doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Barrel Measurements, your thoughts ?

That's right, they are dealers... in the business of selling the guns they have in their inventory. Therefore, they aren't very likely to be motivated to provide the tools or information that is going to convince a buyer to look elsewhere.

And even if they had quality bore and barrel wall measuring instruments, there is the little problem of being competent enough to use them properly. Too many people who think they could consistently and accurately measure all along a shotgun bore are the very same folks who couldn't remove a slotted screw in a gun without making it look like the job was done by a caveman with flint tools. So when someone without the skills of a trained journeyman machinist or tool and die-maker gives you some measurements made with sensitive precision measuring tools that are prone to error when used improperly, what makes you think those numbers will be true and accurate? Or maybe ignorance really is bliss. One guy above wants to buy barrel measuring tools, but blew up his Springfield rifle due to a reloading error, and blamed the gun, not himself. Would you trust his measurements if he was selling you a gun?

Chukarman is right. Caveat emptor. Do your own due diligence, and don't be shocked or surprised if a dealer doesn't do it for you. And even if he does provide measurements, you shouldn't believe them until verified.

i've been happy with the bore gauge i bought from gary bulley in victor, montana (dba - centerfire ranch)....reasonably priced, and he can build with up to 18" shaft....i got a 16" version, which allows measuring up to 32" barrels. the indicator has sufficient travel to measure 16 ga, 12 ga, and bore measurements of 10 ga....but limits out at .800 so 10 ga chambers (and oversized 12 ga chambers are out of reach).

careful use of a bore gauge will give pretty good idea regarding chamber lengths, if forcing cones have been "improved", length and constriction of chokes....which is a good deal of information about a barrel set. it's my belief that most of us can spot a reblacking job by the texture, washed out lettering, not matching the general condition of the gun, etc....that has been my general approach with the lower priced guns that i can afford....hasn't bitten me (yet).

i also have "lowest common denominator" wall thickness gauge - but have been frustrated by attempts to master it's use....i have increasing fine motor skills problems and cannot control the gauge well enough to trust my results. i commonly bring my bore gauge when i walk a gunshow....but only get out the manson's when i want to test my blood pressure....

best regards,
tom

I agree, Gary Bulley's gauge is very nice and reasonably priced.

I affixed cloth tape to my bore gauge, then covered it with clear packing tape.
As Tom observed, it is very easy to feel the end of the chamber - forcing cone juncture, and much more accurate than the simple rule gauges. It also helps document the location of a bulge or deep pit.



I did the same thing on my Henry wall thickness gauge, and it helps document the exact location of a thin spot or pit.



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Drew, I did the same thing with my bore gauge that you did. With the depth measurements easily at hand, it is very useful.

Now isn't that special !!!

What makes this particular unprovoked ad hominem personal attack on Ed Good so special is that it was made by a guy who ran a one-man campaign to defund this forum because he didn't like Dave Weber not stepping in to stop personal attacks.

Yet it seems he actually feels that unprovoked personal attacks are perfectly OK, as long as they are made by him or one of his pals. That is totally phony. That's nothing new either... it has gone on for years. It's just nice to see the truth come out once again, and to also see no complaints from the Manners and Civility Police. But if certain other people do the same thing, oh my, it suddenly becomes an egregious violation of the rules, and just cause to whine, complain, and urge everyone to join his boycott of any support for this site. His tag line still says this:


I don't think this person ever bought a gun from Ed, to have actual cause to urge anyone to avoid buying from him. And if anything, Ed is certainly more honest and honorable than some here when he sells his guns , and subsequently pays Dave the $12.00 fee for selling on this site. Contrast that with those who do endless free advertising of their businesses in their tag-lines, to avoid paying Dave the $12.00 fee.

That's against the forum rules too, but this individual isn't concerned about that rule violation either. I find it rather hypocritical for him to complain about things that he himself does, and things that are OK if his Liberal Democrat buddies do them. I don't like the idea of subsidizing the presence of duplicitous people like that here. And I feel his totally dishonest tag-line needs to be "Moderated" or censored. It's obviously based upon lies.

Several years ago, I had Gary Bulley make two bore gauges for me; the 18" versions that would cover pretty much everything from 10 ga. to 28 ga. bores. He put them into a hinged wooden storage case for, what I thought was a reasonable price. I've been very pleased with them. Regarding the dealers general apathy about barrel dimensions, I think many of them buy a pig in a poke as it were, concentrating more on grade, wood, condition, and engraving than on the basic mechanics of a gun. I would lay awake at night worrying if I were in their place. Some plead ignorance of the barrel dimensions due to effect on sales, and some are just plain ignorant about it. Sandlapper