doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Where do I go from here???

I have a 16 ga SXS F. Dumoulin that I bought a while back. When it arrived I though it looked good. Seemed to my ignorant eyes to be tight and sound.

A few days afterwards I realize that there are punch marks around part of the action. I posted a question here about that and found out MORE than I wanted to know but decided that if that was the only problem then I'd just shoot it till it needed more work.

So a couple of weeks later I carried it to the range and loaded her up. First pull of the trigger and CLICK! That's all just CLICK! Tried it a few more times with the same result. Primer is dimpled but will not go off. Rounds fire in the left barrel.

Carried it to a smith who pulled it apart and found that the pin was a little short and that the right side spring was somewhat weaker. He did some cleaning and said that it would now fire but that "it would not last".

So I get it home and am diggin through a few empties with the intent of seating new primers so that I can test the gun in the yard without riling the neighbors. While doing this I notice something unusual, at least I think it's unusual, about the shells that were fired in the LEFT barrel previously.

It seems that those shells all have a bulge right were the extractor cut is. The bulge is noticable to the naked eye and is pronounced enough to where those empties can not be reinserted in the chambers unless they are lined up with the extractor cut out.

I also notice that the heads of the shells look funny. It's almost as if the base swelled in the middle while the rim did not?? Compared to some 20 ga shells I had it looks like the rims are swolen too?

So then I start really shaking the thing and looking hard with a glass to see if I can see what is going on with the gun. And I realize that it seems looser, after only 25 rounds through it, than it was when I got it................*&%$#!

What do I do?

Do I run some $s down this hole? I can't in good conscense sell it as it is. And truth be known I really like the way it feels and looks.

Opinions...........where to send it? I'm in Fl. and if I can get it done here I save some FFL fees. In fact if there is someone close to St. Augustine I can drop it off. But then I know that Double Gun work is specalized so...........

The easy way out...


Donate it to your local Cracker Barrel Restaurant...you could see it every time you eat there.

Not a alot to worry about with the swollen head, pretty common in older guns. MEC sells the sizemaster reloader for just that problem. Tightening an action generally runs 300 and up depending on who does the work. If it needs a new mainspring, those can be expensive, or they can be simple if you can find a rough spring that can be made to work. Its hard to say without seeing it, but it all sounds fixable without a ton of trouble.
Steve

Firing pin should be inexpensive. Main spring not too expensive. Chamber sleeve, if needed, could be moderately expensive. And, you may have to weld up and recut extractor - not too bad. I'd sure get prices on all work needed before making any decision.

What's the value of a 16 ga SXS F. Dumoulin ?

Go to your local hobby shop and get some brass shim material in various thicknesses - in the range of 0.0015 through .0040 (1-1/2 thoudsandths through 4 thousandthes). Cut a piece that will fit around the shim. if the gun goes together and the hook is not too far to the right and the gun is tight you have it right. If it is still loose go to a thicker piece. If the gun won't go together then put in a thinner piece. Just leave the brass on the pin. Go out and shoot the gun and see if both firing pins do the job.

I haven't tried it but the feeler gauges they sell in the automotive shop look like they would make good shim material too. Use at your own risk. I have done the brass shim bit with good results.

Best,

Mike

Hard to believe but when fireing just primmers you will get more shell bulges. A full shell will hold everything tight with its pressure.Much easier to get primmer backflow into the fireing pin hole fireing just a primmer as the case head is not tight against the detnator

I think there was a very descriptive thread on the shimming subject about a year ago here. Possibly it was saved as a reference or someone has it on their computer and can share it again?

It did and does bring out those that argue both sides of whether this is a viable fix or another way of "mousing" a problem. I am kind of in the middle on this one. It works, but I'd probably not be happy with this kind of fix on an otherwise very desireable gun. For a not so treasured field gun, I'd have no problem using it.

Fishdock, can you tell me more about this Dumoulin ? Age, history etc etc, it all sounds like a bit of a bodge job.Dumoulin are a good outfit and provide express rifles and barrels in the white to quite a few companies. What have you got exactly and what did it cost you if you don't mind me asking ? best, Mike

Mike:

As best I can tell the gun was made in the 50's some time. That's a guess though. The wood is nice, checkering is still fairly sharp. It's a boxlock with cocking indicators in the top of the action. Weighs 6 pounds.

The barrels are marked F. Dumoulin. I do not see a model number. No engraving, which to me was a drawing point. The stock has swivels and a cheek piece along with a aftermarket recoil pad.

I am guessing that the wood is original. The barrels have been reblued. The case colors are about gone from the action. Inside of the barrels is very good. Started as 65mm chambers.

Seems to me that it was a much better than average gun when it was made.........as if I would know that!



I have about $900 invested in it.