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

PS as a matter of future info you can only send guns abroad by air freight . You will find all UK based carriers [UPS TNT FED_EX ,etal} will not carry guns internationaly.

Maybe this isn't the proper venue, but it would seem to me that the proof house to some degree responsible for not checking the barrels for obstruction prior to shooting.

I don't think it failed in Proof just later in use. Lagopus.....

I think the report, as we've gotten it from Tony, is that the proof house believed it had been fired with an obstruction in the barrel at some time in the past, not that it was fired by the proof house with one in it. I can't see how it would be readily possible to find the residual damage from an obstruction, especially when dealing with a pitted barrel, without measuring and mapping every square inch of the barrel and checking the thicknesses and then figuring where there might be a defect. As I understand it, the proof house's job is to check the gun to see if it functions, put their extra-strength shells through the gun, see what happens and, if it passes, stamp the proof stamps on the gun and make the appopriate record entries and reports. Not their job to be gunsmiths. I also think that the presence of pitting, which I recall was both Tony's and the proof house's big concern, may well have captured everyone's attention such that any bulge or defect which might have otherwise stood out was not noticed.

But that's just my take on the situation.

The Proof House will not accept guns for proof if the barrels are pitted in the normal sense of the word but will sometimes accept them for re-proof with very slight internal marks. They normally have to be submitted via a barrel borer and be free of any dents or bulges. Rule 9. states that: 'The sender shall deliver each arm and each barrel in a proper state for proof. each barrel shall be fine-bored and turned or ground. Each barrel shall be, if sent for proof, clean, free from rust, pitting, dents, bulges, both internally and externally, or, if sent for re-proof, in a reasonable condition, to the satisfaction of the Proof Master'. They are pretty keen and anything not right will be failed at 'View' even bofore a proof load is fired through. Lagopus.....

Yes, I understand now. I should have reached the conclusion earlier, as it was in the original post. Getting old isn't for the already-feeble minded.

Sorry. A point of clarity.

830 bar is the max avg load for 20 guage carts

The carts I used with this averaged at 540 bar

A thing you may have over looked . Unless you hold an RFD , sleeving it yourself ,will put you in breech of the Firearms Act . The moment you cut the barrel off you will be in possession of an illegal firearm and liable to prosecution .

Are you in jeopardy if the short barrels are NOT mounted to a receiver?
Here, a short barrel can not be legally mounted on to a rifle action but can be mounted on to a pistol action.

Mike

Under British Law a shotgun must have a barrel length of no less than 24 inches. If it does it then comes under the classification of a Firearm . These require different Licenses to possess them and firearms [rifles and magazine shotguns that hold more that 3 rounds ]have to be specified before purchase . It would mean in effect you would need to get a specific license for the Clarke to be shortened ,then have it transferred from its current licence and back again when the work was completed .