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wayne1967

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Morning. Not wanting to start a bashing post but about 10 or 15 years ago I remember a smooth bore maker in the states that was offering finished guns and in the white that manufactured their own barrel. A lot of talk was made about the barrels not being proof tested. I was talking to a guy about it and can't remember the name of the place? I looked around on the web and I don't think they are around any more.
 
Imagine if you're mfg. lots of barrels, say, and you've got to Proof each one, then CLEAN the things! For volume, that'd be a P>I>T>A>!! Not to make light of an important point, but you can see how it would impact high volume mfg. Modern steels are pretty high quality.
 
Are you thinking Centermark? Offered their guns as kits or finished, only in 20ga if I recall. I don't know if they made their own barrels though parts came from a few different suppliers.
 
Imagine if you're mfg. lots of barrels, say, and you've got to Proof each one, then CLEAN the things! For volume, that'd be a P>I>T>A>!! Not to make light of an important point, but you can see how it would impact high volume mfg. Modern steels are pretty high quality.
Don't understand what all the hoop-la was about back then unless they were blowing apart. I remember seeing some and they didn't look bad but for some reason a lot of people question them. Thanks
 
Are you thinking Centermark? Offered their guns as kits or finished, only in 20ga if I recall. I don't know if they made their own barrels though parts came from a few different suppliers.
No it wasn't Centermark. Seems like it was the guys name.
 
Don't understand what all the hoop-la was about back then...

You will find a LOT of folks in North America do not understand what "proofing" means, especially for black powder barrels. Hence the hoop-la from time to time.

Folks assume modern barrels in America are proofed as they are legally required to be in Europe, and some places in South America. (Full disclosure I thought the same until after several years in black powder I found out different.) They also assume there is a standardized criteria for black powder barrel proofing as there is for modern cartridge firearms in Europe, when in fact each proofing house may set its own standard(s) for black powder proofing. There are folks that think they can perform a proofing test, and some companies will sell you a black powder arm with instructions on how you can "proof" the item at home.

"Proofing" is a legal term, and a person writes that a barrel has been proofed they sometimes don't understand that such a term means the barrel has been through and approved and stamped by a certified proof-house. Anybody who writes "I proofed this at my range and it was fine" doesn't understand what they are writing. You or I can TEST a barrel in many ways, and in fact we might even exceed the testing done by one or more actual proofing-houses, but we cannot legally proof a barrel, nor should we call it such. ;)

Lastly there is a small group of people who so misunderstand proofing that they assume that once proofed, the barrel will always adhere to that standard, and fail to understand due to profound ignorance, that such a test is only good on the day the barrel leaves the proofing house. Years of improper care can turn a proofed barrel into one that is unsafe to fire, even if the exterior looks fairly good.

LD
 
Every firearm barrel smooth bore or rifled in the UK has to be proofed by a govt registered proof house of which there are only 2, One in London and the other in Birmingham.
BUT they are not proofed until made into a firearm and the whole gun is then proofed, again rifle or shotgun muzzle loaders included, and cannot be sold without proof marks,
If a new barrel is fitted to an existing rifle the whole gun needs re-proofing before becoming legal to use or sell,
 
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