doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Off Bolt Or Off Underlug?

Several weeks ago I started a thread about a, 1890-made Husqvarna hammer double I recently acquired that is off-face. In the many useful responses are a few mentions of "off bolt". One post includes a nice picture of a double with shims around each underlug (bolt?), with implication that a gun that is off-face has gotten that way by battering where each underlug rests against the frame, as well as where the hook meets the hinge pin.

As I have cleaned more and more crud from the gun and analysed situation for this particular gun I clearly see that gaps of about 0,005 inches have been created between underlugs and frame and between hook and hinge pin. I also do not see how underlugs could be battered without hinge pin and hook also being battered, and vice versa.

It seems that sliding bolts that lock underlugs down, locking gun closes, are engaging nicely, with no visible wear (at least not to me, at my present level of understanding).

I have now shot this gun twice, once with thin tape on hook and once with thin Al shim on hook. The thin tape barely lasted 25 shots. The Al shim lasted 3 rounds of trap and looks good for more. Gun shoots well, but further test shooting is planned.

QUESTIONS:
1) Am I correct in my analysis of battering on underlugs and hinge pin?
2) When folks talk about putting gun back on-face, are they really talking about repairs to both hinge pin and underlugs?
3) Gluing of metal shims to hooks was discussed and cussed at some length. Is this likely to be a useful temporary fix for underlugs as well?
4) Some posters quoted minimum costs for putting gun back on face. Does/should this include building up of both underlugs and hinge pin or hook?
5) Does this degree of battering on both hinge pin/hook and underlugs suggest anything else I should look for? With 0,005 shim on hooks there is now no light seen between end of barrels and breech face.

Thanks,
Niklas

"Shoeing" the bolt (TIGing, regrinding to shape) is certainly a time-honored restorative for both Browning Supers and Citori 0/Us. I have had one of each done; neither one appeared to me to be off the face but were certainly well-used. The Citori occasionally opened on firing top barrel. Apparently there was sufficient wear to wedge the bolt back out of engagement with the lock lug. It was not suggested to me either time that the barrel lug or the hingepin needed attention. As gunsmiths favor making a living as much as any and I like saving money as much as any, I certainly accepted this diagnosis and repair as honest and adequate. Perhaps the Brownings are peculiar in this regard. My single effort at shimming the hook of an NID 12 was also a successful repair in my opinion. In that case, nothing was done to the top bolting.

jack

Thanks Rabbit!

Reading your reply I realized I needed to edit title. I am still assimilating English and American terminalogy for parts of double barreled shotguns. Hopefully, I am getting closer.

Niklas

Niklas, you can safely assume that 90% of perfectly tight doubles will not have contact on all underlugs. Perhaps on new Brit or Euro guns but nearly every gun I've had a chance to actually stick a feeler gauge into showed space. OK, the really critical things are first the hook and pin then the rear bolting surface. You get these areas right and bobs your uncle. No one will ever know that any other surfaces aren't mated up perfectly. Absent fitting a new pin or adding metal to the hook the next best option is a piece of steel shimstock soldered to the hook. Absent the solder, Loctite. Even a piece of beer can will do in a pinch. The main thing is not to shoot a loose gun. That can stretch the frame or even crack it at the standing breech.
npm

Thanks npm,

That information will make job much easier.

Niklas