doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Insert barrels for a Drilling.

German websites such as Egun often have for sale used muzzle-length insert barrels for shotgun barrels, especially for combination guns. How adaptable are these to other firearms? For instance, can they be shortened for a shorter length barrel than the original barrel, and the muzzle-adjustment part simply screwed back on to allow the necessary POI adjustments?

Also, can they be adapted for a different sized choke? For instance, do they need to be turned down or shimmed up to fit a new choke diameter? Or are they universal fitting rather than a custom fit for a specific gun?

I can see that the extractor needs to be modified, but I'm told this is not too difficult in itself for a good gunsmith. In short, could one of these muzzle-length inserts be purchased and fitted by a competent gunsmith in a country where these devices are largely unknown?

Kiwi, that's an interesting question and I'm sorry I don't have a definitive answer. The next question that comes to my mind would be is the firearm I am thinking of installing one in of strong enough construction to take the pressure of the proposed insert? If that answer is yes then as with just about anything, if you're willing to pay for it I expect it can be done.

They aren't commonly known on these shores either. I just fitted a Krieghoff einstecklauf in 22LR, (the 10 inch one), to one of my drillings and I am having a ball with it. It certainly draws some strange looks when I hand it to someone and they open the action and see the 3 chambers, all different.

Kiwi,
Sharps 4590 has given good advice, but you should also consider the following: If you install one chambered for a high pressure cartridge, you may have to "bush" the firing pin or have a Mann-Niedner?type pin installed(even if the action is strong enough.You would be limited to break open guns.You would have to provide a means to mount a scope or install iron sights.There are several firms that make full length insert barrels(Einstecklaufs, ELs)and they don't all use the same method of attaching the end,your gunsmith will have to have the EL "in hand" to determine what is required.You may find a shorter EL more convienent, but would normally be limited to a rimfire cartridge(22LR,22RFM,or now 17RF).I believe they are avaliable in 22mm and 44mm length(about 10"and 20")which can be pretty useful.
Mike

Some of the more modern ones come chambered for high intensity rounds, so you can have a second rifle cartridge of similar intensity in a combination gun, but the caveat is that they should only be used in certain types of action - basically more modern, stronger lock-up ones. The Einstecklaufe I'm interested in, however, are the older type, (though still available new and still popular), that use rounds like 6x70R, 5,6x52, (.22 Savage HP), 5,6x50R and .22 Hornet. These have limited back-pressure and so can be used in more conventional break-open combination guns as a lower intensity second rifle barrel. The .22 Hornet for instance, for use on fox. Or larger ones, (e.g 5,6x50R), can be used for a "Douplette" meaning a quick second shot on a second animal.

Milling out the Drilling extractor slot, to piggyback the Einstecklauf extractor and index the insert is the easy part. But what else needs to be done at the choke end, I wonder, to make a previously fitted one adapt to fit a new gun? Is it as simple as cutting the insert barrel to length and using the muzzle flange adjustments to take up the diameter difference? Or should I send the gun back to Germany for fitting? (the advice I've received). If so many used ones are for sale, they must surely be universal fitting within their gauge. Those on the Forum who know them well will surely have the answer.

Kiwi,
I still think you would need to have the EL "in hand", to know what would be required to fit the muzzle end,depending on the particular EL,it's possible that no work would be required.At the breech end, in addition to the locator slot in the main extractor, most ELs require a "flat" area to be placed in the shotshell rimrecess.This is for a headspace adjisting screw.The locating slot is usually just filed and the flat is placed by hand with a tool that looks similar to a "spotfacer", held in place by a fixture that duplicates the rear end of an EL.If you only intend to fit one, I would think you could do a satisfactory job with a scraper.You are right that the more powerful cartridges can only be fitted to certain actions( usually o/u), but this is different than the possibility of having to "bush" the firing pin.If I were you, I would try to avoid sending a gun to Germany to have the EL fit up, as this would be a real "exercise".
Mike

KIWI,
Note Gunter's problem with his 222 EL. This is the possible problem I was talking about.
Mike