doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Beads on a shotgun...............

Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to sound mean. I just wanted to know exactly how to do this. JDW, you are right. There are eight boxes of beads (brass and aluminum). The ones that use the #45 bit say to use a 3X56 thread.(not 3X46 like I said) And the ones using a #45 drill say to use a 6X48 thread. I have used taps before, and I thought the best way would be to get all three like you guys said. I realize there is not much room as far as depth goes. But all I do anymore is carpentry and minor work around the house so this should not be that hard for me. I think the hardest part of the whole thing for me would be to get the bead in the middle of the rib. I thought about just getting the press in type of beads, but I broke one of those off once while I was shooting and I didn't think they were any good. But I will give it a shot and see what happens. I will do a little practicing first and see what happens. And I DO know what it is like to break a tap off in something. I have done that before. The ones at Brownells are supposed to be made so that you can easily chip them out if they get broken. So, I will try it and see what happens. Thanks for the advice. And once again, I didn't mean to be rude. I appreciate the help. Sometimes I can use all the help I can get. That is why I wanted to get everything straight.

Jimmy W, Perhaps I could ask a favor of you? If you haven't done it already, try some shooting with the beads off and let me know how it works for you? I seem to shoot better with guns with very small brass beads and poorly with the guns with the larger white beads. So my thinking is that no bead might work quite well? I don't want to remove any and so I thought you could experiment for me? I'll bet you won't have much trouble installing the beads on the gun with one tap of proper size and a small file. Thanks

If you're installing in an existing hole, whether you're re-tapping a 3-56 or enlarging it to 6-48 you should have little trouble. For front sights, either size works OK with Bradley type beads. But I like 6-48 because there is a wider selection and for the round brass beads I prefer it offers better resistance to shearing off. I like to chuck the shank of brass beads in a drill press and with a small triangular file I turn them dowm from .130" to about .100". I use bottoming taps because the hole isn't very deep and you're only cutting 3-4 threads at most. If you're going to be installing Bradley beads, Brownells sells a very valuable tool for trimming the bottom of the shoulder. Between tools and beads, you can easily invest $100 in your first bead.

Where you're likely to get in trouble is installing a center bead where none was before. If your "center" bead is off-center by 0.001", you'll notice it. Even with a good centering jig you can get in trouble.

IMO, a center bead is nearly useless. An off-center bead is a disaster.

The gun that I wanted to put it on is the Parker that I have been taking about on the other posts. Someone has whacked the barrels off to 18 1/2" so that has become my "project" practice gun. It had a curved stock with a plastic plate so I cut the stock and put on a leather covered pad. (I wanted the practice) I had to drill out the screw holes in the stock and fill them with dowel rods and redrill the holes and I really did a super job (if I do say so myself) The leather covered pad came out nice. But when we shot it at the skeet range, Sunday, we all thought it needed a front bead because it doesn't have any on it at all. So, I thought, why not practice and put a bead on it? I bought a set on ebay a while back that is a Brownell's set and I have had problems in the past with beads breaking off. So, I thought I would give it a try. What else is an old worn out old fart who is retired going to do all day? And people are always asking me to do stuff like this anyway. So, I am game.

Jimmy, A couple points and a question... As stated above, it is important to do this with the barrels set up on a drill press and to not drill any deeper than necessary. If the starting tap will engage the hole, by all means use that to begin the first thread or two. If you bottom out the tap in your hole or against the barrels or solder or spacers between the barrels, your tap can become a jack-screw that may pop a rib that may be marginally holding now. I can give many examples of folks who spent their lives in maintenance jobs who still don't know the basics of tapping a hole. I think I know what I'm doing, but would not bet the farm that I'll never break another tap. Now for my question... If you are ignoring jOe, how do you know he is posting replies to your thread? Just curious, as I would never think of using the "ignore" feature. I want to see every thing that is here.

I put in about 35 yrs as a machinist & unless you are strictly doing unguided hand tapping I never saw much use for a starter tap. They help a little with alignment if you are tapping free hand. I try to avoid that if at all possible. With the bbls having been cut you may be able to simply drill & tap through with no blind hole, just be certain you don't go into the bbl wall. In this case you would probably only need the plug tap. These are fine threads for their shank dias & rib mat'l is not exotic hardened steeel but rather mild. Where you are likely to break a tap is by putting sideways force on it. This is much reduced by following R'Mans post regarding using a tap guide on a drill press. The next most common cause of breakage is tapping to deep with out backing up & breaking the chip & letting the flutes load up. Take it from someone who has tapped some pretty tough stuff, a shotgun rib is a breeze.

Thanks Mike and Keith. I only wanted to put the one in next to the muzzle. You are right about the price, Mike. This kit from Brownell's has eighty beads and it wasn't cheap. And it has been sitting here for years. It is time I learned how to use it.......And thanks for the input, Keith. I will keep it in mind.......When you put someone on your ignore list, you can still see their name and post on the computer. But you will not see the words that they are saying. It will just say, -----You are ignoring this person----- across their post. I don't know why he is running down every thing I say. I tried to help him when he asked about how to do a leather covered pad. But, I don't really care. Anyway, thanks for the help guys. I will just see what happens with this. Good luck.

What'd ya say Jammy ?

Yup,heres a hint: drill and tap [meaning learn the FEEL of the tap as you screw it into the metal],some other peice of steel.

When I first started working as a machinist apprentice,the first couple hours I busted like half a dozen 1/4-20tpi in s-7 blind holes.newbies need to feel when a tap binds and says no more.

What is y'alls opinion on using the Drill Press chuck to hold the Tap handle while tapping the hole ? It seems to assist me in tapping straight, but with a slightly greater risk of breaking the tap, if you get heavy handed with the quill.