Fitting barrels to action
 

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?

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

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

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.

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.

Attachment 48726

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

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

No, they are both one frame.

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.

Attachment 48727

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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