I recently sent a gun into a well know smith for some minor work and to tighten the stock on the action. There was some visible movement. After a year of being in the shop he called to say he found the hinge pin was cracked and he needed to have it welded. OK, not a problem let's get it repaired. When I got the gun back I took it for a round a clays and about 10 shots into the round I noticed it felt like it was a little loose again but it was not the stock, it was the action. I could see the action move slightly and could see a small space between the action face and the barrell. I could stick a piece of paper in the space but not a business card. Off the gun goes to the smith again. I do not remember the gun being loose on action before I sent it the first time. The smith said it could have become loose with the first 10 shots after I recieved it back but he said he would repair it at cost.

My questions are, could the hinge repair have cause the loose on face problem if done poorly? Does it sound like the smiths offer to repair at cost sound fair?

I've never seen a hinge pin crack.

A proper repair of an off-face condition won't shoot loose in 10rnds.

Find a new " smith " and tell him to repair it at his cost, not yours. If he can't guarantee it for more than 10 shots he doesn't know what he's doing.

+1

As I mentioned, the gun was not sent in for a loose on face problem originally. I sent it in for some minor issues and to have the stock tightened. I could not get the stock to stop moving slightly on the action edge. After I got it back, it was loose on face. I never remember it to be loose on face and he never mentioned it either.

Never heard of a hinge pin cracking. Strongly suggest you walk away from this "gunsmith, eat the loss, and send it to someone who knows what they're doing. Good luck getting a refund. But by sending it back you'll just be doubling down on a loser.

You don't weld a hinge pin. You make a new one.

Look for someone else who is capable of doing this properly.

Tom, I would politely get my gun back and not recommend this gunsmith in the future.

+1

Not to promote argument, but there ARE shotguns (OP didn't specify what his is) with integral hinge pins, wherein if the pin is damaged, the pin must be repaired in-situ.

If the smith attempted to tighten the action for you, he did a poor job of it.

You can pull a barrel off face by peening the forend lump to tighten the forend against the action. We had a fellow who spray welded hinge pins. I don't know if he is still at it.

bill