doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Off-Face -- When is it bad enough to fix?

Hello!

Picked up a 1890s hammer double today that is slightly off face. Have not yet attempted to measure it. How much is enough to get it fixed?

The gun is a Husqvarna and has fluid steel barrels. It has been heavily used but well cared for and repaired. I will be feeding it mostly 16X65 24 gram handloads having chamber pressures below 8.000 psi -- perfer below 7.000, even 6.000 psi. The 16 gauge low pressure loading group has developed such loads.

Thanks,
Niklas

Off-face is not usually dangerous. However, left unrepaired, it generally gets worse. The heavier the loads the faster. I'd suggest you consider using a shim on the hook. Some gunsmiths have opined that 0.004" between barrel breaches and action face is cause for tightening (gun will close on a 0.004" feeler gage and not on a 0.005" gage).

As soon as you notice there is a 'headache' - i,e when you take of the forend, grip the gun by the headstock and shake - does it move?

If it does, get it fixed. It won't get better on its own. The sooner mended, the easier and quicker the job.

If it is very slight, there are some "home remedy" approaches. A piece of duct tape can often "take the shake" out. Another is to glue some shim stock. However, there are those cases where a correct solution is the only one.



Pete

Small Bore,

Yes, it does shake under the conditions described, more than any of the other old Husqvarnas I have been shooting for hundreds or thousands of rounds.

PeteM,

Thanks for that nice pic! Now I will look for shake at those locations -- never did before. Likely I will try some thin metal shims, as you and Rocketman suggest.

Thanks again to all,
Niklas

Duct tape is way to thick. If it closes on a piece of duct tape you are seriously off face.

I prefer to degrease with brakeclean or similiar and use a piece of Scotch tape. Maybe even two pieces layered together.

Anything more and I consider it to much of a 'shim' to shoot it.

Scotch tape is also a good way to see how far off face it actually is. The tape is .002" thick. If it closes on one piece but not two, then you are .003" off face, etc.....

Try using a slice of aluminum from a beer or soda can, since it's softer then steel it won't hurt anything and will crush thinner to accommodate if it's a little to thick.
Steve

I think the duct tape Pete referred to is the metal type, it is usually .005 or so. Not recommended for a permanent repair, but will indicate if this is your problem. I just did a repair with steel shim stock and Blackmax Loctite, we will see how it holds up to the shooting test.

Jim

The first thing to do is to find out if it is the locking bar or the hook and pin that is causing it to be off face. Quite often
it is the sliding locking bar and not the pin or hook.
Hold the action tight against the water table with your hands and see if the gun bbl has movement in and out, if so it is the pin and hook. If not the locking bar and lug on the bbl is worn.
I have just put an old Birmingham gun back on face by TIG welding the lug and filing it down to the proper height to fit the sliding locking bar.
If it is the hook , you can cut a piece of LONE STAR beer can and
adhere it in.

If you cut a shim to size and shape it will stay for a long time if you have some old axle grease. It will stick like glue.