Repair advice?

[ppb]

The image included shows the underside of the barrels from a William Moore & Co. SxS 12ga. caplock shot gun. The ramrod thimble has obviously separated from the rib due to all the corrosion in that area. I am reasonably sure this has happened before and the initial repair (done by others before it was passed on to me) was not done well enough to keep it from happening again. (the thimble metal does not have the patina of the rest of the metal - it looks blued...)

I am thinking it might take a serious scrubbing of the area with baking soda or some such to clean-up the rust and then gently scrape/carve the old caked on solder away to get to fresh metal.

My thought was to re-attach the thimble by re-soldering it back in place. Will these twist barrels take to a low heat silver solder application (flame) without compromising the original work or coming undone or separating from the rib?

Advice, comments, suggestions...?

 

[Phil Coffins]

Having the surfaces for soldering perfectly clean and mated then using the least amount of solder will yield the strongest joint. Lay the barrels on a wet cloth to help control the heat from spreading. And a wet rag to cool the rib after you do the soldering. Test your clamping set up before beginning.

 

[user 48679]

I would caution you to be careful not to soften the solder that holds the under rib onto the barrels - magnifying the issues.

Since I would never chance that, I would clean the area and use an epoxy in the hidden area(s) ILO soldering.

Of course, if the rib's brazed on, there's N.P.

 

[andy52]

If it were mine I'd buy new solid thimbles/pipes, drill a hole in one side large enough for small screw driver, drill and tap a hole in the rib and screw the thimble in place. To me it seems safer than risking the ribs coming loose from heating them.

 

[Colonial Boy]

As your gun is English the barrels etc., are most likely joined with soft solder, any attempt to silver solder will melt soft solder and you risk weakening the whole lot.
I’d do a through clean up and then use a good epoxy glue and for preference, one of the slow setting ones.
If the barrels are brazed together then a low melting point silver solder is fine, but I’d still go the epoxy way to be safe, after all, at around 150 years of age any thing may happen.

 

[necchi]

Wow, there is some significant corrosion going on there huh? More detailed photo's of that area will help.
Ammonia is base, and brush scrubbing with a high concentrate soluion of that will be better then baking soda. (gloves and ventilation required)
It's always hard to discern what the previous guy did and make a repair of his repair without making it worse!!
Good post, share more photo's, and have a few day's patience to read through all of the advice before taking action, sometimes it takes awhile for someone with that kind of experience to log-in and see.

 

[EC121]

Solder-It paste melts at a lower temperature than regular solder. Might try it. Comes in a little syringe. Works great and is strong.

 

[user 34300]

That is a nice gun. I could probably do it with a propane torch and low temp eutectic solder. I might also ruin the barrels. If it were mine, I would take it to a gunsmith that has lots of experience. He would be be a double gun specialist.

The thimble must be spit so the ramrod hugs the rib. A full diameter thimble would not work right and would look bad. They were not done that way, anyway.

Do not drill and tap anything! You would get a big surprise when the barrel are wedged apart or a hole appears in the bore. They were never done like that anyway. Screwing thimbles is a modern invention of factory boys who don't know anything about old guns.

 

[Eterry]

My friend is a modern gunsmith. He has a small barrel full of what used to be double barrel shotgun barrels that are now single barrel scrap. DIY gunsmiths tried to "repair " them with some sort of torch and they came apart then brought them to him.

When they learned what he charged to re-braze them they left them as scrap. When someone says they can repair their double he points to the barrel.

I'd go with the epoxy, unless you have a very good skillset.

 

[ppb]

This is where I'm at now:
A little more clean-up is in order... as is a little more chin rubbin'.

The ramrod is tapered and as it goes to the "home" position a lot of pressure is put onto this thimble which is most likely the reason it failed in the first place. I may also need to push the taper a little more forward on the rod.


Thanks for all the input. You have all given me plenty to think about.

 

[FishDFly]

Check with the Log Cabin, they have several gunsmiths on staff

 

[Mark26mod0]

Brownells sells a paste solder i have found very useful in these applications
If you have lots of corrosion throughout the whole thing needs resoldered and regulated. I didn't like saying it.
Be sure your flux is not acidic .
Violin bow rosin is supposedly the corect stuff for this kind of work i have not had good luck with it. You can purchase solder in long flat strips that can be layed between the ribs.

 

[Belleville]

Dan Fruth, gunsmith, showed me a putty that is used as a heat stop, in cases like this. He says it works good. With some research, you should be able to find it on line.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Clean well then use JB Weld, possibly. Just a thought. The idea of heating scares me.

 

[flntlokr]

I have used JB for a couple of such repairs. Get every mating surface absolutely clean, and be careful to wipe away excess that squeezes out, and nobody but you will ever know. I would probably loosen up the rod as you suggest as well.

 

[Eterry]

Dan Fruth, gunsmith, showed me a putty that is used as a heat stop, in cases like this. He says it works good. With some research, you should be able to find it on line.

Brownells is where I bought heat paste 20 years ago when working on modern guns. I'm sure they still carry it.

 

[Norman Brooks]

Like some others have said, JB Weld...

 

[Mark26mod0]

If you suspend the barrels from a string will they ring if you strike them?
Remember 6 inches from your face.

 

[FishDFly]

Don't know a thing about William Moore & Co. SxS 12ga. caplock shot guns, but to use a Zonie word, is it worth frinkling with the gun on repairs or is it worth it to have it professionally repaired?

Some how JP Weld sounds like frinkling.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I had a Wm Moore 12 gauge. Used it all the time ... birds, bunnies, rhinos..oh, no, those were jackrabbits. Great gun I should never have sold.. I never really learn. Dale