doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Clarke 20 Bore - Failed :(

Hi guys, typical isn't it. Just finish the little Clarke and took it with my son to the clay ground, he shot great with his .410 and I put 6 cartridges through the Clarke, hit everything, fantastic! Put it back in the slip. My 45th Birthday today and I thought what a great morning with the boy given all the crap I've put my family through in the past year or so.

Anyway, get home and after a few hours remember to clean the guns, do the .410 and break the crap .410 rod cleaning kit I bought from the CLA game fair. Waste of a tenner that was that...then worse.

Clean the Clarke and notice, oh no!. A split in the left barrel. Now...this gun has just been reproofed 2 months ago..it had a bulge where the split has appeared but this was taken out and the whole barrel and 2-3 thou taken out because it was pitted...but plenty thick my barrel man told me.

Now I'm extremely depressed...see pictures. I think it's over...it's only a tiny tear but it's bulged as well...this after only 6 shells through it...how the HECK did it pass proof????

Very distressed at the moment. But I did want to show people really. I'm not aware that this is fixable and I spent many many hours restoring this pretty little gun. Oh well. Going to have my first alcoholic drink in 7 months tonight. ;(

Cheers fellas.
Regards,
Tony

Bu**er!!!!!

What a drag Tony. I'm feeling some of your pain. Well, maybe sleeving or you could have a new set of barrels made?? Sorry. Buzz

Bad news! Sleeve it?...Geo

You have my sympathy Tony.
However this brings up a point I've made before. Proofing IMO is just a measure at a particular point in time that maintains barrels survived an overcharge. IMO; and I believe this is particularly true with older doubles and certainly damascus , it tells you next to nothing about future performance.
Using 75+ year old guns is a crapshoot pure and simple. I think most of us understand this when we sign on to this hobby.
Jim

Boy that sucks... but on a positive note - at least you didn't have a catastophic failure and all that you are out is time and money. Surgeries/rehab and funerals are much more expensive and time consuming. It's hard to look at your pride and joy with a split and still feel blessed - but you should. Could have been far worse.

Yes, definately agree. Could have been worse. And you know what, it's only my time, I spent �350 on this gun total and 250 was for the barrels to be fixed and re-proofed....so I'm counting lucky stars really...

On to the next one...!

T

Glad no one was hurt....just more reason to stay away from guns with pitted barrels.

guns are replaceable body parts are not. im glad your well
seven could have been an unlucky number. even a nice set of 4-10
briley tubes are not a bad idea. my best bob

jOe: Tony mentioned there had been a repaired bulge at the fault area. I believe with a bulge the molecular structure of the metal is permanently and forever changed and thus weakened despite the repair. I think this is the root of the problem rather than pits and barrel honing IMHO.