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Chamfers on SxS Shotgun


TN Mongo, SASS #61450

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I've had all my doubles tuned by a very good local cowboy gunsmith. He is conservative on chamfering the entrance of the chamber, but some other doubles I have seen that have been worked on by some of the nationally known gunsmiths have been funneled to the point that rolls of pork sausage would drop in them.

 

My smith is hesitant to mess with the inner edge where the bottom of the shell touches. I would like to know from some of you gunsmiths that specialize on doubles what is the correct amount when opening up the chamber mouths and what should be avoided.

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First, I'm only an amateur and not a real gun smith.

 

The face of the barrel sets the head space for the gun. So if the funnel goes too deep, the shell is no longer within the proper head space. It will mess up firing and can change the pressures. So the trick is to make certain that the shell fits properly to the face of the frame of the gun (essentially touching it rather than being further into the chamber.)

 

I have found that you do not need to completely funnel the entrance. I like to see at least a thin line left to ensure the shells is held in the proper position to the face. Some will polish to that is not visible and that can still work, but I like the assurance of seeing at least the line.

 

And the most important thing is that there are no sharp edges. A little bump doesn't seem to bother most shooters and certainly not me.

 

The same is true when polishing the slide of a 1911 pistol. As long as the slide is smooth (even a little "lumpy"), it works great. You just don't want sharp edges.

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Would this work?

 

Remove the extractors from the barrels, put a fired hull in each chamber, then bevel the entrance without touching the hull or shortening the outermost edge.

 

In other words, use the hull to protect the metal that should not be removed...

 

I guess you could leave the extractors in if the barrels have been taken off the action, couldn't they... That way the fired hull could protect the portion of the extractor that pushes the hull out of the chamber.

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Here is a partially funneled chamber.. Most are done further and some look like a smooth funnel - normally done with a "ball" grinding head.

http://marauder.homestead.com/files/SxS_Smooth1.jpg

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Polishing and making surfaces smooth is one thing.

Modifying your shotgun barrels to look like a funnel is another.

 

Remember, the key to good times on a stage is PRACTICE.

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Would this work?

 

Remove the extractors from the barrels, put a fired hull in each chamber, then bevel the entrance without touching the hull or shortening the outermost edge.

 

Nope, you will find the rim of the case fills ALL the area where smoothing and chamfering is done;. In other words, you wouldn't touch a thing! So, it would be totally safe, but also totally zero improvement. There IS no "entrance" other than the relief cut where the rim of the hull sits. It's not like a lot of bolt action guns where there is a feed ramp or a cone at the bolt face end of the chamber.

 

Good luck, GJ

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A word of caution. I "funneled" mine to the point that the rim of the shell would slide under the extractor. Try to recover from that in 30 seconds or less. Had my extractor rebuilt to original specs and solved that problem.

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Nope, you will find the rim of the case fills ALL the area where smoothing and chamfering is done;. In other words, you wouldn't touch a thing! So, it would be totally safe, but also totally zero improvement. There IS no "entrance" other than the relief cut where the rim of the hull sits. It's not like a lot of bolt action guns where there is a feed ramp or a cone at the bolt face end of the chamber.

 

Good luck, GJ

Gotcha. Guns all locked away and my imagination was faulty!

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I used cylindrical grinding stones and recently a self made carbide countersink. The standard bevel is from 10-2. On request I do the whole thing. Extractor removed of course. Blend just past the line.

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I have a stack of ruined barrels where the Kitchen Table Gunsmith got to aggressive with his dermal tool and removed to much metal changing the head space on their double shotguns where the rounds set to deep in the chamber and the firing pins would not reach the primers. That's a real costly screw up when you are talking Browning BSS's and SKB's. So, spend the bucks and let a competent Gunsmith work on your firearms

 

 

Goatneck

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I have a stack of ruined barrels where the Kitchen Table Gunsmith got to aggressive with his dermal tool and removed to much metal changing the head space on their double shotguns where the rounds set to deep in the chamber and the firing pins would not reach the primers. That's a real costly screw up when you are talking Browning BSS's and SKB's. So, spend the bucks and let a competent Gunsmith work on your firearms

 

 

Goatneck

What fun is that? :lol:

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I have a stack of ruined barrels where the Kitchen Table Gunsmith got to aggressive with his dermal tool and removed to much metal changing the head space on their double shotguns where the rounds set to deep in the chamber and the firing pins would not reach the primers. That's a real costly screw up when you are talking Browning BSS's and SKB's. So, spend the bucks and let a competent Gunsmith work on your firearms

 

 

Goatneck

Or buy them from a good 'smith in the first place with the work already done. My 2 SKB's were bought from Johnny Meadows about 8 or 10 years with everything already done. Hav'nt had to touch them since. Just shoot um and clean um!

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Thanks for the great advise.

 

I've studied Duce Steven's and Longhunter's videos on doubles and tipping the shells in does work much better than going straight in. I'm going to leave well enough alone and practice loading my doubles.

 

I started this game with a 97 over a decade ago, but I'm shooting more and more BP so I'm trying to get competent with my S x S.

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Thanks for the great advise.

 

I've studied Duce Steven's and Longhunter's videos on doubles and tipping the shells in does work much better than going straight in. I'm going to leave well enough alone and practice loading my doubles.

 

I started this game with a 97 over a decade ago, but I'm shooting more and more BP so I'm trying to get competent with my S x S.

 

What took ya so long? :P

 

Yup, practice the technique you described and you'll be 'dancing' thru the stages in no time! And as others have said, if ya don't know what you're doing, leave the beveling to a competent smith.

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I have several SKBs all but one smithed by Johnny Meadows. Those chamber champherings look like the photos with a rim remaing for the shell to seat against. The other one is fully champhered with no remaining lip. This gunsmith has retired from the CAS world. At one time he was a good enough shooter to finish in the top 3 overall at Winter Range shooting black powder. This gun's chambers are totally chamferred with no lip. The gunsmith used both AA shells and Rem STS shells to constantly check head space as he went. He used a CNC machine for the machining as he and his father owned a large shop/factory. When done he polished the champhered chamber rear to a mirrored surface you can actually see your face in. That gun has always run perfect with any ammo.

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  • 2 months later...

2014-08-09161052_zps124d5698.jpg

 

Here is my DIY chamber chamfer I did to my Stoeger. I may have removed a little more at 6:00. The metal is soft. Just used a rounded Swiss file and polished with fine emery cloth. I didn't see any advantage in chamfering the bottom half. I didn't go so deep as to get into the head space area.

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If you take too much for a bevel on a BSS it costs a bit over $300 to install an insert to get the headspace back!!

 

I know, I have done a few for the same reason that good gunsmith won't cut too far into the barrel.

 

 

Ol' #4

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