doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Preparing for Reproof. ( tranters pat chapter 2 )

I posted a week or so ago about the Lang made tranters patent gun i had acquired which was sadly out of proof.

London proof master tells me that there is no more issuing of exemptions due to abuse of the system.

Tells me that the new proof act will have some provision for exemption they hope but they can't guarantee or say when it will be ready.

I need advice from people who have sent things for reproof as to what extent do they need to be perfect to be accepted.

The gun is fine, on face but needs to be down on the bites just a bit more.

The only issue is signs that a dent has been raised in the left hand tube, this has been partially struck off. The proof master says they understand its not always possible to make raised dents completely invisible but i need to hear from people with experience, how good is good enough?

Hi Demonwolf the last gun I put in for proof (re-proof at Birmingham Proof House) was about six years ago now and from what I can remember the gun has to be physically safe. It also had to be on face the bores had to be from what I was told clean polished and showing no flaws, also the guns lock up mechanism had to be in correct working order. The gun had to be submitted to the Proof House by a registered gun smith, now the one strange thing I found was the gunsmith I used tightened the action so much tighter than what the gun would normally be to open. He said that if the gun passed proof he would then re adjust the gun so it would open to what I would call normal. Now you must also realise that the gun smith�s reputation is sort of resting on the quality of his refurbishment of the guns he submits to the Proof House and of course he wants the gun to pass proof as much as you do, but all his attention to detail costs money.
So unless the gun has a high re sale value or a family heirloom proof can be the proof of diminishing returns in the money sense.

Guns submitted for proof have to lock up MUCH tighter than for normal service.
They are generally submitted with no bolting spring and the bolt is pushed home with a brass hammer! If they then come off the face or show any looseness after proof firing, they can undoubtable be said to have failed.
The submitting 'smith then eases off the bite when the gun has passed proof.
My 'smith who does all my reproofing work returns them to me for easing which is no big deal as long as you proceed slowly and carefully and also appreciate that the gun will undoubtable settle in further with the first 100 or so shots.
In recent years the proof houses have both insisted on barrels being struck off on the external surface if there are any irregularities in the surface so you can wave goodbye to original browning or blacking.
Pitting is not the automatic fail that some would have you believe. I have recently had guns pass proof with substantial pitting, albeit not deep.
The kiss of death is pitting 'rib-side', ie in the barrel area under the ribs. This obviously can not be checked for depth nor the wall thickness checked so the proof houses usually fail such guns on 'view'.
Also bulges and dents are a no-no as are cracks in the action and very heavy pitting around the striker hole.
There is no measuring of MWT at proof and you can submit a gun down to any MWT and if it doesn't rivel or bulge, it will pass.
The MWT figures often quoted as a minimum for proof are just guidelines and don't let anybody tell you otherwise.
If your action has a right angle at the joint between flats and breech face (i.e. not radiused), it is more likely to fail at this point: known in engineering terms as a 'stress razor'.
Early actions (pin fires etc) were often thin in this area plus having the right angle and simply will not take the nitro proof pressures. I have had a couple fail repeatedly in the past and had to finally give up on them.

Thank you for that gents.

The gun is a london made boxlock non ejector by Lang, built on the rare tranters patent, they don't come up often.

As it is its worth parts value of about �60.

Deactivated its worth 100 quid? and it would ruin the gun.

Sympathetically Restored and with a proof exemption i believe it's maybe �300 - 500 to a collector of patent guns perhaps.

Black powder re proof and restored perhaps worth a bit more, the blackpowder only re proof would limit the value but i would prefer the gun was shootable than, blown up by a Nitro proof.

Nitro proofed i have seen one go for �1500. Langs a reasonable maker and the gun is well fitted and finished just sadly out of proof.

I don't care about making money, this isn't a trade or a sell on or do up, its just a gun i got for me but i would rather one that i wouldn't have to cut it up re proof at least allows me to sell it to someone who might enjoy it if and when i want.

There a very small amount of pitting non rib side you really have to look to find it, i suspect its been honed ( not through the chokes though! ) not that you can tell in any way from inspecting which is probably why its out of proof.

I do mostly wood work gunsmithing - stocks, re fitting, refinishing, checkering etc. I have no experience of putting something through re proof so i thought i may as well take this as an opportunity to learn some of the skills involved the only thing i'm worried about and when these dents have been lifted in the past there is evidence in the bore.

It sounds like I'm going to have to find a smith to hands on tutor me on this.