doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A primer on wall thickness

I sure have a lot of doubles with original chambers and forcing cones with wall thicknesses way below .100" at the end of the chamber.

Fox A grade 16ga, 26" barrels, 2-7/16" chamber, 0.085" and 0.086" minimum wall thickness at the end of the chambers, .734" and .734" diameter at the end of the chambers, 5/8" long forcing cones, #4 barrels, gun weighs 5lbs 9oz, serial 302XXX.

Parker VH O Frame 16ga, 28" steel barrels, serial 134XXX, 2-9/16" chamber, .082" and 0.085" minimum wall thickness at the end of the chambers, 0.730" and 0.732" end chamber diameters, 3lbs 2oz unstruck barrel weight, gun weighs 5lbs 14oz.

Fox XE 16ga, 30" barrels, serial 301xxx, .072" and .080" minimum wall at chamber ends, 2-7/16" chambers, .733" and .733" end chamber diameters, gun weighs 6lbs 3oz

Parker DHE 16ga, 32" steel barrels, serial 212XXX, 0.090" and 0.092" minimum wall thickness at chamber ends, 2-9/16" chambers, .735" and .736" diameter at chamber ends, barrel unstruck barrel weight 3lbs 11oz, gun weighs 7lbs 4oz.

Lefever H grade 16 gauge, 28" twist barrels, .090" and .092" minimum wall thickness at chamber ends, 2-5/8" chambers, .729" and .728" diameter at chamber ends. Gun weighs 6lbs 4oz

Ithaca Flues Grade 4E 16 gauge, 28" Krupp fluid steel barrels, 0.091" and 0.092" minimum wall thickness at the end of 2-5/8" chambers, daimeters of .728" and .730" at the end of the chambers, gun weighs 6lbs 6ounces.

Parker DH 12 bore, 28" Damascus barrels, 1 frame, .086" and .090" minimum wall thickness at end of the 2-5/8" chambers, gun weighs 6lbs 14oz. Serial #84XXX, My Skeets gauges are in capable of measuring the diameters at the end of the chamber.

Bissel Birmingham boxlock, 20 gauge, 25" steel barrels, made in the 1920s, .084" and .092" minimum wall thickness at the chamber ends, 2-1/2" chambers. My Skeets gauges are in capable of measuring the diameters at the end of the chamber. Weighs 5lbs 7oz.

Here is another data point: AYA #1 20 bore sidelock, factory 2-3/4" (70mm) chambers, 30" barrels, built and proofed in 2006, .092" and .091" minimum wall thickness at the end of the chambers. Skeets gauges unable to measure chamber diameter. Gun weighs 5lbs 13oz.

Couple more data points:

My shooting student Joe Wood checked his minty Webley 700 6lb 4oz 12 bore, .092" and .090" minimum wall thickness at the end of the chambers. Factory 2-3/4" original chambers.

One of his DH 12 bore 1 frame Damascus 28" barreled guns weighs 6lbs 8oz and has .092 and .095" at the barrels. Original 2-1/2" chambers.