Bachelder Restoration
 

20ga DH, 0 frame. Bronze bore liners were installed early on. The usual reason for installing bore liners was to return the bore to dimension after removing excessive pitting.

Before:

After Bachelder Master Gunmakers ( PGCA member):

I dont know what to say , I kinda like the old but that is just me . Wood looks great the metal is mainly my issue .

I'll leave it on for a while and if no one likes it I'll delete the post. I wouldn't want people to have to look at an ugly gun.

Bruce, can you tell us more about the barrel liners?

We have seen some ugly guns, But who said this was ugly ?

Was it a 12ga before the bbl liners? Never seen a small bore with a fish tail.

Was just over there - he's restoring for me a 1873 Remington hammer lifter and on another gun taking the triggers from 15# to 4. Never knew he'd put brass liners in the barrels. Please tell us a little more about it. Everything looks really great on your gun. Does the finish look shinny because of the flash ? Love the damascus and other metal work he did.

Originally a 20, and the previous owner didn't know by whom/when the liners were done

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../276843602.jpg

another shot of the liners

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../335165419.jpg

I can think of many words, but "ugly" is not one of them. More like "beautiful":bowdown:

Bill, all I know is that bronze liners were sometimes installed in the teens and twenties in old barrels that were pitted out. You probably know more than me.

Paul, if you look at the before and after photos, you'll see the liners were there before Brad's restoration. The wood finish looks shiny because it is refinished and looks the way shellac and oil finishes are supposed to look when they are in good condition. You can see the case colors on the metal because the dull oxidation has been removed.

Angel, it was always a 20ga. Curved top levers were used in early guns of all gauges.

If this was not recased I am now amazed at what was done. I thought it was recased

I've cetrtainy been pleased with everything Brad has done for me and, were it mine, I would be pleased with this one as well.

Brad has authentically restored to the correct period several vintage Parker, LC Smith, AH Fox, and Lefever side by sides for me. Many of these are showcased in my albums in this Parker site.

I have alway been more than pleased with his restoration work for me.

Mark

Paul ,While you were visiting ,you didn't happen to get a look at my 30" Barreled ,28 Ga. DHE Brad is doing for me did you ??:whistle: I spoke with Lori the other day and it seems It was near done ,but Brad wasn't as pleased with the colors as he might have been ,soooo back to the shop !:banghead: I am anxious to get her home ,if you stop by again and have time take a look and let me know what you think so far ! Best ; Russ

God I love the D grade.

I have not seen nor heard of bronze bore liners. I am curious, how strong is bronze compared to a composite barrel? Does anyone do this work today? Sounds like a great way to bring back a gun where barrels are too thin to be trusted. Brad's work is always pleasing to the eye.

Leopold Bernard, cannonier to Napoleon, did very indeed transitioning the French army and navy from cast bronze or cast iron cannon to the much stronger composite iron and steel cannon. The Bernard cannons had significantly greater hoop strength and wear characteristics.

Bronze liners in shotgun bores were installed by turn of the century gunsmiths but I am not aware of any that were being done this way by mid century. More recently, the British firm of Teague and Co has installed steel liners in worn barrels, such as composite steels, maintaining the same gauge ID.

I'm sure others are more familar with the history of liners than me.

Be careful with your comments guys, Bruce is very sensitive.

DLH

I have a 10 ga lifter with a two barrel set. One of the barrels was bronzed lined down to 12 ga.

Great looking gun and very nice work done on it. I can't see why someone would not admire the craftsmenship? Good luck with it.

I want more 'ugly' guns.

I would like to make a few things very clear I never said the gun was ugly , I never questioned Brads work, I myself have asked Brad a few things through this form,and stated to him that he does some damn nice work ! I would/will use him if I would ever trust the mail on getting my stuff to him. The only reason I said I had a issue was the gun was represented as restored and I thought it ment the case color too and I wondered about that later it was said it was cleaned Hell Of A JOB . I hope that I didnt offend anyone If I did I am very sorry. I hope You Brad will someday still do my work .

Steve

Everybody needs to chill a little bit.

Good idea! I say we belly up to the bar and raise a few glasses.Not to be controversial but can we at least agree that the wrong side won the Civil War?

brad sure is a first rate gunsmith this gun is very nice and i like those bronze liners... charlie

Bruce , Is this one of your Guns ,it is a very nice compliment to that beautiful C Grade 20 with the Roundell Engraving ! I especially like the Opening lever and the screws are beautiful in the " After Pictures " ! Am I correct in saying ,Brad Recolored this gun , it appears to have been " Patinaed so as not to look " Brand New " ,am I correct ? This is what we are going for on my 28 that Brad is working on now ! I hope mine turns out as well ! Beautiful ! Thank you for Posting ! Russ

I am from Connecticut but I was schooled in the South at Thomas Jefferson's school so I really am torn here. But if you bring some good shine to the Vintagers we can drink those Brits under the table.

Bruce Day,

Did the owner of the subject Parker ask Brad Bachelder to re-caseharden this Parker but to make the colors to appear as if the gun wasn't restored yesterday?

Brad has the skill to do this if requested.

Curiosity has gotten the best of me, so I'll ask. When they resleve a shotgun barrel do they undercut the barrel between the chanber area and the muzzle or do they turn the new barrel to the inside dimentions of the old barrel and then press it into the old barrel. Do they have to disasemble the old barrels. Sorry if this is a dumb question.

George, hope to meet you at Vintagers . We can discuss the genius of Stonewall Jackson and the courtly chivalry of Jeb Stuart!

Who knows? If Jackson had been alive and commanded at Gettysburg and Stuart had done his job of intelligence instead of capturing supplies, maybe the right side would have won the war.

Wayne: here are images of the process, and said 20g
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20580224

Wayne,

Your question is a long way's from being dumb. Unfortunately the full answer would be a very in-depth discussion on machining practices. The short anwser for lining a barrel like this one appears to be done is.

1. To keep it the same gauge as original. The bore would need to bored/reamed oversized. Then a new liner machined to the new bore size though slightly O.D over sized and then press fit into the barrel & then finish bored for final I.D. diamensions & choke constrictions.

2. It would be easier to drop it down one or more gauge size. The reason it would be easier is you wouldn't need to bore the barrel wall thickness as thin, so you could retain the original gauge size. The liner could also have thicker walls as well & be an easier machining process. Please keep in mind though that no matter how this is done it is a very difficult & time consuming process that would cost lots of shop time this day and age.

Looking at the liners in this gun I suspect the material used was brass rather than bronze. I base this simply on the color of the liner. Brass is yellow toward gold in color. Bronze leans to more of a brownish color.

Bruce;
Are these full length liners on this gun? or are they just chamber and choke liners?

Drew, that is a pretty cool process. Sure looks like those bbls. will last forever. I've often looked at those Heritage guns and thought about getting one someday. Those English guns have really pretty lines and have great engraving. Maybe someday.

Mine and the one Bruce is showing, is a full length liner.

We defininetly would have a different White House & Congress:bigbye:

That's right George, and a different kitchen and staff, Let me see? shrimp and grits for breakfast, or flounder and grits, dinner on the go country ham biscuit, and for supper, corn bread collards and fried pork chops, damn my mouth is already watering. and yes dinner is at lunch in the south and supper is the evening meal, my dear momma could do a job on those dishes. Gary

Shrimp and Grits
 

Gary, You need to have the River Room's shrimp and grits while you're here in Georgetown at the October meeting. Cheers, Tom

The Rice Paddy is my favorite restaurant in Georgetown, but I don't think I have tried the River Room