doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Skeets bore gauge

Any one contact Ed?

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=517078#Post517078

Bought a 28 gauge version when they came back. There was a problem on the one he sent, and I contacted him by phone. He apologized profusely, and offered to next day me a replacement unit, with a discount on the price. I told him that was unnecessary, just send a new one when he got mine back.
I had a new gauge in hand the next day, and the box had a handwritten note with $20 paper clipped to it. The second gauge, a 20, 28 gauge version, was perfect. I share custody with a guy who has the 12, 16 gauge version.


Super guy to deal with.

Best,
Ted

Glad to hear that, Ted. First hand reports mean a lot. I have had the 12/16 version for many years, and never any problem. I'll likely be contacting him for the 20/28.

Best, SRH

I�ve had the 12/16 and 20/28 sets for quite a while and have been very happy with them. Seem to be very accurate and give boringly repeatable results which tells me that they are quality instruments. I would dearly appreciate one made for .410 barrels.

You and me, brother.

Another member here texted me yesterday mentioning that he had just ordered one.

last year when i decided that anyone interested in these old guns needed sufficient equipment to properly measure and grok them....so i added a bore gauge to my manson's wall gauge and various inside/outside micrometers.

went back in this sites references and located an old thread re:
bore gauges. i remembered there being a source other than skeets. sure enough found the thread and it included several fellows mentioning gary bulley of montana. he part time operates as CENTER FIRE RANCH, and builds several devices of interest. he offers bore gauges in lengths up to 18", with either dial or digital clocks, and has two size ranges. one is a 28/20, the other is a 16/12.

i told him i was also interested in 10 gauge capabilities, and he responded that the 16/12 would read 10's as well. that plus the fact that he builds greater lengths than the skeets gauge (at no additional cost) helped me make up my mind. i ordered a 16" with dial gauge for $145 shipped. received it in a matter of days and am delighted with my purchase. unlike the manson's tool, the bore gauge is easy to use (i'm a bit shaky and handling the manson's is a challenge for me).

i have additionally added a depth gauge function to the shank, so that i can "map" both chamber/forcing cone profiles as well as "mapping" the depth and profiles of chokes. it is useful to be able to determine the length of the cones to understand whether they have been altered.
best regards,
tom

If cost is no object:


https://www.hosfordco.com/tools-measuring-1/bore-gauge

I doubt I own any guns good enough for a gauge like that. A Skeets tells me what I need to know.

Best,
Ted

This Gary Bulley's website The unloader.

Ken

I have a gauge set similar to the Hosford, but I think mine is the 100 Straight set as sold by Brownell's. Mine is in a fitted wood case and, as I recall, included setting rings for .410 through 10 gauge, including 28 and 16. Took a while, but I found mine on eBay at a very good price. I think the list when I found mine years ago was about $550. Whatever mine is, it is the same as the set my choke and barrel guy uses.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools...t-prod6808.aspx

For measuring bores I just use a Starrett telescoping gauge set equipped with a 12" handle & a micrometer. Works great & is comparatively inexpensive. In my case, I already had them from my machine shop days. For wall thickness, one needs specialized equipment as it cannot be counted on for the OD & ID to be concentric.

I took delivery of the 16-12 gauge bore skeets bore gauge and was disappointed that it wouldn't fit into the left barrel of a 16 ga. Robust. The diameter of the brass structure which contains the spring loaded ball bearings is .623 and according to my calipers, the full choked muzzle diameter of the left barrel is .615. Bear this in mind if you intend to measure European barrels with the 16/12 Skeets instrument. Gil

I have the Skeet's 12/16 and the full Stan Baker set for this very reason. The Stan Baker 12/16 head will not measure bores on the larger diameter side of standard 16 bore. Neither set is perfect but between both of them and a set of plug gauges I can pretty much measure anything I need to.

I'm almost afraid to buy one of these gadgets. My safe full of old worn out guns might have some real surprises in the barrel thickness department...Geo

Geo, you'll know you have big trouble if the ID is larger than the OD. Gil

I once owned a Boss gun that fit that description...Geo

Galazan's $500 gauge will measure all gauges up to ten except for .410, and according to my measurements, will measure eights with some minor machine work. I use a "small hole gauge" and a zero to one micrometer to measure .410s, a cheap alternative to a bore gauge and takes up much less room.

My telescoping gage set I mentioned has a small head that goes down to .375", small enough to measure even the choke on a .410. 8-Bore's small hole gage does the same thing, both are fit to the bore, extracted & measured with a micrometer. Unless you are in business & need to measure a lot of bores in a short time, you don't need a lot of expensive equipment to measure an occasional bore. You are only measuring a diameter here, concentricity plays no part as it does in measuring wall thickness.

I have and use a set of Starrett telescoping gages and there is a right and wrong way to use them. Let's see who knows the correct way to use them.

Put the gage in the bore with the handle off-center. Snug up the screw & pull the contacts over-center "One Time". Finish tightening the screw making certain nothing moves remove gage & measure with a micrometer.

That's how I was taught by old-time machinists who had likely worn out a few sets of them. This has always worked for me & I have checked myself against precision dial bore gages & been extremely consistent with both devices.

Miller, that is the way I was taught and I too still do it that way. Doesn't make any difference in diameter from 3/8"-2' or better.
The same applies to inside mikes except takes longer. We had Babbitt bearing on our generators some very large and had to take readings in three areas and then mike then, then had to repeat them. Gets tricky holding a 24" micrometer and the inside mike and we didn't have digital mikes in that size. I think the one set went from 12" -24". You had to naturally sit and prop the mike leg on your knee, use the one hand on the inside mike and then adjust the barrel on the mike with the other hand.