doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sleeving a doublegun

I have, for some time, had the itch for a set of 32" barrels for a 12 ga. BSS, for competition work. I have done pretty well with the 30" ones but, like many of us, always look for improvement. I shoot 32" double guns well, and own several. I just shoot the BSS better in a 100 bird event.

I have looked and advertised for several years for a set of damaged or orphaned 12 ga. BSS barrels to take on a sleeving project to build me a set of longer barrels. No luck yet, but hope springs eternal, and all that. I have access to a complete machine shop to use, and expert help in it. I have read and understand the sleeving procedure but would really like to find a detailed, step by step, account of the process, if one exists. Does anyone know of such a thing? Has it ever been recorded in print, or on the 'net?

Thanks, SRH

Stan: I have a pic here
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20580224
from the Pennsylvania Gunsmith School http://www.pagunsmith.com/photos3.php?g2_itemId=533
and more pics courtesy of Toby Barclay
www.heritageguns.co.uk

Thanks, Drew. Great pics.

All my best, SRH

Stan, I have a BLE Woodward with Toby that has finished sleeving to 32" on the OE barrels (cut from 30" to 26") and is out for proof. The ribs, of course, required extra work.

Consider having a set of new barrels made; ask Toby. If the current BLE experiment works well, I plan a new set of barrels for a nice Woodward SLE I have on hand. Expect to go to Toby again.

DDA

I see the first link Drew provided shows the "invisible" TIG welded method of sleeving. Most of those I have seen are more attractive than those with a solder joint, or worse yet, chicken tracks covering up the solder joint.

Does anyone know how or if the heat of welding affects the metallurgy of the barrels so close to the chambers, or if any kind of annealing is done afterward?

Sleeving has been done for many years in the UK, with lots of guns being sleeved. As I'm sure you know, guns are re-proofed after sleeving. It is a good way of extending the useful life of a good quality gun without the extreme expense of new barrels.
One thing to bear in mind is to be sure that the new barrels (and additional weight thereof) doesn't upset the balance and handling. Many best grade guns were made new with walls that were thin by modern practice, especially towards the muzzles. Sleeving tends to increase the weight 'forward' as modern barrels carry more metal there. To extend the length as well may push this to a gun that is very 'forward heavy'.
Generally, one of the attractions of 'best' guns is the wonderful handling, but even quite small changes can upset this on carefully set up guns. Adding weight in the stock may recover the balance, but it doesn't recover the 'handling' as the whole gun has gained weight.

Does Kirk Merrington still sleeve?

A friend, and fellow competitor, John Truitt, shoots 34" Parkers that he has had sleeved. The way he gets around the weight forward bias issue is to have the barrels sent back to him before they are blued. He strikes them himself until he gets the handling characteristics he desires. I plan to blueprint my 30" barrels then strike the longer ones to the same dims. The extra weight in the last two inches at the muzzle will then be countered by adding a bit of weight on the butt end, giving me a gun that handles very, very close to what I am shooting now, but a bit heavier, which is what I want for serious comp work. I will choke them no more open than .015 and .015". The 30" BSS I am shooting now for comp and ducks is .018" and .018". I am not interested in trying to mimic a "best gun"s handling characteristics. That is exactly NOT what is best for serious clay shooting.

He had Briley do all of his, and is well pleased with the results. I talked with him extensively about it at the last Fall Southern. I was curious concerning his feelings about Briley's sleeving because another good friend near Houston has told me bad reports about their sleeving work in the last few years.

SRH

You have obviously thought through the weight and balance issues and have a solution.
I raised the point because its not uncommon here to have barrels of short guns (25 and 26") sleeved to 30" and the owners are sometimes disappointed that the gun doesn't 'feel right'. You have obviously taken this into account and have a plan, which I suspect will work well for what you want to achieve.

sleeving and regulating requires skills only obtained via experience. plus, regulating both barrels to shoot to the same point of aim at say 30 yards, is the most difficult and critical part of the process...

seems like birmingham, england is the best place in the world to have this kind of work performed.