Every time I look at a gun I might be interested in I check for light at the standing breech. When I've rejointed guns, all by fittting new hinge pins, I'll keep at it until the gun will just barely close with the forend off. I wouldn't want to see light anywhere between breech face and barrels. If you see light at one side and not the other it can only mean one of two things, well maybe both but unlikely, either the frame has stretched unevenly from one barrel being fired more or the original fitter did a lousy job. In either case if the quality of the gun warrents it, corrective measures should be taken. I couldn't abide a gun with a gap at the breech and have passed on several that I would otherwise have bought. So many Brit boxlocks have difficult to replace crosspins. They don't have slotted hinge caps, the pins are press fit instead of screwed so that it's easier to shim or tig the hook or other Rube Goldberg method which always leaves the problem of trying to fit the hook to a possibly worn out of round crosspin. Not the best situation.
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