doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com boxlock top strap

Have you tried putting a thin rod/pin in the hole?.does it bottom out on something?, could it be like an auto safety deactivator?
Ooops, I see you dont have the Gun yet..it looks pretty nice, what is it?,
keep us posted
cheers
franc

It is in about the right location for that, I think that Joe is right. Not sure why it goes all the way thru to the top, though...

hello Franc Otte,
I have emailed to you some more pics and info.

cheers

mrwmartin

Odd one that . and I have no definite answer but wager it has something to do with the top lever spring . Only real way to find out is to drop the stock off .
Theory , Top lever spring stud hole drilled to deep and has broken through on polishing , engraver knowing no better engraved around it .

Hello gunman,
Interesting theory. I have been hoping yourself or others with experience would provide a definitive answer.
Thanks for input,

cheers

mrwmartin

The hole is most likely either the peg hole for the toplever spring (near enough correct position) or a pin hole for a retainer/guide pin from the safety pushrod which is often pinned to the underside of the top strap.
Usually these are blind holes but I have seen several guns over the years with through holes and the pin sitting flush with the external surface of the metal.
It is not an oil hole! Whatever you do, do not squirt oil into any hole or crevice in your British shotgun, it will ruin the wood.
If it is either of the holes as I describe above, it shows that the original pin has backed out of its hole which is not a good thing but maybe not catastrophic. Only a strip down will show.

Hello Toby,
Yes, your ideas sound feasible and if I purchase the gun I will get it looked into. The last thing i need is another moneypit! I am well aware of the oil dangers but it doesnt do any harm to repeat the message. I hope to inspect the gun in the flesh fairly soon.
Thanks for the suggestions and input.
cheers

mrwmartin

I would think that a toplever spring in that particular location would interfere with the safety pushrod which is typically found directly under the topstrap. Also, if it was a peg hole for the toplever spring, one leg of the spring would bear upon the underside of the toplever, and the other leg would also have to bear against something in order to create spring tension to return the toplever to center. What would there be in this location to bear against besides wood? While I certainly haven't seen every shotgun action design in the world, I would be very surprised if this hole had anything to do with a toplever spring. I also agree that it is not an oil hole.

Hello Keith,
Thank you for the informative post offering a different insight.If we are to eliminate top lever spring where does that lead us?
cheers

mrwmartin

I tend to think it has something to do with the safety pushrod. I mentioned earlier that I thought it could have something to do with a means of deactivating the safety. Toby Barclay also mentioned the possibility of this being a pin hole for a safety pushrod retainer/guidepin, and that makes sense to me. But I can't imagine why it would not be a blind hole if that was the case. I'd think if it was inadvertently drilled clear through, the maker would have simply welded it closed and tried again, rather than leave a glaring mistake on the topstrap. Again, I could be 100% wrong, and have not seen every shotgun's innards to say for sure. Do you know what make it is?