doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Loose Forend

The J-spring is notorious for being distorted when someone tries to reassemble a gun that isn't cocked.

I can't tell from your photos if that is the issue, but it can be easily resolved by pulling the J-spring and "gently" tapping it back to shape. You can get more info on it at the LC Smith collectors site.

If it is the spring, then it is an easy fix. Best of luck to you.

Rob.

This is a followup on the loose forend. I cut the neck off a .270 cartridge, split it, squoze (gunsmithing term) it flat in a vise, and shimmed the tip of the J-spring per the previous suggestion. That worked quite well, but it looks sort of cheezy. I called Jim Kelly, and he suggested trying to find another J-spring. He says that factory originals were made long and had to be fitted by shortening at bit at a time and trying the forend until it snaps into place. I was lucky enough to find one at Jack First, and it is on the way. I hope it is the correct spring. If not, the shim will stay on the current set-up. Thanks to all for the suggestions!

Bill Jacobs
Bolt&Barrel Gunsmithing, LLC
Greenwood, SC

hey rube, glad you are still alive and well...

From the Ideal Grade and up, the roller release was used on shotguns starting around 1919. Hunter Arms knew there was a problem with for-ends fallings off non-ejector guns before 1912 and used the Curtis for-end release (a button on the end of the for-end). This was a costly thing to make and after 1919 (approx.) they started using the roller release on non-ejector guns from Ideal Grade up. The Field Grade was on it's own.

Since this gun has the roller release, there is a good possibility that whomever did this work did not put the notch on the back of the loop and so there is nothing for it to latch-up to and it is not holding it on, just the "J" spring is.
The best thing to do is take the wood from the for-end metal and try it on the gun. You should be able to see if the roller is catching or not catching that notch if there is one there. If it will not work, I'm guessing it isn't there.

Confused? I read you agree with Jim Kelly. Where did he post something. I may be able to learn something!

Dave, one poster suggested sending the gun to Jim Kelly, and a later poster said he agreed with the recommendation of (sending the gun to) Jim Kelly. Later the original poster related his phone conversation with Jim.

Jay

The forend shown in the picture above is for an ejector gun, which would have had a roller latch to start with. If the roller latch is working properly, it should hold regardless of the j-spring. The thumb piece for the splinter FE and the BT FE are different in that the BT thumb piece is longer due to the additional thickness of the wood. If the correct thumb piece is not used the roller latch will not work. I have built up the end of the j-spring by TIG welding a bit of metal on the tip. The j-spring must be clamped between 2 plates of aluminum while welding to preserve its temper.

Also be advised, that at least post 1920-=after the Curtis forearm latch design was dropped, and all extractor guns above Field grade had the roller latch design- there is a difference between the J-looped shaped spring for the ejector guns, and those with extractors- I have a good supply of std J-springs, and they are all made after market, as are the top lever V-springs, slightly over length, for a final file to fit--Also, for the amateur TIG welders herein- aluminum will transfer heat away from the high carbon spring steels, but it can also contaminate the HAZ- I prefer to use copper chill plates- to each his own..