Now what?
 

Bad day at the 5-Stand. :crying:I guess a wad got hung up but who knows. Shame on me for not checking between shots.:banghead:

Doesn't look like I have many options but please share your thought with me.

Thx, Ray

Ray:
Three options remain for you:
1) cut the barrels back to a point where the bores remain "normal."
2) have the gun sleeved (expensive)
3) find new barrels had have them fitted.

The last option is sell the gun for what it will bring.

Me? I'd choose No. 1. if there's enough length.

Best, Kensal

Ouch, really tough luck Ray. I have seen this happen to two fluid steel guns, neither Parkers. It looks like there was good wall thickness.

Choices as I see them.
1. Cut the barrel ends back.
2. Find new barrels.
3. Sleeve the barrels.
4. See if somebody like Brileys could bend and weld the fractured end back then sleeve in a permanent choke tube that would give the weakened end strength.

GOOD LUCK.

Thx Kensal and Bruce. The last time I priced having a gun sleeved it was $3000 and a long wait. Is Teague still in business? As I recall, there was some US agent that one would have to deal with.

I like Bruce's option #4. Do you think they would try to weld damascus?

No Teague is no longer doing barrels from what I heard

I understand Teague is out of business, but that's second hand.

I have seen cracks in damascus welded. I know some PGCA members have damascus barrels with welded cracks. I have seen old welded cracks in damascus.....like really old, that obviously have been shot for years after. I saw one with a square patch over a cracked area......I'm not suggesting that but it worked.

I suggested Brileys because I know them to have done permanent choke tubes. They may say no because its easier to say no than try, but seems to me if you selected an open choke tube there would be little hoop stress and the welded remains of the original end would have sufficient strength to hold the tube. Michael Orlen is another barrel guy whom I understand to be good, there are undoubtedly others.

Thats a shame. Unless its a really high grade gun I would agree that the removal of a couple inchs of barrel is the way to go. My absolute best skeet gun is an old Lefever that someone shortened the barrels. I know there is alot of talk about ruining the gun because the point of impact is not the same. There maybe some truth in that but it hasnt been a problem for me with two shotguns I have owned with shortened barrels. If you need the chokes get briley to put inserts into the shortened barrels

Looks like there was some type of obstruction (quite possibly the wad) as the pressure is quite low at that point. What loads were you shooting? Kirk Merrington is one of the best and I understand he is up and running again after his illness. Good luck.

Shooting RST loads

Cutting the barrels back is the best option given the situation and also the cheapest. You can always find an exta set of barrels of you still want more choke.

I would consider the gun as a whole. Are the barrels currently 26" or 32"? What is the grade? What is the condition, original 90%, original 30%, restored, refinished? Hammer or hammerless? If it is an AHE in original 90% condition I would consider welding the barrel. If it is a refinished PH with 28", 30", or 32" barrels I would probably cut them.

Ray Maybe a full length set of Briley Tubes in the next smaller gauge would be an idea ,they are lite and relatively inexpensive delivered upon order if not a custom fit type Tube and it might just salvage a nice shooter for you !I have a set of 410 that went into a 28 Ga. and it made the gun a little more versatile and fun to shoot ! I sold the VHE 28 and the Buyer didn't want the 410 Tubes ??? Couldn't figure that one out ! Just a thought ! Good luck with her ! Russ

Send the barrels to Kirk Merrington. I spoke to him last week. He is on the mend and back in business. I hope this is not the C-grade I did not buy from you earlier in the year.

For those who commented based on the grade, it is an A grade original 30" barrels. I'd hate to cut them tho it is surely the cheapest way out.

Russ, I've thought about Brlley tubes.

Hoping they can be welded like Bruce suggested even if it costs a few more bucks. Can anyone supply me with Kirk Merrington contact info, ie email address?

Thx all, Ray

I hate to say it. But, Bruce may be correct about Briley. If it was mine that's what I'd do. Nice imprint of the wad on the burst barrel. Were you shooting reloads?

August

Prior to closing my company, I had 20+ Highly qualified welders, performing everything from Sub-Arc, to GTAW (Tig) At lunch time I would get some of the guys to teach me at the various methods. Actually doing it was more difficult than writing the procedures. I am confident that you have many good aircraft welding shops in FL. Take your barrels, have them make a solid copper or Bronze mandrel, and reform the bent material back into shape. Damascus is very ductile. Them have them weld it, do a low temperature stress relief, then ream the bore and drawfile it out. You'll never fully hide the repair, but you'll be back to where you were.

Being an A grade, I think repairing if possible would be the thing to do.

Further to what I was suggesting as a possible repair route; The mandrel used to mechanically bring the barrel back into shape would be left in place during the weld repair. Copper or bronze backing plates are used on the backside of a seam weld to prevent burn-through, and the weld will not fuse to the backing material. The seam to be welded up would be V ground for a good weld prep, and dressed down afterwards.
I did some consulting work for Pine Tree Casting, in Newport, New Hampshire, which is the investment foundry owned by Ruger Firearms. A great deal of the parts used in their firearms are investment cast, including cylinders of their Vaquero revolver, bolts for the Model 77 rifle, and even triggers. Even lost wax investment castings will have the occasional surface defect, and they would commonly TIG weld these parts, as part of the manufacturing process.

ray i bet if you look around you ll find a sure enough good welder close to you and he should be able to fix the barrels...price to fix should not be that much...you can always cut the barrels.. charlie

Edgar ,You are the MAN !!!:bowdown:

Sir,

Call Kirk Merrington. Go with an expert in this case.

Is Kirk pretty good at bobbing barrels?

He is an expect in all things concerning barrels.

Kirk Merrington's shop is up and running. I was there last week. I don't have his email address but his phone # is 1-830-367-2937. He had an add in the Parker Pages a coupple issues ago. Check there for his email. He is one of the best barrell men arround.
P.S. sorry about your luck. Call Kirk and get it fixed.

Where can a man go and get all this help in less than 12 hours? (answer: nowhere). Best 40 bucks I spend every year. Thank you all.

My goal is not to cut the barrels. I think I'd just leave it in the safe before doing it. But I think with all the ideas here I'll be shooting 30" barrels again one day.

Ray ,Is this the Beautiful A Grade with the Song Bird engraving ?

Another strategy is to put it in a closet and wait until new technology makes a new and better solution possible. Of course you don't know if that is going to take ten months or ten years.

Best,


Mike

...or if today's technology may be lost to time and your heirs turn it in to the local constabulary to be destroyed as a "disposable old junker".

GOD FORBID:eek:

For those who have asked, I wasn't using reloads but rather RST paper, 2 1/2", 1 1/16 oz, #8.

I agree with Edgar. A good metal technician can manufacture a copper mandrel for the barrel, reposition the metal around the mandrel and weld it. Yes, you will always be able to spot the repair, but the original barrel length would be retained. As you were using it for 5 stand, I presume that the barrel had an open or improved choke, so probably you would not be losing anything. I had a twist barrel split about 6 inches from the end, manufactured a copper mandrel, hammered the metal back into place and had it welded by an expert. The barrelset is back in service. Carl