Fine Gunmaking

Although I don’t actively solicit questions from readers, I routinely receive inquiries—some on similar topics. Here I will focus on answering the more pertinent ones. Reader response is always welcome and is best directed to the editorial staff: editorial@shootingsportsman .com.

I have a question concerning the caption to the photo of the Guyot shotgun on page 34 of the May/June 2008 issue (“Susquehanna Stockworks”): Is that really a boxlock? The pins and cocking indicator would seem to indicate that it’s a sidelock?

The photo caption read: “An unusual Guyot sideplated boxlock shotgun stocked and checkered by Craig Libhart.”
Yes, those lock pins and screws are all bogus! Libhart reports that all of the mock screws and axles are dummies threaded into the lockplate from the backside. It is obvious the maker went to some trouble to make it look like a sidelock. As is my experience with most French guns, this one is elegant, well proportioned and a bit unusual.

I read your two-part article “Balancing a Double Gun” (March/April & May/June ’07) and have a question about my own gun. I ordered a new over/under 12-gauge that feels barrel-heavy. It is about 12 ounces more than the advertised weight, and I am wondering if the front end could be lightened to give it better handling.

First, I want to reiterate that the focus of the article was on side-by-side game guns, and I specifically mentioned that I have little experience with over/unders. That said, I do have some comments on your O/U.
First, when it comes to determining gun weight, factories don’t pay much attention to the 96-to-1 rule, meaning a field gun should weigh 96 times the weight of the shot charge. It might be difficult to find anything like that ratio in a current factory O/U. Second, in my opinion a gun coming in at 12 ounces more than advertised would be similar to it arriving with a half-inch-longer length of pull than ordered.
Removing weight from the butt will lighten the gun, but it will only exacerbate the balance (or lack of it) issue. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to remove weight from the front end of any gun.
As I suggested, back-boring is a possibility, but barrel-wall thickness must be determined first. I’m sure a mathematical formula could be developed to determine how much the weight would be reduced by removing each .001" of barrel wall by opening up the bores. Then, working from the wall thickness, one could determine how much the barrels could be safely back-bored. This knowledge might help determine if the hassle and expense would be worth it.
Adding weight to the butt with lead would change the balance point, but in my experience it wouldn’t help an already heavy gun.
Several years ago I did accomplish exactly what you are after with a side-by-side by the Italian maker Luchini. The gun had very heavy barrels, which were back-bored solely to remove metal and weight and then re-choked. With them lightened on the front end, I was able to remove a few ounces from the buttstock. Although it didn’t come out feeling like a game gun, the alterations did lighten, change the balance and significantly improve the gun’s handling qualities.
The back-boring should be done by reaming to help ensure a uniform bore dimension; removing any significant amount by honing would risk losing uniformity. I could not even venture a guess as to how much this work would cost.

Can you give me some idea of how to preserve case colors? I’m primarily concerned about rusting and the colors fading over time.

I presume you are referring to treating a factory shotgun with a case-colored action and possibly sidelocks. Because of the hardness of the steel surface, case-hardened parts are less likely to rust than some other gun parts, but they should be protected at least with oil as you would any other gunmetal. Case colors will fade over time, and although I’ve heard that exposure to light will cause this, I believe that simple abrasion and hand sweat are much more likely to affect longevity. The method most often used is to cover the parts with a clear coat of lacquer.
When I lacquer a case-colored shotgun action, often it just has been returned from being case hardened and is completely disassembled. I begin by degreasing with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol. (It is good to get just inside the screw holes with a Q-tip, so oil will not leach out and leave a ring around them.) The lacquer I use is a clear oil/polyurethane stock finish called Permalyn, which provides a hard and long-lasting topcoat. It is applied with an artist’s fine paintbrush, although a spray finish could be used if one is careful about over-spray. After the lacquer has completely dried (swab a bit on a piece of glass to test), any spillage is carefully removed (run a screw into the threaded holes and so on), and then all parts are oiled and assembled.
For newly done case hardening, professional shops will offer to topcoat the parts for you. Ask them what they use, and if it sounds satisfactory to you, it is much easier to have them do it.
Baking lacquer probably would provide a tougher surface, but I am reluctant to use it because it is difficult to remove if one ever needs to. I avoid putting anything on a gun that I cannot remove. Some solvents, such as acetone, may remove baking lacquer, but I have no experience with the process.
Do remember that the varnish will wear, and if one is a fanatic about the colors, they will have to be redone after every couple of seasons of hard use. I personally prefer to let the colors age naturally after the original coat of lacquer wears through.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use a glossy aerosol like Chem-Pak if one preferred the spray-application method. Some use violin varnish, which is a bit less glossy but probably not as tough as other finishes.
I’ve heard of coating the parts with a quality wax, but this offers little in the way of protection, as it wipes off easily. I’m sure wax is better than nothing, but don’t be lulled into thinking it offers anything but a temporary surface coating.
Some wish to apply finish while the gun is assembled. I suppose one could brush on a finish to an assembled gun, but any overlap with screw heads or ends in threaded holes; where wood meets metal; or where metal meets metal, such as sidelocks and action joints, could tend to freeze these parts together, making for difficult or damaging disassembly in the future. At the very minimum, I would recommend first removing the metal parts from the stock and the locks from the action and separating the assembly screws.
I stress the importance of having the gun completely disassembled so that all surfaces can be treated without unwanted areas, mechanical parts or the stock interfering with or being coated by the finish. For a professional-quality job, it is simply impractical to attempt to coat the surfaces without entirely disassembling the gun.
Excepting violin varnish, all of the above products are available from Brownells (www.brownells.com).

