I have an old damascus double in 12ga. The lock-up is just a little loose but only with the forend removed, once the forend is in place the lock up is tight and seems without problems. I would say that without the forend there is about a .010 gap at the top between the barrels and the breech, with the forend in place it is tight. Does this need to be taken care of before shooting it?

Thank You,
John

John, I don't think so. The looser it is the more damage it does to shoot it. I'd guess from your description, you have a few years of normal shooting until the lockup will need attention...JMHO...Geo

.010" gap is huge in terms of lockup. That would be about as loose a gun as I've heard of, excepting a wall hanger I have.

I recommend using a feeler gauge to get the real amount...with the forend removed. The forend does not provide proper support for keeping the barrels in battery.

Nevertheless, I'd have the issue addressed before firing, if it's anywhere over .002" gap.

Oh! Very sorry, I typed incorrectly, should be .001 not .010
My apologies.

In my younger dumber years, (the wife says they never ended), I had a double that every time I shot it, it opened by itself. A wonder that I'm still in one piece, walking and talking. I don't recommend shooting a loose shotgun.

Loose will only get looser....

(Someone will be along in a minute with the Scotch tape fix )

scotch tape the triggers so you won't shoot it and get it fixed

Good ol' jOe... "every which way but loose."

JOE, ACTUALLY WE DON'T USE SCOTCH TAPE DOWN HERE.
I CUT A 1/2 INCH SHIM FROM A LONE STAR BEER CAN(THE NATIONAL BEER OF TEXAS)FOR A SHIM ON THE PIN AND IT WORKS GREAT.

The "...National beer of Texas" may make good cans for shotgun hinge shims, but their beer is swill.

Ya got sumpin to say, jes spit er raht on out...Dont beat around the bush like that..

The "fix" is going to cost you several hundred dollars if it can be fixed by tig welding the hook and filing back to fit. If you have to replace the bolt it will be more. It will cost you the same thing later if you just let it go till its loose with the fore-end on. With that little play, I'd let it ride...Geo

Hungry gunsmiths and collectors with too much disposable money may have different opinions.

I'd go along with George with a .001" looseness. I'd also shoot the proper pressure loads in it.

One wrap of high quality duct tape will hold it closed. Check with Red Green on the brand

I find that if you have a gun that is on the margins of loose, a healthy dose of hinge pin grease on the bearing surfaces, forend iron, hooks, bites, etc. typically will put it back on face for about 100-200 rounds per application.

Your mileage may vary but it is the least violent solution to a growing problem. (albeit growing slowly over time)

Go with a shim! Maintains the integrity of the hook. Chops

I don't get it: Why not just fix it now?

If it's a nice gun, it deserves it.

It's not going to get any better or cheaper to repair.

OWD

Mr.Newbern to slur others just because they have different opinions is BULLSHIT.
Behave

That sounds good

I'm with OWD on this one. It's a bit like 'How much clunking should I accept from my engine before I decide to change the oil'. If it sounds like it needs sorting out - do it before it gets worse. You will have to do it anyway.

Since the temporary fix costs nothing (however I'd recommend using a shim cut from a can of Shiner Bock Beer) my advice would be to shim it and shoot it for a while, if you decide after a period of time that the guns a keeper then pay the $$$ to have it properly repaired.
Steve

Don't you think a more vintage beer would be appropriate ?

Naaaah! It's a cheap shim job after all. But you may as well use a beer that's drinkable, Shiner Bock's not bad for a mass produced beer. It's strange, I remember when I lived in Texas back in the 70's and 80's Shiner beer was horrible, it always tasted stale, nowadays it's pretty good.
Steve

I spent 7 weeks in San Antonio in 1998 and noticed that I was the only guy drinking Lone Star, no matter what bar we were in!? As for the shim, I bought a set of feeler gages for $6.00 at my local hardware store and trimmed a piece from the proper thickness gage.

A .001 off face, your kidding, you could shoot 100 rounds with this gun every week for the next 10 years and maybe it would get worse.

Most here would like to have .001 off face.

I prefer Shiner bock over the 'Budweiser of Texas'....Lone Star, but I think Lone Star is at least as good as Bud. I'd rather have a Stella or Sapporo though when real thirsty. :-)I

+4 on the Shiner of Spoetzel, TX. Lance Armstrong was crazy about the stuff until he started "finding money" in Michelob Light cans. I rotate between Shiner Bock and Yuengling Lager, Pottsville, PA. I've never seen either in cans so's I guess I'd have to use something really bad like Pabst Red, White and Blue or maybe a Pepsi can. I think Dave is on to something there about the 1 mil off face. You could hit the breech end of the barrels with crocus cloth and create that "gap". Once upon a time, I put a coat of clear nail polish on the breech end (collar around the rim cuts) of an NID and could no longer see light. Lucky for some of us that frequently you can correct "large" gaps simply by moving the decimal pt.

jack

What the heck, I'll chime in. There's a bar in Portland, OR called the Lowbrow Lounge that has PBR and tater tots. Pretty tasty[and cheap] combo, although that's about the only beer in a can I like. I just saw that Redhook IPA is out in cans now however. Yummy.

If the gun is only .001 off face, wouldn't a shim make it too tight?

a little loose is like being a little pregnant!

Sounds to me like some of the responders know more about drinking beer than they do about fixing guns! The looseness is stated to be 0.001", but the beer can shim will be about 0.004" thick. I don't believe that will work.

That's the beauty of the beer can shim, the aluminum is soft enough that it squishes to the proper thickness.
Steve

My local welder put some metal on the hook of a set of barrels for me for 10 bucks. I then fit everything myself.

It's not rocket surgery.

CHAZ

Brownells sells shim stock in various thicknesses. One order will last a lifetime. Clean the hook and shim thoroughly, and rough the surface of both with fine sandpaper. Attach with super glue and clamp in place with a mandrel for a couple hours. Trim any excess. Works like a charm.

A .001 is hard to shim. If it bothers you send it to Brad Bachelder. He's a master gunmaker and has welded up and refit a couple of guns for me. Phone # 616-459-3636. Paul

Good point....ain't got no where to go but bigger.

I have done the same as EEB above. Used Brownells shim stock on the pin with Black Locktite. Wears for a LONG time.

Beer cans, Scotch tape, Super Glue... man-oh-man, this sho 'nuf is a congress of expert craftsmen!

And they probably drink the beer first!

ed I consider all the above much better than you had done to all those old American doubles that were case colored with a torch. Everthing in the list is easily reversible, just remove the tape or the shim and clean off the glue. If the torching ruined those actions on the guns you sold and some poor sucker winds up with a bad receiver he has a very expensive bill coming to put the gun right. Probably more than the gun would be worth when he got done.

Mister Mike:
Reports that I'm sum torch-packin' dude named "ed" are "grately exaggerated"!

And they ain't any "good" either!

The man says his gun is tight with the forend on. End of problem, no fuss, no muss. Shoot it only when the forend is installed.

If you really want to feel better, dry fire the gun and then check the faces.

For .001 off-face, this topic should have ended after you said you had made a mistake in writing it.

Finally...

Thank you gentlemen for all your wonderful replies, I will give serious thought to what I will do. But right now for some strange reason I am really thirsty

Best Wishes,
John