doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Clarke 20 Bore - Proof House Report

So sad Tony, but she's beautiful...if it was up to me my son she'd be hangin in the gun room,all your work don't deserve to be shagged up or hove off for scrap.

Blimey thanks Toby had no idea I was going to check with Francis to tomorrow though. Looks like it stays in the safe!

Going to deactivate it because I can't leave this hassle to my wife. I'm sure the proof house will do it for me for next to trade price .

Hmmm. Something wrong with those pressure figures. I think you may have dropped a zero on the end. Too bad about the gun.

Larry, I suspect that the 3-digit pressure figures that he was given by the proof house were in BAR. However, they would seem low for a 20 bore.

What a shame!

Have you considered a full-length sub-gauge tube? You could make it a 28-bore or .410. Just a thought... it's just too pretty to let go to waste!



Adam

Oh, what a kick in the gut! You've got to keep it, Tony, she's just too beautiful to scrap.

I agree with Marc. I really like back lock hammer guns and that one has such beautiful lines it would be a shame to scrap it.
Steve

I did speak with Briley...but I'd have to send the tubes to them...I don't know the costs and I don't think they will like there being a split in the existing barrels...I'll consider this...
T

A similar repoert that I got back concerning a Midland 12 bore made circa 1930 that split. I had sold the gun on more or less straight after proof. They came to the conclusion that it had had a slight blockage and been fired thereby weakening it at some point and then a subsequent shot did the real damage.

De-activation is very straight forward if you go down that route. The Proof House or a Gunsmith who does that work will advise the requirements. Just needs two slots cut down from breech end of the barrels (remover extractor first) along under the length of the forend. In a 12 bore the slots have to be 8mm. minimum width; don't know exactly what it is for a 20 hence contacting Proof House first. (5 minutes with an angle grinder). Two breech plugs welded in the chambers; I use threaded bar. Grind off the face of the breech. They say sufficient not to be able to support the head of a cartridge. (10 minutes with a decent drill bit and angle cutter). Nothing need show on the outside to indicate that the gun has been so treated and it looks like normal at first glance. It then needs sending to the Proof House for inspection. Best to have a person who does this thing have a look over it because if they fail it you have to pay and then carry out the extra work and re-submit which all adds to the cost. The Proof House de-act inspection certificate costs just over �20. I then take a photo copy of the de-act certificate and send that to the Police together with a letter outlining the fact that it is no longer a firearm and should be deleated from records as such. That's about it and then it can be sold on as a wall hanger to anyone who wants it. One like that would still be worth a couple of hundred pounds at least. Old pubs sometimes want them as decoration or someone who wants one for use in a play or film prop. I tend to do this quite often with old scrap worn out hammer guns that are beyond salvation rather than see them totally destroyed. Damn shame about that one though as such a lot of work went into it. Lagopus.....

I thought about that Fly, and like you figured that they were on the low side for a 20, if in bars. But it's a little unclear, because while 850 bars is the CIP standard for a 12 bore, that's proof pressure, not service pressure.