Thread: How much pitting is too much?

Id say get (borrow?) a borescope and assess the "damage" properly first

I do suppose a gunsmith would really only be doing the same thing, just would be (hopefully) more knowledgeable than I am about the condition being safe or unsafe to shoot.
Ill see if I can track a borescope down and have a nosey, I think the closest smith might be in Auckland so would require shipping anyways.

thats a really old gun....really old. other than for novalty value,why would you want to shoot it anyway??? a .410 chamber insert would allow you to do so safely..but you may just find yourself registering it and leaving it in safe,you cant wallhanger it without making it inoperational...eg cant be fired or rectified to be fired....barrels filled with concrete sort of deal...and I cringe even typing that.

You’re most certainly right, I’m just happy to leave it on my shelf now, I’ve been trying to get my hands on a shotgun with external hammers for ages but never had any luck (not counting this as it was given to me as a wall hanger)

Firing pins are removed but after some googling it does indeed seem that we don’t really seem to have a wall hanger class of firearms so it guess it’s going back in the safe *shrug*
I wonder if JB weld in the firing pin holes would be enough to decommission it for good, I’d think it would be pretty hard to get out again

About the only way I can see this being useable would be getting the bores sleeved down to a 16ga, too much money and effort at this point, I will have to keep an eye out for one in good enough condition to want to deal with the register

you can purchase sub calibre inserts.....because the yhave there own barrels and chambers the pressure issues are minimal..the only bit of big gun that touches pressure is the face of the block...primer and case....

Ive only seen the ones that are like 8" long, do they make full length ones, Id be comfortable using a full length one as the action is still tight its just the bores that are naf,
I'd still use BP so I dont think pressures would be an issue,
off to try and find some now lol.

Well I did find some full length gauge adapter, unfortunately they require have 3" chambers so thats not going to work for me

they can be found here
https://chaszel.com/product/12gauge-...tgun-adapters/

the 28 gauge adapters are closer only requiring a 2 3/4 inch chamber which I guess my gun could be modified to fit but think thats more effort than its worth,

thems the brakes I guess

Id look at modding the insert. Shouldnt take much on an accurate lathe

Full length sub gauge tubes for 2 3/4 chambers are certainly available but are somewhere around $800 per pair,
From briley USA,
In 20, 28, 410

When I was twenties I knocked around with a bird who's dad shot a black powder cap lock 12 bore that seeped smoke from the barrel channel every time he fired it - it had pin holes right through.
We always gave him a wide berth when he was shooting that thing, but it never let go and eventually the 'wise heads' at the range told him "no more" - and it got hung on the wall.

At that same range, my mate and I watched a twist barrel 12 bore blow a 2" long chunk out the side just forward of the chamber. The shooter lost two fingers, and he didn't know they were gone until a lady pointed it out - that was with a nitro load.
Everyone did it those days, but I think everyone at the range that day found some BP to load their twist bores - I know I did.
That was over towards Pauatahanui (Pautahanui) (Pauatanui) (one of them) over the hill from Lower Hutt about '64.