Proper way to check barrel wall thickness.

[Quack me up!]

I'm planning on having a gunsmith check out the barrel wall thickness on a set of damascus barrels. Is there a correct way to do this that I should specify to him as far as checking the wall thickness every so many inches etc.?
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Bob

[Brush Buster]

Bob ,Check out this Link ,This is the Gauge ,most of the Guys use to measure Barrel Wall thickness and the correct way to do it ! Best ; Russ http://vimeo.com/5011609

[Dennis]

Russ, thanks so much for the link to the Hosford barrel thickness gauge. I had always wondered how the barrels were measured. Now I know. That made my day.

Dennis

[Quack me up!]

Originally Posted by Dennis V. Nix

Russ, thanks so much for the link to the Hosford barrel thickness gauge. I had always wondered how the barrels were measured. Now I know. That made my day.

Dennis

+1 Thanks much!!

[Bill Murphy]

Before you give the gunsmith your instructions, make sure he even has a gauge. "Gunsmith" is a very relative term in this country. A very large percentage of them do not own a wall thickness gauge and an even larger percentage do not own a Hosford gauge.

[Quack me up!]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Before you give the gunsmith your instructions, make sure he even has a gauge. "Gunsmith" is a very relative term in this country. A very large percentage of them do not own a wall thickness gauge and an even larger percentage do not own a Hosford gauge.

I'm finding that out in a hurry!! "We have a caliper" seems to be a common answer. I have two places that have a good reputation in general that I'll be calling on Mon. morning.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Before you give the gunsmith your instructions, make sure he even has a gauge. "Gunsmith" is a very relative term in this country. A very large percentage of them do not own a wall thickness gauge and an even larger percentage do not own a Hosford gauge.

And alot of them that own a wall thickness gauge (old style) don't have any idea how to use it..

[OH Osthaus]

if someone is doing it for you, I would make sure they measure the whole length and circumference of both tubes and identify the MINUMUM wall thickness they find. 25 or 30 thousands most spots is great unless they miss a spot where a dent had been raised and that left 15 thousands right next to your finger on the foreend.

I expect tedious to do the first few times(I'll know when I finish my set up). But someone who does it often can do it very smoothly - Jack Rowe checked out a set of barrels for me at one of the early vintagers, it would have taken me longer to calibrate the settings.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Before you give the gunsmith your instructions, make sure he even has a gauge. "Gunsmith" is a very relative term in this country. A very large percentage of them do not own a wall thickness gauge and an even larger percentage do not own a Hosford gauge.

right you are - one local shop uses a bore gauge inside and a caliper outside -subtract and divide by two

[Brush Buster]

I am sure if you fellows that don't have a gauge would contact Brad Bachelder ,or one of the Fellows that advertise in DGJ ,they would be happy to measure and check your Barrel Walls ,and probably at a very reasonable cost and turn around time ,also Brad refinishes those Damascus Barrels to look like a Million Bucks while it's there . Nobody hates the cost of shipping more than me but the way I look at it is ,the cost of shipping to know your gun is safe to shoot is way less than the price I would pay to be one handed should the barrel Walls be too thin ! Just a thought ! Russ