doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com heat ?

Dove season here in S.Cac starts sat. I was wondering if the birds are flying and Imma missin as usual, can the old smith rib take the heat? Gun is in great shape, but man those barrels get hot.

Soft solder usually flows around 400-450 degrees. If a rib seperates from the barrels during use its not because of heat.
The blame would probably be more along the lines of a poor bond between solder and metal, or the rib not being fit/smoked tight on the barrels.

Thanks.. after the last time my daughter and I shot skeet, the barrels were hot enough that she could hardly touch them.

I shot an old Smith Field Grade a few years ago in AZ when it was 118 on the opener. No problem with the barrel rib. The trick seems to be to hit what you are shooting at so that you don't burn too many shells.

If your barrels are so hot, take the fore end off a pour a couple cups of water over the outside. The evaporation effect cools them nicely and does no harm whatsoever. Why suffer with such hot barrels? I have done this for 40 or more years on Parkers, Kreighoffs and Rizzinis. Doesn't hurt a thing. Probably beneficial compared to hot barrels damaging the fore end wood.

Perhaps if your barrels get that hot on the dove opener, you should practice in the off-season? Just a thought....

That "old smith" (LC Smith) as you call it, will make sure there are flowers on your grave every weekend. And shoot just fine for the next owner until he passes then the next owner and the next....

Wjkins:
I've just recently moved from North GA to Upstate Carolina, so don't know if I'll get to dove shoot this season or not; but know exactly whereof you speak, as on many occassions doves would be coming into the field so fast that I'd be firing my old double gun as rapidly as I could load same. In such instances, the barrels would become so hot that it was impossible to touch them for more than a few seconds without raising blisters; but in spite of how fast I shot, never was enough heat generated to melt solder joints and loosen barren ribs. From those youthful experiences I learned that the distraction of burnt fingers made concentration on shooting fundamentals a bit tough; and further, concluded that blistering hot barrels were surely the reason beavertail forearms became popular on side x sides, and why over/unders and semi-autos (which guns have forends protecting one's fingers) were so popular on southern dove fields. But I also learned that a good pair of shooting gloves will easily resolve that delimma for the side x side afficiando; and although I always take a complete pair to the field, I only use a glove on my lead (left) hand because the heat and humidity down here makes my hands sweat profusely. So make sure your daughter enjoys the great sport of dove shooting to the fullest extent and get her a nice pair of leather shooting gloves for those delicate hands; and as for you, if you're not a fashion conscious dove shooterk, a $3 pair of Carhartt's will work jsut fine.

Practice.. perhaps I should have asked the question differently. I read this forum every day and have received help with more than one subject,(thanks DR. Drew, Ellenbr.) just didn't recall anything about EXCESSIVE heat. Took the advice from this board and coated the heads of all my stocks, and shoot RST shells in all my old guns. I guess I could take an auto-loading splattermatic and not worry about anything. This opener I have an opportunity to hunt a private dove field, and if the birds come in fast and furious, I was worried about damaging a gun that was given to me by my now deceased Uncle. As a dog owner, I have a responsibility to them to hit what is pointed and flushed. I guess A double on wild quail and phez. last year, a few limits of woodcock before 10:00am, 22 clay birds is not good enough, in Arizona land. I detest bragging, but I would be proud to take any of the young people or dogs I have worked with, and hunt or shoot with anybody anywhere...just a thought

I hear ya WJ!!! You were just trying to be layed back about things and all of a sudden people get the wrong impression or just flat out jump to conclusions they shouldn't have.
All that aside, Good luck with your Smith this season!!!