Hard fitting is part of the process even if clients seldom hear about it. I have re-bent shotgun tangs top and bottom, forend irons, buttplates, lock plates and related, mainly thin parts.
One of the lockplates, top tang and forend iron warped on this project.
This has the case colors removed for French Gray;the action pinched in.
The worst are single shot actions. By worst, I really mean scariest as this is the most difficult and terrifying process I've undertake in four decades of gun work.
When a Sharps or Hagn action pinches in from the sides of the breech block mortice to the point the block will no longer go in it requires drastic methods to move the metal a couple of thousandths of an inch. As there is always some spring-back, it has to be moved a bit more than you want it to end up. I've done this with a large nut and bolt ground to fit the area and with two wedges, from top and bottom.The wedges worked best. They were made to fit with a very shallow taper.
Both parts a final lapped to fit with very fine compound. Mind you, this work is for Final Assembly of a case colored, engraved action costing a couple thousand dollars on a custom rifle valued at in the low five figures.
I've got another Hagn rifle soon to be ready for all that in the near future.
