As taken from Hallowells firearms Dictionary:
Off the Face - A condition of a well-used break-open gun where, when in battery, the breech end of the barrels no longer has tight contact with the standing breech. By holding the receiver in one hand, the end of the butt in the other, and giving the gun a good shake, one should be able to detect the looseness---especially with the forend removed. The condition is caused by wear to the hingepin and/or the barrel hook. If left to persist, now that there is motion between the gun's main components, with further shooting that wear will increase more rapidly. It should be addressed by a skilled gunsmith by fitting a new, appropriately oversized hingepin.
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