Thought I'd communicate in a public forum for future reference, and lest a personal injury lawyer confuse me with an 'expert', what I'm willing to do
as a favor to another double gun aficionado
ANY vintage shotgun, regardless of barrel material, pattern welded or fluid steel, should be evaluated:
1. Visually inspect for dents, bulge, wall intergrity
2. Inspect bore for pits. Done right this would require at least a fiberoptic bore scope
3. Inspect and 'ring' barrels for evidence of rib separation
4. Measure bore for evidence of previous honing. I am of the opinion that any vintage gun with 'mirror' bores and no 'frosting' has been at least polished
5. Measure chamber length for evidence of lengthening, and measure wall thickness just past the forcing cones
6. Measure wall thickness 9" from the breech, 9" from the muzzle, and measure minimal wall thickness
7. Remove the FE and assess lock-up
8. Attempt to pull triggers with safety engaged
Further evaluation of the mechanism is beyond my ability. Based on these findings,
he who plans on shooting the gun will have additional evidence on which to base his decision regarding both using the gun and choice of shells.
In no way does this evaluation guarantee the gun is 'safe to shoot'. More thoughts here
http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/safetoshoot.html Did I forget anything in reference to the barrels?
