doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Forearm lug failures

I don't think I am abusing my SxS's, but I do shoot them a lot. Over the years, I have had 4 forearm lug failures, all from various mfgs. I suspect this is not a problem unique to me alone. Comments invited.

What maker have they been?

If you are speaking of the attachment that protrudes from the bottom of the bbl and the forearm attaches, some gunsmiths call this the loop

John
Arrieta2

I have never had that happen on any of mine, Hal. But about ten years ago, did have a Browning BT-99 that I bought used from someone. After about 25 targets, the forend latch would start to fall open. And after about two rounds of trap, I would have had to push it back up tight two or three times.

I had that happen once with a nice older Beretta sxs, a model 410 I think. I was on a dove shoot when I noticed the ejectors weren't working. I kept shooting until I had a limit and the gun ceased to open. Then I noticed the bottom rib had come loose and coiled up.

Either Mike Orlen or Steve Bertram fixed it for me. I still have the gun around here somewhere...Geo

I have had entry level - mid-level- and premium level failures. None were of the same brand. I don't think the mfg. is the issue. All had beavertali or semi-beavertail forearms though.
[and I don't pull down on the forearm to open [or stress] the lug [loop]. Never had an issue of this sort with O&U's.

for the life of me I can't remember where I read it, but the view was by holding onto the beaver tail forearm, you were adding to the stress on the lug when fired. The author said the forearm was to keep the barrels attached and facilitate ejectors. Obviously on O/U's I would guess almost everyone holds onto the forearm, so what I read may have been only pertaining to SxS's. I have also read guns equipped with the H&H assisted opener have something different done to the lug in order to resist the additional stress. I am guessing I read some of this on Dewey Vicknair's web site, which someone on here recently shared.

IMHO it was the weight of the BTFEs, at least on Smith guns. Double barrel traps and LRWF routinely had the 'barrel loop reinforcing wedge'



BTFEs on O/Us tend to be thinner.

https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=633510&page=all

parkers with bt forend have a reinforcing rod, full length, inlet into the wood...wonder if that helps support the lug, somehow?

hic up...

My J Blanch and son BLE SXS recently had a loop failure. Took a shot and felt the forend come off the gun. I don’t hold on to the splinter forend. The tip rests on the bottom of my palm as I hold the barrels to shoot. The loop had sheared off leaving a perfectly sized hole in the bottom rib. I think the solder gave way. My gunsmith soldered it right back and all seems fine now.

All the best

SkeeterBD