Is there a way to remove swing swivels and their bases from the bottom rib of European doubles?

heat, they are soldered on
The barrels are soldered together also so care in needed

Thanks, does anyone have suggestions re a way to heat the swivel base enough for it to come off without threatening the barrel soldering?

Im not a gunsmith but ive worked around solder some and I spent last night in a Holiday Inn- Strips of wet cloth wrapped around the areas that must stay cooled has worked.

I don't mean to hijack this thread here, but in said barrel mounted sling swivels, what might be a good source to find a replacement swivel. I have an old sporting rifle that has the bade present, but the swivel is missing.

Some are soldered ,some brazed some screwed . I have also come across riveted . Depends on the gun and the maker assuming that they were fitted at time of manufacture. Taking them off will almost certainly leave some scar or marks on the rib that will need to be cleaned off and reblacked

If you're going to put heat on barrels, I'd recommend wiring them like you would for re-laying the ribs. It's easy and doesn't take a lot of time, but provides tremendous peace of mind.

Thanks, i've never re-laid ribs so am in the dark.

Try this link to Drew's collection of various pictures and text. In some of the pix you'll see how I wired the barrels and ribs together. Again, it isn't hard to do and doesn't take very long.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/18691676

Adirondacker,
Leave it on the barrel and put a sling on it,it's worth it's weight in gold. If you just have to take it off,listen to Chuck H.
Mike

I've taken to carrying a slip on sling for the guns I have...just wishing they had sling swivels. With 2 dogs in the field, I'm always trying to figure out how to free up some hands.

Thanks, this is a sleek little gun just a bit over 5 lbs..To my eye, the sling swivel hanging off the barrel interferes with the sleek lines so I would like to get it off if possible

If it must come off and you have a steady hand grind it off with a dremual tool to the solder and scrape it off with a brass punch .

Thanks. I was thinking maybe grabbing the swivel part itself with pliers while heating it with a small propane torch at the end furthest from the barrels while exerting slight twisting pressure with the pliers hoping it would pop off before anything else got too hot; but maybe I will wait as the gun is new to me & I will see if I grow used to it incongruously hanging there. :-)

Part of the problem too is that the weight of the swivel base adversely affects the balance of the gun. Just ask Rocketman.

Fortunately for me the base that was on the Beretta that I have was screwed on and easily removed. With it removed the improvement in swing dynamics was simply awesome!

I say - GO FOR IT!! I mean, even if you have to grind it off.

HTH

have a day

Dr.WtS

Simple, get rid of the dogs.......or hire a caddy.......



I agree with Charlie, swivels are butt ugly on shotguns ........they look like white wall tires on a Ferrari....only thing they match is a big fat recoil pad.....

Thanks to all who have responded. When I work up the courage I will probably try to get it off via using pliers to put twisting force on it while heating and after wiring the barrels & wrapping wet cloths around them as well.

Not worth the risk at all, at least it wouldn't be to me. It's part of the gun, just accept it. Buy an english or american gun if you want one with no swivel eye. I leave them on my european doubles. If you won't take it to a good gunsmith for the job, you really run the risk of loosening the rib. But, it's your gun. I fix guns that have this type of stuff done to them all the time. Good luck.

arirondacker,
Go ahead and do what you want,it's your gun.Anyway, gunsmiths have to make a living also.After you loosen the rib(s),New England Custom Guns can put it(them)back.The idea that a swivel base changes the balance enough to notice is silly.
Mike

In my case it has nothing to do with balance as I am not good enough to even notice something like that. Its about aesthetics, to me it interferes with the overall gracefulness of the guns profile.

Der Ami:
You gotta be kiddin' me....you DON'T KNOW A JOKE WHEN YOU SEE ONE....wow....?..........Wonko is just having fun, you know tongue in cheek..........

adirondacker you're right, swivels ruin the graceful lines of any shotgun....and you don't need them unless you plan on climbing the shale above timberline in the Alps.......JMO........

The Germans and other Euro Continent dwellers started the swivel thing so they could cross country ski with their shotguns........

Thanks to all for your interest and input. I removed all of the barrel swivel except just a thin piece of the base with a Dremel tool as suggested by plumber. It took a little over an hour - looks great & took blueing from a BC bluing pen nicely.

On a similar line but a slightly different challenge, when my predecessor removed the sling swivel from the barrels he left two screws near flush but not quite on the bottom rib, what is the best way to fill the holes?

Plug them with lead then file flush. Tape surrounding area.