sleeving

[uk roe hunter]

Guys,
I have a 1913 Harrods 12 bore from the birmingham gunsmiths Bently and Playfair. it is a smashing old gun and locks up tight as a drum. but the barrells are really thin and worn.

I also have a modern spannish 12 bore sbs. it is worth next to nothing. the barrels are a similar profile. I am thinking of putting the barrells off of the spannish gun into my english gun.

here is my plan

#1 take the spannish guns barrels to a local forge and get them to give them some heat and separarte the soldered on lumps, ribs etc i should come away with the barrell tubes seperate to the lumps.

#2 remove the top rib and the lump the fore-end sticks on from the old guns barrells.

#3 cut the old guns barrels off just in front of the flat on the bottom of the barrells uhoh: )

#4 work out a measurement that will only give a milimeter or 2 of oldmetal at the muzzle end of the remaining piece of the old guns barrells. run the machine through them all the way out.

#5 turn the new barrells down to that size along the required legth and then check they are at the same diameter at the end of the piece that will slide in so there is no step in the barrells up wards onto the new barrell.

#6 braise the new barrels in.

#7put the old top rib in and the front lump off the bottom.

#8 clean up then send for proof.

#9 take it in the field with some trepidation.

tell me what you think chaps

steve

 

[Jim Watson]

Well, it has been done. Some guns are made that way to begin with, the Monobloc system employed by Beretta and others. Briley in the USA and at least one of the remaining gunmakers in the UK will replace shotgun barrels like that. At tremendous cost which I take it you are trying to avoid. So the remaining question is, are YOU up to the work? I am not a gunsmith or machinist and would not dream of taking it on.

You say your old barrels are thin and worn. Are they out of proof, been polished or worn (how?) down below the allowable thickness? Gough Thomas describes some pretty thin shotgun barrels; down to .025" at the minimum wall thickness.

 

[uk roe hunter]

Hi Jim,
the barrells are very thin, pitted and have a dent, it is out of proof. i have a stretch off work coming up so i want something good to do while i am off. whilst i am not a machinist i am pretty good with the lathe and i have a good mate who is really good with a lathe.

 

[nicholst55]

What you describe is certainly possible. The primary problem as I see it will be getting the gun to shoot where you want it to afterwards. Adjusting the point of impact of doubles is an art form, and a task best left to those who are accomplished at it. I would certainly look into the cost of having the barrels adjusted after the rib is reattached before I undertook the project.

 

[DnPRK]

How about sleeving them to 16 or 20 gage?

 

[Jim K]

I don't know a lot about the English proof system, but I wonder if they would even accept a gun like that for proof, and if they don't, it will be confiscated.

It is certainly possible, though not easy, to do what you propose. The problem is that if it doesn't work, you have ruined two guns and have nothing. DnPRK may have the best idea; it is pretty common and will preserve the outside of the old barrels along with whatever collector value there is.

Jim