Kit maker ever send you the wrong barrel size?

[joehenz]

I'm about finished with my Chamber's 20 gauge smoothbore - or at least I thought I was! I got the stock finished nicely, and decided to try it out on the range and see where it's hitting before I soldered on a front sight. I got to the range and my 20 gauge jag wouldn't fit in the barrel. Neither would the 0.595 round balls! So I get a micrometer and lo and behold, the diameter is only 0.575 inches! What the heck is that? Well it turns out that there is something called a 24 gauge (which I'd never heard of before) which Chambers' daughter sent me by mistake! So I had to ship the barrel out to be reamed out to 20 gauge. Hopefully the barrel reamer won't mess up the breech plug threads in the process.

Learn from my pain! Don't assume you kit maker is sending you what you ordered: mic your barrels BEFORE you start the project!!!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Why would you not simply contact Chambers, and send the gun back? Or at least the barrel, if the 20 ga.version will fit your stock and lock???

Mistakes happen in any business, but I believe the Chambers would stand behind their products, and replace the barrel at no cost to you.

Your advice is very good, however. MY 20 gauge barrel purchased from the same barrel maker that sent my gunmaker a similar barrel he used to make his own fowler, turns out to be much closer to being 19 gauge, than 20 gauge. 20 gauge wads would not work well, as they were too loose in the barrel, letting gas blow by. With 19 gauge OP wads, I saw my MV raise by almost 250 fps compared to what I got with the 20 gauge wads.

So, always check the bore diameter yourself, with your own caliper, or micrometer, regardless of what might be stamped, or written on the barrel. :thumbsup:

 

[bob243]

I think Paul about covered it, but I'll ask if there was anything stamped on the barrel?

Also It could very well have been shipped to Chambers mixed in with 20ga. barrels. There is a bunch of "what ifs" than can be out out there.

I also agree with you about checking all parts accordingly when you unpack them. :thumbsup:

 

[joehenz]

I did contact Chambers, and they told me whom to send the barrel to, (and they're paying for it).

Can't just swap out the barrel, because the barrel's married to the tang, the tang is shaped, formed and inletted to the stock, and the stock is finished.

The barrel has two numbers stamped on it, neither of which told a newby like me anything. One was "221", and the other "58". Of course NOW I know that there is such a thing as a 24 gauge, and that it is 0.058" in diameter, that number 58 tells me something!

 

[chuck-ia]

Yup, had something similar happen a couple years ago. Ordered a .36 barrel from Buckeye Barrels, (Chambers) barrel came, barrel ended up being a .32 cal, stamped .36, I did catch it right away though. Glad you came out on the shipping OK, I didn't. Got into a little pissing contest with Barbie, I lost. chuck