Regulating barrels

[Brian H]

Has anyone had a double barrel regulated. I have a 34” VH that needs some help. Let me know of your experience and who did the work.

Thank you,

Brian

[Chris T.]

I've not used him personally, but I've heard very good things about Mike Orlen in Amherst, Ma.

[Brian H]

I have used him for choke work and he is good for that.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Brian, try contacting Kirk Merrington in Kerrville Texas. I used him and although pricey, he's one of the best in barrel work. You get what you pay for. Jim

[Stan Hillis]

I have dealt with both Mike Orlen and Dean Harris. My advice would be to call Dean Harris at Skeet's Gun Shop in Tahlequah, OK. Dean is a prince of a man and very knowledgeable about barrel regulation in S X S doubles.

I had learned of Dean's procedure to enable the center of one barrel's pattern to be moved significantly in any direction. I called him and told him of my 20 ga. AH Fox Sterlingworth Ejector that crossfired by 8 inches at 25 yds. (both barrels equally), with 7/8 oz. loads at 1250 fps. He said it was a tall order to move the patterns that much but to send it to him.

A short time later I received a call from him. He told me that he had it regulated perfectly at 25 yds. by just changing loads. He went to a 1 oz. load at 1160 fps and the patterns centered perfectly atop each other. He said he never had to do a thing to the barrels. Though I was ecstatic to have it regulated I had really wanted to use 7/8 oz. loads in it. While he had it, he opened the chokes from Modified right and Full left to .006" R and .016" L, at my specs.

First time in the field with the gun, on quail, I doubled with it on the first cover rise. I don't worry about having to use 1 oz. loads in it anymore. Evidently that's the load it was made to be used with.

You won't go wrong with Dean. He is very easy to talk with over the phone.

Dean Harris
918-456-4749

[Phil C]

Brian,
Give Dean a call. He is as good as it gets. I had a friend send him a Remington SXS that one barrel was so far off you didn’t need to lead a bird flying right to left. Dean worked on it for several weeks but it shot perfect upon its return.

[Brian H]

I never thought of Dean, he has done a lot of work for me.

Thanks for getting me thinking correctly on this problem.

Brian

[john pulis]

Buck Hamlin recommend Dean to me for similar work on an LC. Dean corrected the pattern for 3/4 o loads. Shoots fine now.

[Andy]

I have a 16g VH that shoots right barrel about 1" to the right of point of impact (measured by Target Telemetrics) and left barrel that shoots at least 8" left and almost 1-2" high. I cannot hit a L to R crosser with that gun so I was going to move it on. I sent it to Jim Eyster and he called me the other day and said it was going to fixable with eccentric choking and it was M/IM as I had it and he estimates it will end up IC/Skeet when he's done. He has a great reputation and I'll try to remember to follow up here when I get it back this week. Heritage Gunsmiths, Ohio.

[Phil C]

Dean explained to me once, that over time SXS barrels will be different hardness from the out side of the barrel compared to the inner portion of the barrel up against the center rib.
For this reason sometimes if the improper tooling is used the choke will ream out more metal from one side than the other as the reamer wants to cut more from the softer side.
I believe uses a Sunnun machine for his bore and choke work.
It’s been a few years since we discussed this subject so hopefully I have explained this correctly.