Here's Somebody's Worst Nightmare
 

A complete cosmetic refurbishment and sleeve job gone drastically wrong.


http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=196251821

:shock::eek::shock::eek::shock::eek::shock:

Dean,

That is sad in so many ways.

Harry

Ouch, that is the worst type of failure that can occur. I wonder if the shell was a reload or factory ? Even if the ductility of the steel was wong, the barrel should have split only. That large of a piece missing tells me that the failure was due to an extreme overload or bore obstruction.
Had the barrels been original (Damascus) they never would have launched a piece of steel like that. It would have been a hell of a buldge, but they should have stayed together.

Brad.

I think I'll go hug my original fluid and damascus barrels again and assure them that I won't let anybody touch them. I've shot some stout duck loads out of the damascus guns I own with nary a problem.

The gunsmith who sleeved these barrels didn't have a choice between good barrel steels and non ductile or bad barrel steels. He used what he got from some trade supplier who provides barrels to many others who also sleeve barrels. I understand there are only a couple sources of raw barrels available to the trade, and the barrels are foreign made in Italy or Spain, maybe Turkey now also.

You have to be very careful with those newfangled fluid steel barrels.

Or just put a Teague liner in those weak old damascus barrels. That would give a person peace of mind, right?

The empty cartridge indicates that it may have been a 3 1/2 because of how far it extends down the barrel.

At least through 1934, Parkers were not proofed for more than 3" shells, p.515, TPS. Those had a working service average limit of 11,200 and were proofed at 16,800. A commercial 10ga 3 1/2" cartridge is at 11,000psi, so a sleeved gun should have withstood the load. Wonder if it was proofed with proof loads or just tested with regular duck loads.

Jim, that's very observant. I think you've got it. At least 3" and very likely 3 1/2".

Hey, at least my two guns aren't THIS bad! :eek: :rolleyes:

:)
Shane

All,

Here's the website for SAAMI Publications. Click on the one for Shotshells...

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...ns/index.cfm#1

Mark

The SAAMI specs for 10ga max loads are 11,000psi. So again, the 3 1/2" shells are not the causal factor the way I see it. 3" ( 2 7/8") or 3 1/2" are the same pressures for PArker working pressures and proof. The cause was either improper sleeving or improper barrel sleeve steel.

Lengthing the chambers to 3.5" could cause the barrel at that point to be too thin to hold maximum pressure. This would be ever more likely if the gun originally had 2 & 5/8" chambers.

British Proof rules DO NOT allow even lengthing forcing cones!

Original 10ga chamber length would have been 2 7/8" . One would assume that a competant gunsmith would have checked wall thickness at chamber end when sleeving barrels, but its possible he did not. I'm aware that when asked about wall thickness, I've seen some gunsmiths pull out a bore gauge and suggest that a person can measure wall thickness with that and a ruler/OD caliper.

Correction

This was an early hammerless, 1890's gun. I don't what the chamber length for such an early gun would be. All the more important to carefully mic the barrel wall thickness. Wall thickness is life, or at least your hand. Did I tell you about the newly made AYA 12 that ruptured into a personal injury plaintiff's lawyer's leading hand and caused significant bone, tissue and nerve damage? Wall thickness new was .020, but the barrels were light.

Barrel Failure
 

The break is 3 1/4 inches ahead of the breech. There were no 2 7/8 inch 10 ga shells made by US manufacturers in 1992, so that part is obvious. I think the peculiar tear of the barrels is probably due to overheating the barrels during sleeving or failing to heat treat them properly.

Best, Austin

I wonder how many Parker 10 gauges have been proofed with 3.5" steel shot loads and held up any better than this one. Perhaps you should get the facts on the load the gent with the missing digit was using. It may shed some additional sun on the failure.

I can't imagine Albright's Gun Shop would like their name associated with this gun :eek: (the screws aren't even indexed :))

Ouch

quite possible there was a obstruction in the barrels.. in any case its a sad story i know the owner of the gun had many great duck hunts planed for it.... i would have had torebuilt it again if it had been my gun...charlie

Well, there are eleven days left in the auction. There is no reserve and it's up to only $305 so now's your chance.

Obviously, someone is after that #3 buttstock. I like it myself, but the gaps are there and may be bigger on the next gun that wears that wood. If anyone here is bidding and would like to talk about that stock, PM me.

It can be fixed . colin stolzer can make a new set of barrels . price would probably be around 2k . only 2 7/8" chmaber he wouldnt do a 3.5" becuase he doesnt have a ffl to work on modern guns or calibers / but he does nice work . he is currently making a 2 ga sxs

Neat! A two-gauge SXS!! A combination 12 and 20 I hope?

Now which pocket did I put those pesky shells in? Hmmm... I thought I already dropped a shell in that chamber... oh well, maybe not. I'll just put one in now... where'd I put those twelves... oh, here they are - nope that's a twenty... okay here's a twelve :shock:

Dean, I think Milton meant 2 gauge as in really BIG holes.....:shock:

.....oh.... nevermind.

Milton, anyone who could make a new set of barrels that would add to the value of that gun would not be doing it for two grand.

Take a close look at the wood to metal fit at the back of the action. Adding $2k to a GH action with a stock that needs final fitting would not be wise. Add to that amount a few hundred $$ to fit the stock and perhaps more to build and checker a new forend and one would have to spend $3k plus the unknown auction price of the action for a rebuilt gun.

That is more than I paid for a very nice DH 10 or equally nice GH 10 with British proofed for 3.5 Tons. Better shop around...

PS: I've learned the hard way that when an old gun has external "issues" it probably has internal issues as well. Anyone got a couple extra top lever springs, and complete safety parts... I should have known!

if a person had another set of barrels from another old shooter a person would not be out to much just tofit the barrels and make a ney fore arm and just shoot the gun instead of trying to make it new again...charlie