And two related questions:
I keep hearing about the advantages of having double triggers so you can choose a tighter choke for longer shots. I can’t seem to get used to quickly changing my Ruger over/under barrel selector. Is it possible to convert the gun to double triggers?

I am thinking about buying a side-by-side that has had a Miller single trigger installed. Can this be converted back to double triggers?

I am not a fan of converting double-triggered guns to single-triggers or single-triggered guns to double-triggers. As for reconverting a single-triggered gun back to a double-trigger, that presents another set of problems.
First: The Ruger over/under was not designed for double triggers, and converting one could be a mechanical nightmare. This is the case for most guns that were designed and built with single triggers. Although anything is possible, it might require altering the sears, safety mechanism and surely the triggerplate. Besides, the curve of the pistol-grip stock might be uncomfortable for shooting double triggers, and the trigger guard would not accommodate them.
My best advice would be to find a new or used Merkel with a straight grip and double triggers. Merkel and some of the older Berretta O/Us can be found with straight-grip stocks and double triggers. They are beautiful and very functional guns. (Other makers offer over/unders with double triggers, of course, and there is a selection available from new or used to antique and from “affordable” to out of reach.)
I’ve heard that some Browning side-by-sides can be converted easily to double triggers, as they have slots for two triggers. This is one of the greatest difficulties in going from one type to the other. In the case of double to single, you must cut away the web between two trigger slots to make room for the single trigger. If a double-trigger gun has had a single trigger installed, this web has been removed and it will be more than a chore to replace it. Many single-trigger conversions have required altering the sears, safeties and triggerplates, which must all be renewed—a delicate and time-consuming task.
I would counsel you to decide which type of trigger you prefer and then find a gun that suits your needs.
I received a question and a photo from a woman about a muzzleloading hammer shotgun with an ornately carved stock and engraved furniture. Just like on “Antiques Road Show,” many folks have an idea that if it’s old and ornate, it has to be valuable, especially if it’s a firearm. I answered as follows:
Enclosed is a photocopy [shown here] from a 1940 gun catalog showing a couple of decorator guns imported from Belgium at that time. From your photos, I feel it is safe to assume that your gun is of similar vintage and manufacture. These guns were made for many decades, and yours could be quite a bit older than the catalog date would suggest.
Although old and ornate, these were cheaply made in mass quantities and show up frequently from basements or attics. The embellishment was largely superficial and does not add much value. The guns are not particularly desirable, and I wouldn’t consider them safe to shoot.
Common gun lore has it that these pieces originally were made as “trade guns” to be shipped to Africa, South America, Southeast Asia or other underdeveloped regions. The leftover guns were sold in the US to be hung over fireplace mantles, which is exactly what I would suggest you do with yours.
Please check to make sure the gun isn’t loaded! To do this with a muzzleloader, take the ramrod (or another wood or metal rod slightly longer than the barrels), put it down the muzzle, and when it touches the bottom of the barrel, mark the length of the rod at the muzzle. Remove the rod and match the mark to the outside of the barrel. Your mark should match the distance between the muzzles and about where the hammer nose meets the nipple. If the rod stops an inch or two short of that length, the gun may be loaded and you will need to have the charge removed by a gunsmith, as blackpowder can stay potent virtually forever. Be sure to check both barrels.
As for value, it is hard to determine, but I would venture that $200 to $400 might be about right, depending on condition and how attractive the gun is. Again, I recommend that this piece be considered a decoration.
For further information, remove the ramrod, cock the hammers, take out the barrel key (on the silver oval of the forestock) and look under the bottom rear of the barrel. You may find an “ELG” stamping mark and/or a mark that looks a bit like the Washington Monument. These are both proof marks from Liège, Belgium. Other similar guns are stamped “Made in Spain.”
I wish I could tell you that it is a rare and valuable gun, but it just isn’t so.

I have read with great interest your detailed analysis of sidelock shotgun locks. Could you write equally definitive articles on triggerplate locks like McKay Brown’s and hand-detachable boxlocks like Westley Richards’? Another action you might want to comment on is the Hoenig Rotary action.

I’m glad you enjoyed the five-part series on the “Evolution of the Sidelock” (March/April ’05 – Nov/Dec ’05). I’m happy to report the series is collected in my new book, Double Guns and Custom Gunsmithing in a chapter titled “Understanding Sidelocks.” The various sidelocks can be easily compared to one another.
As for more articles, you must understand that I am very fortunate to have clients who let me disassemble and photograph their valuable shotguns. Although I don’t know anyone close by who owns a McKay Brown, I may be able to borrow a MacNaughton (triggerplate), a Westley Richards and possibly a Hoenig. Thanks for the ideas; I’ll get to them as soon as I can.

Autographed copies of Steven Dodd Hughes’s new book, Double Guns and Custom Gunsmithing,