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

The smith inlets the bearing surface of the hook and solders in an oversized new bearing surface, the ends of which are mechanically fixed, by undercutting. The new surface is then adjusted to fit the action and standing breach.

Phil

I have used the Scotch tape on several guns over the last decade. None of these guns cost more than $200 so a $300 repair is impractical.

I have spent the money on guns that are valuable to justify it.

well if it is a less expensive gun its a good one to learn on.i would think that taking care of the mechcanical problems would be the first thing to do. dovtailing a piece in to the hook isnt that hard to do.i have never soldered the piece in place,a 3/16 wide x .050 deep dovetail. and a piece out of mild steel is all you need and just think you will know how to fix a more valuble gun next time.

What should one expect to pay to have the hook built up via TIG welding, fitted, etc.?

I buy these old Husqvarna and Sauer hammer doubles to shoot and hunt with. I seldom pay much for them -- they were in some Swede's basement, barn, closest for decades before I get them. I try to find guns that need only cleaning, polishing, recutting of net checkering, refinishing of stocks, etc. Now and then I find one that needs work I cannot do, usually sears adjusted. This is first off-face one. Aside from being somewhat off-face, I am expecting this gun to be still another that I will use on many hunts for ducks, geese, quail, grouse, bandtails, etc., not to mention lots of rounds of trap and SC.

For next months I will be usïng tape, thin metal, or nothing, on hook as I determine just how good and reliable a shooter it is and what ammo shoots well in it. I am looking forward to seeing how much difference 80 cm barrel is over 75s I normally shoot. Then there is cylinder barrel -- have not hunted with a long-barreled, cylinder-choked gun in decades. Curious to see how it works on decoying ducks with Bi-Sn shot.

Thanks for all the advice and information provided here. Sooner or later, most (at least) will be useful. IF not with this gun, then another one.

Niklas

just have the hinge pin replaced by one the original diameter plus twice the thickness of shim that tightened it. This is a proper fix, as the problem lies in the wear of the pin, and streaching of the action. Very little streaching happens, but the opening and closing on an unlubed pin wears it fast. Especially if it is used in a dusty enviroment, like a trap range in the summer. The powdered clays enter the action, and reek havok on the hardend pins. Trust me, it happens, as I worked on a range for a while, and cleaned the black stuff from the club guns once a week.It was not burned powder.

This repair should cost no more than 100 dollars at the top end. The people at Woodcock Hill will be glad to fix you up, or the people at New England Custom Guns.

Why don't you just send it to Mike Orlen and have him shim the hook. IMHO that is still the best, least invasive, cheapest way to go. I think it is nonsense to dovetail pieces into the hook. This reduces the structural integrity of the hook and requires a pretty damned good man with a file and micrometer --- both of which I happen to be. Dovetailing is complicating a very simple fix. Chopper

Chopper,

I have to disagree. A modern dovetail is about .009 thickness. You really should bring your knowledge up to date. Speak with Hugh Lomas or view the work of other top smiths. The dovetail is invisible. BTW it is the standard of care for treatment of off face. English have been performing the procedure for 150 years.

Phil

I beg to differ that is the 'standard' for English guns. Do the English do this? Yes? Is it a good repair? Yes.

The standard? No.

Discuss re-jointing and English double with and English 'smith and he will invariably suggest a new hinge pin be made. Will the do other types of repairs? Yes. Do the generally prefer to? No.

Just my opinion and like a**holes, everyone has one.

On inexpensive guns (and even some expensive ones) shimming of one sort or the other is the way to go IMO. If you make a mistake or choose the wrong shim, replace it. Start cutting material out of the hook, no matter how good you are, and the chances of a major problem just increased dramatically.

So long as the smith is soldering the dovetailed shim in place, what is the justification of dovetailing it into the hook. Seems to me that a soldered shim absent the tedious job of dovetailing is just as durable. I have shimmed the hooks of a few guns now and have nothing but good things to say about the remedy. Maybe it is you who should bring your knowledge up to date. How many hooks have you shimmed? Chopperlump