Acceptable 'looseness' in a side by side?

wileybelch · August 26, 2012, 06:26 AM

I would like some guidelines for what is deemed excessive/undesireable looseness in the barrel/receiver union of a side by side shotgun. Is it gauge dependent? Can it be corrected?

gunut · August 26, 2012, 06:35 AM

no percievable loosness if acceptable.....and should be fixed....

that being said sometimes a little barely percievable wiggle will be OK..... or maybe it can be fixed by wrapping a piece of a thin feeler gauge around the hinge pin....your gun your call.

jaguarxk120 · August 26, 2012, 07:22 AM

The looseness is refered to as being off face. The fit of barrels to the reciver/standing breach is tight and no movement should be there.

A gun that is off face will shoot loose rapidily as the barrels and receiver take a sever beating when shooting and the condition will become worse as the gun is shot more.

The hook on the barrels can be welded or the hinge pin can be replaced with a larger diameter one. depends on the gun. Many times older guns are not worth fixing as the cost of repairs will exceed the value of the gun.

It's the owners call as to what to do. See a GOOD gunsmith and he can recomend a course of action.

oneounceload · August 26, 2012, 10:15 AM

NO looseness at all- as mentioned, it is "off face", typically indicating a lot of wear to the hinge pin. If that is the case, it is usually the most expensive fix outside of relaying the barrels. Depending on what gun, it may or may not be worth the cost

PetahW · August 26, 2012, 01:47 PM

BTW - The proper way to perform a field check is:

1) Remove the forend, since (installed) it will take up any slack.

2) Hold the gun upside-down, with the buttstock securely under one arm and that hand tightly holding the action/receiver only.

3) With the opening lever held in the "open" position, attempt to move the bbls side-to-side with the off hand - anything more than a minimal movement is unacceptable.

Then, it's advisable to check the ribs for soundness/looseness and/or internal rust via "ringing" the barrels:

1) Remove the bbls from the gun, and hang them by the hinge/hook from the fingers of one fist.

2) Strike the barrels sharply, about halfway down their length, with the knuckle of the other hand.

3) A resulting "thunk" = "pass" ( a very expensive fix), and a nice ring / chime = "OK"

.

August 26, 2012, 06:26 AM	#1
wileybelch Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Posts: 115	Acceptable 'looseness' in a side by side? I would like some guidelines for what is deemed excessive/undesireable looseness in the barrel/receiver union of a side by side shotgun. Is it gauge dependent? Can it be corrected?

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August 26, 2012, 06:35 AM	#2
gunut Member Join Date: March 12, 2011 Location: Sussex Wi. Posts: 37	no percievable loosness if acceptable.....and should be fixed.... that being said sometimes a little barely percievable wiggle will be OK..... or maybe it can be fixed by wrapping a piece of a thin feeler gauge around the hinge pin....your gun your call.

August 26, 2012, 07:22 AM	#3
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	The looseness is refered to as being off face. The fit of barrels to the reciver/standing breach is tight and no movement should be there. A gun that is off face will shoot loose rapidily as the barrels and receiver take a sever beating when shooting and the condition will become worse as the gun is shot more. The hook on the barrels can be welded or the hinge pin can be replaced with a larger diameter one. depends on the gun. Many times older guns are not worth fixing as the cost of repairs will exceed the value of the gun. It's the owners call as to what to do. See a GOOD gunsmith and he can recomend a course of action.

August 26, 2012, 10:15 AM	#4
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	NO looseness at all- as mentioned, it is "off face", typically indicating a lot of wear to the hinge pin. If that is the case, it is usually the most expensive fix outside of relaying the barrels. Depending on what gun, it may or may not be worth the cost

August 26, 2012, 01:47 PM	#5
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	BTW - The proper way to perform a field check is: 1) Remove the forend, since (installed) it will take up any slack. 2) Hold the gun upside-down, with the buttstock securely under one arm and that hand tightly holding the action/receiver only. 3) With the opening lever held in the "open" position, attempt to move the bbls side-to-side with the off hand - anything more than a minimal movement is unacceptable. Then, it's advisable to check the ribs for soundness/looseness and/or internal rust via "ringing" the barrels: 1) Remove the bbls from the gun, and hang them by the hinge/hook from the fingers of one fist. 2) Strike the barrels sharply, about halfway down their length, with the knuckle of the other hand. 3) A resulting "thunk" = "pass" ( a very expensive fix), and a nice ring / chime = "OK" .