Method to solder barrel rib

[MI MAN]

I have a kit for a half stock rifle where I will need to attach a barrel rib either by screws or solder. Can anyone describe the method to sweat the rib to the barrel? If you think attaching with screws is a better method please let me know? Thanks

 

[Pete G]

Don't overlook rivits. I hate tapping a blind hole.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I’ve always favored screws and we know rivets were used by some. To me a rifle barrel would be difficult to solder due to the mass to heat evenly.

 

[ZUG]

I use to rivet on the rib but no more. One went ok and the other the stop collar moved and I drilled into the barrel leading to a trashed barrel. I stopped using rivets or screws since then. I soft solder my ribs on using Stay Brite with their flux Stay Clean. this is how I do it;

Ram Rod Rib Assembly​

I take the ram rod pipes and make a flat on one side half the thickness of the wall diameter of the pipes then I make a flat on the rib also half the thickness of the wall diameter of the RR pipes at the chosen locations along the rib. This is done so that when the two are mated the ram rod will fit with no gap between the ram rod and the rib.

I place the RR pipes on the rib and run a steel rod through the pipes to align the pipes to the channel in the rib. I then flux the joint for the silver braze then clamp the pipes in place. The rib and pipes are then heated enough to flow the silver braze and then allowed to cool. The rib/pipe assembly is then sanded to clean up the surface for soft silver soldering onto the barrel.

The rib assembly and barrel is fluxed then tinned with soft silver solder (Stay-Brite & Stay-Clean). The two are clamped in place and heated enough to melt the soft silver solder along the interface of the two parts. NOTE: some added flux and soft silver solder maybe required to aide in solder flow. When cooled the barrel/rib assembly is cleaned of any excess soft silver solder.

 

[MI MAN]

Thanks for the help from all that replied. I appreciate the help.

 

[52Bore]

ZUG: Good explanation. you reference ‘soft silver solder’, I hope you just meant ‘soft solder’ ?
Same as used in soldering plumbing, much lower melting point that silver solder.

 

[ZUG]

Yes -- that's why I noted Stay Brite because of it's properties. Silver braze is high temp stuff - above 1100 degrees and is not considered a solder - below 700 degrees is considered a solder and melts at low temp. A lot of folks don't use the right terms when describing brazing and soldering. There is also brazing with brass but that is even higher temps then silver brazing - 1450 plus degrees depending on the alloy. I use my oxy-acetylene torch for silver and brass brazing and a plumber's turbo torch for low temp soldering and sometimes a hardware propane bottle set-up depending on the mass of the item being joined.

 

[longcruise]

The first one i soldered was tinned (i didn't know about soldering paste or maybe it wasn't invented yet) wired tight to the barrel and put in a gas bbq grill on high for an hour. It's still stuck tight after 15÷ years.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Dear Untited Destingished ?? .. Not all Silver Solders are High Temp. Until the ban Some Silver solders had Cadmium in the alloy. This reduced the melting temp. down to 5/600* Cent. Hunt out OLD suppliers. Some may still have old stock. Found some in RSA and some in Italy a time ago. It's great for sweating on New Steels on Hammers (frizzens).. Other wise look for Eutectic R157 High strength Lead alloy Solder or use Pure tin like Our old Barrel Filers used.. OLD DOG.. No.93..