doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Galazan type Wall Thickness or Hosford Type

I've seen these wall thickness gages before, but have never heard of any feedback on them.
On the Hosford gage, you have to hold the ring, and I guess make sure you stay parallel with the barrel for a good reading.
On the Galazan gage, I like the idea of it being vertical, but you still have to keep the barrel parallel for good readings.

Does anyone have either and what are your thoughts? I plan on making one or the other, and I kind of like the Galazan's for having the 3 different rods for different gauges.

On YouTube, Larry Potterfield used one similar to Galazan's but only had one post and the breech didn't rest on a tapered cone to fit the chamber bore. I would think this has to be in order to get repeatable readings. Maybe I missed something. The company was Newbolt and Thorpe, not sure if that is the correct spelling.

I use the horizontal type wall gauge and find them to be very easy to get an accurate measurement. And you don't have to worry about keeping the ball against the interior wall of the barrel. Big advantage is their portability--convenient to take to gun shows where it can save a bundle in mistakes avoided.

That is a good point Joe.

I've tried several and was not satisfied with anything until I got the Galazan upright 12-16-20-28 riser type multi-gauge. If I could get accurate readings at all with the others (operator error for sure), it would take 20 minutes of measuring over and over again making sure I didn't get a false reading.

On the Galazan gauge its 100% right and it measures quickly.

Personal opinion sidebar: I feel that unscrupulous dealers often use other types of gauges because they give a "generous" slop reading. I know a guy that bought a .021" gun that measured .017" on my galazan gauge. My gauge was right and it picked up subtle nuances from non-concentric boring. The value difference on the gun because of that difference in minimum wall thickness? I argue at minimum, 25%.

The Galazan gauge (or the Purdey version, etc.) will pay for itself if you intend to own more than 3-4 best guns.

I bought the Hosford gauge a couple months ago and couldn't be happier. I can't imagine a better wall thickness gauge. The money was well spent, to say the least.

Do yourself a big favor and buy one.

There's a Hosford clip (actually 2, sequential) on Youtube, check it out.

Rookhawk, how inconvenient is it to carry the Tony tool into a gun show or an auction house? I agree that the Galazan stand is the best in the gun room or the gun shop.

I've trusted my Galazan WTG for two decades, easy to use, accurate and 28-10 gauge. Although I've heard them criticized I've never really understood the criticism. I think this mainly from those that haven't used one(?)
The long tuning fork variety are worthless IN MY OPINION. I've never had any desire to measure wall thickness at a gun show.

SDH, The tuning fork gauges, as you call them, can be extremely accurate if used correctly. Many don't understand how to use them. They may be more accurate than the vertical Galazan type [I have one] if one does not suspend the barrels on a pulley and string from the ceiling. One mistake in buying a nice double with thin barrels at a gun show will pay for many of any type of gauges. The "tuning fork" gauges will measure from 28 ga to 4 ga. or any larger gauge without changing anything.

Very. Leave it in the car until needed if you must bring it to a show. It's amazingly heavy.

Mr Wood obviously hasn't used or even seen the Galazan wall gauge up close. The ball is spring loaded and pushes tightly against the interior wall on its own. Another example of mis information passed on here as gospel.

Hosford's gauge is good but the forks can be sprung if operator isn't careful. Galazan gauge doesn't have that problem. NE