not normally ring as nicely as barrels with solid ribs.