The L.C. Smith Collectors Association
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    Re: Gunsmith for BARREL evaluation Archived Message

    Posted by David Williamson on January 1, 2015, 1:30 pm, in reply to "Gunsmith for BARREL evaluation"

    Drew gives some sound advice especially when buying a vintage shotgun that the seller claims has "mirror" bores.
    This has plagued me and I made a few barrel wall thickness gages. The one hung from my basement rafters, was fairly easy to use, but you needed to withdraw the barrel from the gage to write the numbers down. I finally made one that resembles the Galazan one.
    This picture shows it almost finished.

    I can do 10 ga, 12ga. on the one rod and 20 ga. on the other. On the 10-12 ga rod, I cannot do the muzzle end on tight chokes because the rod is 5/8" (.625) and the ball bearing is 1/4 diameter, of which .075 is sticking out equaling .700 total out side diameter.

    I can't measure with this type gage the forcing cone as there is not enough travel of the spring to push it against the rod, but it is easy to read from top of rib to bottom rib by turning it on the rod with the breech or muzzle on the brass tapered adjustable plug. This one showing a wall thickness of .057.

    In my chart I do from muzzle 4 1/2"-5", 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, 20, 23 and only record the minimal wall thickness.


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